what a person says aloud and speaks audibly. ﴾And what is hidden﴿ means whatever remains concealed and is not disclosed, for Allah knows it. As He Most High says, ﴾We certainly created man and know what his soul whispers to him﴿ [Qāf: 16]. Thus, He—Glorified and Exalted is He—knows what is spoken openly and also knows what is hidden.

﴾And We shall ease you toward ease﴿. This, too, is a promise from Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, that He will ease him toward ease. Ease means that his affairs will be made easy, especially in obeying Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He.

When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, stated that every person’s place in Paradise and place in the Fire had already been recorded—every child of Adam has a place in Paradise recorded for him if he is among the people of Paradise, and a place in the Fire if he is among the people of the Fire—they asked, “O Messenger of Allah, should we not then abandon deeds and rely upon what has been recorded?” He replied, “No. Act, for everyone will be facilitated toward that for which he was created.” Those destined for blessedness will be facilitated toward the deeds of the blessed, while those destined for misery will be facilitated toward the deeds of the miserable. He then recited the words of Allah Most High: ﴾As for the one who gives, is mindful of Allah, and affirms the finest reward, We shall ease his way toward ease﴿ (1).

This hadith invalidates the argument of anyone who invokes the divine decree to justify disobedience to Allah, committing sin and saying, “This was written for me.” That is no justification, for the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, said, “Act, for everyone will be facilitated toward that for which he was created.” Does anyone prevent you from performing a righteous deed if you wish to do so? Never.

Does anyone force you to commit a sin when you do not wish to commit it? Never—no one does. Therefore, if someone forced and compelled you to commit a sin, you would bear no sin for it, and your doing it would not entail what doing it voluntarily entails. Even regarding disbelief—the gravest of sins—Allah Most High says: ﴾Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having believed—except one who is compelled while his heart remains secure in faith—but whoever willingly opens his heart