I went to Ubayy b. Ka’b and said him : I am confused about Divine decree, so tell me something by means of which Allah may remove the confusion from my mind. He replied : were Allah to punish everyone in the heavens and in the earth. He would do so without being unjust to them, and were he to show mercy to them his mercy would be much better than their actions merited. Were you to spend in support of Allah’s cause an amount of gold equivalent to Uhud, Allah would not accept it from you till you believed in divine decree and knew that what has come to you could not miss you and that what has missed you could not come to you. Were you to die believing anything else you would enter Hell. He said : I then went to ‘Abd Allah b. MAs’ud and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Zaid b. Thabit who told me something from the Prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect.

أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ عَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَأَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ وَلَوْ مُتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ هَذَا لَدَخَلْتَ النَّارَ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ الْيَمَانِ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ

I went to Ubayy b. Ka’b and said him : I am confused about Divine decree, so tell me something by means of which Allah may remove the confusion from my mind. He replied : were Allah to punish everyone in the heavens and in the earth. He would do so without being unjust to them, and were he to show mercy to them his mercy would be much better than their actions merited. Were you to spend in support of Allah’s cause an amount of gold equivalent to Uhud, Allah would not accept it from you till you believed in divine decree and knew that what has come to you could not miss you and that what has missed you could not come to you. Were you to die believing anything else you would enter Hell. He said : I then went to ‘Abd Allah b. MAs’ud and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Zaid b. Thabit who told me something from the Prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4699)

أَنَّ اللهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لَهُمْ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ جَبَلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ اللهُ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَمَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ وَلَوْ مِتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ لَدَخَلْتَ النَّارَ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ لِي مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَأَتَيْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ

[AI] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of His heavens and the inhabitants of His earth, He would have done so without being unjust to them. And if He were to have mercy upon them, His mercy would be better for them than their own actions. And if you were to spend gold equal to the size of Mount Uhud (in charity), it would not be accepted by Allah until you believe in destiny, and know that whatever has befallen you was not going to miss you, and whatever has missed you was not going to befall you. And if you die believing in something other than this, you will enter the Fire."

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ غَيْرَ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لَهُمْ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ لَكَ جَبَلُ أُحُدٍ أَوْ مِثْلُ جَبَلِ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ اللهُ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَأَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ وَأَنَّكَ إِنْ مِتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ هَذَا دَخَلْتَ النَّارَ

I went to Ubayy b. Ka’b and said him : I am confused about Divine decree, so tell me something by means of which Allah may remove the confusion from my mind. He replied : were Allah to punish everyone in the heavens and in the earth. He would do so without being unjust to them, and were he to show mercy to them his mercy would be much better than their actions merited. Were you to spend in support of Allah’s cause an amount of gold equivalent to Uhud, Allah would not accept it from you till you believed in divine decree and knew that what has come to you could not miss you and that what has missed you could not come to you. Were you to die believing anything else you would enter Hell. He said : I then went to ‘Abd Allah b. MAs’ud and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Zaid b. Thabit who told me something from the Prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4699)

أَنَّ اللهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَأَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ عَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لَهُمْ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ أُحُدٌ لَكَ ذَهَبًا فَأَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ تُؤْمِنْ بِالْقَدَرِ وَتَعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَأَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْكَ وَلَوْ مِتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ دَخَلْتَ النَّارَ وَلَا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخِي عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فَتَسْأَلَهُ فَلَقِيَ عَبْدَ اللهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ لَقِيَ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ الْيَمَانِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ لَقِيَ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنَّهُحَدَّثَهُ عَنْ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ

I went to Ubayy b. Ka’b and said him : I am confused about Divine decree, so tell me something by means of which Allah may remove the confusion from my mind. He replied : were Allah to punish everyone in the heavens and in the earth. He would do so without being unjust to them, and were he to show mercy to them his mercy would be much better than their actions merited. Were you to spend in support of Allah’s cause an amount of gold equivalent to Uhud, Allah would not accept it from you till you believed in divine decree and knew that what has come to you could not miss you and that what has missed you could not come to you. Were you to die believing anything else you would enter Hell. He said : I then went to ‘Abd Allah b. MAs’ud and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman and he said something to the same effect. I next went to Zaid b. Thabit who told me something from the Prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4699)

فقَالَ «إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ عَذَّبَهُمْ غَيْرَ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَأَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ وَلَوْ مُتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ هَذَا لَدَخَلْتَ النَّارَ»

[AI] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of His heavens and earth, He would have punished them without being unjust to them. And if He were to have mercy on them, His mercy would be better for them than their own actions. And if the equivalent of Mount Uhud of gold were to be spent in the cause of Allah, it would not be accepted from you until you believe in destiny, all of it and that whatever has afflicted you was not going to miss you, and whatever has missed you was not going to afflict you. And if you were to die in any other state than this, you would enter the Hellfire."

