Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Walid bin ‘Ubadah, he says: I went to Sayyiduna ‘Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was ill and in the throes of death. I requested him, “O dear father! Please give me some good advice.” He said, “Sit me up.” Then he said, “Son! You cannot taste the sweetness of faith, nor reach the true reality of faith in Allah Almighty, until you believe in every good and bad destiny.” I asked, “Dear father! How will I know about good and bad destiny?” He said, “You must be certain that whatever did not come to you, could never have reached you in any way, and whatever has come to you, could never have missed you. Son! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that Allah Almighty first created the Pen, then said to it, ‘Write.’ So the Pen began to write at that very moment, and it wrote every matter that will occur until the Day of Resurrection. Son! If you die in a state where you do not have this faith, then you will enter Hell.” The words of another narration are as follows: The Pen said, “What should I write?” Allah Almighty said, “Write every matter that is to occur until the establishment of the Day of Resurrection.”