Mukhtasar Muslim

‘Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We were in Baqi‘ with a funeral when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came. He sat down and we also sat around him. He had a stick with him. He sat with his head lowered and began to draw lines on the ground with the stick. Then he (peace be upon him) said: There is none among you, there is no soul, whose place has not been written by Allah, either in Paradise or in Hell, and it has not been written whether he is fortunate or unfortunate. A man said: O Messenger of Allah! Then why should we not rely on what has been written for us and abandon deeds (i.e., is it useless to act in the face of destiny, whatever is destined will surely happen)? He (peace be upon him) said: Whoever is among the fortunate will be led to the deeds of the fortunate, and whoever is among the unfortunate will be led to the deeds of the unfortunate. And he (peace be upon him) said: Act! Everyone is facilitated, but the righteous will be made to do the deeds of the righteous, and the wicked will be made to do the deeds of the wicked. Then he (peace be upon him) recited this verse: “So as for he who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah) and affirms the best (religion, i.e., Islam), We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need and denies the best (religion), We will ease him toward difficulty.” (Al-Lail: 5...10).