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَماَوَاتِهِ وَأَرْضَهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ جَبَلُ أُحُدٍ وَمِثْلُ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا تُنْفِقُهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَا تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ كُلَّهِ وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ وَأَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ وأَنَّكَ إِنْ مُتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ هَذَا دَخَلْتَ النَّارَ»

[AI] I have debated with the people of destiny until they embarrassed me. Do you have any knowledge to inform me? They said, "If Allah punished the people of the heavens and the earth, He would punish them without being unjust. And if He admitted them into His mercy, His mercy would be greater than their sins. But as He has decreed, He punishes whom He wills and has mercy on whom He wills. So whoever is punished, it is true, and whoever is shown mercy, it is true. And even if you were to spend the equivalent of Uhud mountain in the cause of Allah, it would not be accepted from you until you believe in the entirety of destiny, its good and bad." Then 'Imran said to Abu al-Aswad when he narrated the Hadith, "I heard that from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Abdullah and Ubayy bin Ka'b heard it with me." So Abu al-Aswad asked them to narrate it to him from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

إِنِّي قَدْ خَاصَمْتُ أَهْلَ الْقَدَرِ حَتَّى أَحْرَجُونِي فَهَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ عَلِمٌ فَتُحَدِّثُونِي؟ فَقَالُوا «لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ ﷻ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ عَذَّبَهُمْ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ وَلَوْ أَدْخَلَهُمْ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ أَوْسَعَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَلَكِنَّهُ كَمَا قَضَى يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَمَنْ عُذِّبَ فَهُوَ الْحَقُّ وَمَنْ رُحِمَ فَهُوَ الْحَقُّ وَلَوْ كَانَ لَكَ مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ تُنْفِقُهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَا قَبِلَ مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ كُلِّهِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ لِأَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ حِينَ حَدَّثَهُ الْحَدِيثَ «سَمِعْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَسَمِعَهُ مَعِي عَبْدُ اللهِ وَأُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ» فَسَأَلَهُمَا أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ فَحَدَّثَاهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ

"لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأهْلَ أَرْضه لَعَذبهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ، وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ لَكَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لَهُمْ خَيرًا مِنْ أَعْمَالهم، وَلَوْ أنَفَقْتَ مِثْلَ أُحُد ذَهبًا فِي سَبِيلِ الله ما قَبِلَهُ الله مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِن بِالقَدَرِ فَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطئَكَ وَمَا أَخْطَأكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَيُصِيبَكَ، وَلَوْ مُتَّ عَلَى غَير هَذَا لَدَخَلتَ النَّارَ".

"عَنْ أَبِى الأَسْوَدِ الدُّؤَلِىِّ أَنَّهُ أَتَى إِلَى عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ فَقَالَ: إِنِّى قَدْ خَاصَمْتُ أَهْلَ الْقَدَر حَتَّى أخْرَجُونِى، فَهَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ لَعَلَّ الله أَنْ يَنْفَعَنِى بِهِ؟ قَالَ: لَعَلِّى إِنْ حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثًا تَلْبِس عَلَيْه أُذُنُكَ صَارَ كَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تَسْمَعْهُ، فَقَالَ: مَا جِئْتُ لِذَلكَ، قَالَ: فَإِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَأَهْلَ الأَرَضِينَ السَّبْعِ عَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ، وَلَوْ أَدْخَلَهُمْ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ لَكَانَتْ رَحْمَتُه أَوْسَعَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِمْ كمَا قَالَ: {يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ} (*)، فَمَنْ عَذَّبَ فَهُوَ الْحَقُّ، وَمَنْ رَحِمَ فَهُوَ الْحَقُّ، وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ ذَهَبًا أَوْ وَرِقًا أنْفَقَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ الله، وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّه لَمْ يَنْفَعْكَ وَاخْرُجْ فَاسْأَلْ. قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَإِذَا بِعَبْدِ الله بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، وَأُبِىِّ بْنِ كعْبٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُمَا، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الله بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: يَا أُبَىُّ! أَخْبِرْهُ، قَالَ أُبَىٌّ: بل أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَخْبِرْ، فَجَاءَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ لَمْ يَزِدْ قَلِيلًا وَلاَ كثِيرًا كَأَنَّهُ يَسْمَعُ قَوْلَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أُبَىُّ! أكَذَلِكَ تَقُولُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ".

"عَنِ ابْنِ الدَّيْلَمِىِّ قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ أُبىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ فَقُلْتُ: وَقَعَ فِى قَلْبِى شَىْءٌ مِنَ القَدَرِ، فَحَدِّثْنِى بِشَىْءٍ يَذْهَبُ بِهِ عَنِّى. قَالَ: إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعالَى لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ عَذَّبَهُم وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِمٍ لَهُمْ، وَلَوْ رَحِمَهُمْ كَانَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِمْ، وَلَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مِثْلَ جَبَلِ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا فِى سَبيلِ الله مَا تَقَبَّلَهُ الله مِنْكَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ، وَتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ مَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ، وَمَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ، وَلَوْ مُتَّ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ لَدَخَلْتَ النَّارَ، فَأَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ، فَقَالَ لِى مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَأَتَيْتُ عَبْدَ الله بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، فَقَالَ لِى مِثْلَ ذَلِك، فَأَتَيْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ فَحَدَّثَنِى عَنِ النَّبِىِّ ﷺ مِثْل ذَلِكَ".