will be altered by his parents, just as Allah Most High decreed and recorded.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, illustrated this when he said:

“Just as an animal gives birth to an intact animal: do you notice any mutilation in it?”

He thus explained that the animal is born sound, and people then mutilate it, all by Allah’s decree and predestination. Likewise, the newborn is born sound upon the natural disposition, and his parents then corrupt him, also by Allah’s decree and predestination.

The imams only said that a person “is born upon the wretchedness or blessedness for which he was originally created” because the Qadariyya were citing this hadith as evidence that unbelief and sins are not decreed by Allah but are instead brought about by people. Their argument was that every newborn is created and born upon the natural disposition, while his subsequent unbelief comes from people.

This is why Mālik ibn Anas was told, “The Qadariyya argue against us using the beginning of the hadith.” He replied, “Argue against them using its ending,” namely:

“Allah knows best what they would have done.”

The imams thus explained that the hadith provides no evidence for the Qadariyya. For they do not say that the parents themselves created the child’s becoming a Jew or a Christian. Rather, he became a Jew or a Christian by his own choice, but they were a cause of this through teaching and instruction. If it is attributed to them on this account, then it is all the more fitting to attribute it to Allah, who is the Creator of all things. For although Allah created him sound, born upon the natural disposition, He decreed and knew the changes that would subsequently befall him.

As stated in the authentic hadith:

“Indeed, the boy whom al-Khidr killed was, on the day his destiny was inscribed,