We met Abdullah bin Umar and mentioned to him the question of divine decree and what people were saying about it. The first person to speak about divine decree in Basra was Mabad Juhani. So I and Humayd bin Abdul-Rahman Himyari set out on Hajj, or perhaps Umrah, and we said, "If only we could meet one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ask him about what these people are saying regarding divine decree."Allah granted us the good fortune of finding Abdullah bin Umar entering the masjid, so my companion and I flanked him on either side. I supposed my companion would leave the talking to me, so I said, "Abu Abdul-Rahman, some people have appeared among us who recite the Quran and pursue knowledge in fine detail, and they claim there is no divine decree, that matters happen without prior determination."He replied, "When you meet those people, tell them that I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. By Him whom Abdullah bin Umar swears by, if one of them possessed gold equal to Uhud and spent it, Allah would not accept it from him until he believed in divine decree."Then he said, "Umar bin Khattab told me this. He said, One day, while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man appeared before us whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black. No trace of travel could be seen on him, and none of us recognized him. He sat down facing the Prophet ﷺ, resting his knees against the Prophet's knees and placing his palms on the Prophet's thighs.He said, 'Muhammad, tell me about Islam.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, 'Islam is that you testify there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that you establish the prayer, give zakat, fast Ramadan, and make pilgrimage to the House if you are able to find a way to it.'The man said, 'You have spoken the truth.'We were amazed at him, questioning the Prophet and then confirming his answers.The man said, 'Now tell me about faith.'The Prophet ﷺ said, 'That you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you believe in divine decree, both its good and its evil.'The man said, 'You have spoken the truth. Now tell me about excellence.'The Prophet ﷺ said, 'That you worship Allah as though you see Him, and though you do not see Him, He surely sees you.'The man said, 'Then tell me about the Hour.'The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.'The man said, 'Then tell me about its signs.'The Prophet ﷺ said, 'That a slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and that you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds of sheep competing with one another in raising tall buildings.'Then the man departed. I waited three days, and then the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?'I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.'He said, 'That was Jibreel. He came to teach you your religion.'"Umar also said that a man from Mazina, or perhaps Juhaynah, asked the Prophet, "Messenger of Allah, in what are we working? Is it in something already determined and finished, or in something being newly begun now?"The Prophet ﷺ said, "In something already determined and finished."The man, or someone among the people, asked, "Then what is the point of our striving?"The Prophet ﷺ said, "The people of Paradise are made ready for the deeds of the people of Paradise, and the people of the Fire are made ready for the deeds of the people of the Fire."
حدثنا مسدد حدثنا يحيى عن عثمان بن غياث قال حدثني عبد الله بن بريدة عن يحيى بن يعمر وحميد بن عبد الرحمن قالا لقينا عبد الله بن عمر فذكرنا له القدر وما يقولون فيه فذكر نحوه زاد قال وسأله رجل من مزينة أو جهينة فقال يا رسول الله فيما نعمل أفي شيء قد خلا أو مضى أو في شيء يستأنف الآن قال في شيء قد خلا ومضى فقال الرجل أو بعض القوم ففيم العمل قال إن أهل الجنة ييسرون لعمل أهل الجنة وإن أهل النار ييسرون لعمل أهل النار
[Sahih] See the previous hadith. Bayhaqi also reported it in Al-Qada wal-Qadar, page 32, from the hadith of Abu Dawud, in a similar wording.