I came in to visit Ubada while he was ill, and I could see death taking shape upon him. I said, "Father, give me your final counsel and do your utmost for me."He said, "Sit me up."Then he said, "My son, you will never taste the flavor of faith, nor reach the true reality of knowledge of Allah , until you believe in divine decree, both its good and its evil."I said, "Father, how can I know what is good in the decree and what is evil?"He replied, "You will know that what missed you was never going to strike you, and what struck you was never going to miss you. My son, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'The first thing Allah
created was the Pen. He said to it, Write. So in that very moment it ran with everything that will be until the Day of Resurrection.' My son, if you die holding anything other than this, you will enter the Fire."
حدثنا أبو العلاء الحسن بن سوار حدثنا ليث عن معاوية عن أيوب بن زياد حدثني
دخلت على عبادة وهو مريض أتخايل فيه الموت فقلت يا أبتاه أوصني واجتهد لي فقال أجلسوني قال يا بني إنك لن تطعم طعم الإيمان ولن تبلغ حق حقيقة العلم بالله تبارك وتعالى حتى تؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره قال قلت يا أبتاه فكيف لي أن أعلم ما خير القدر وشره قال تعلم أن ما أخطأك لم يكن ليصيبك وما أصابك لم يكن ليخطئك يا بني إني سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول إن أول ما خلق الله تبارك وتعالى القلم ثم قال اكتب فجرى في تلك الساعة بما هو كائن إلى يوم القيامة يا بني إن مت ولست على ذلك دخلت النار
Its isnad is sahih. Muawiya is Ibn Salih, a well-known trustworthy narrator mentioned many times before. Ayub bin Ziyad is the Homsi, Abu Zayd, whom Ibn Hibban considered trustworthy while others remained silent about him.The hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud 4/225 no. 4700, Tirmidhi 5/424 no. 3319, who said, hasan gharib, Tayalisi 2/79 no. 2285 (Al-Minhah), and Bayhaqi 10/204.