My servants as pure monotheists,” contradict this.

Furthermore, there is no difference between the time of birth and any other state of a person’s life. From the time he is an embryo and throughout all his subsequent states without end, he is as Allah already knew he would be. Thus, singling out birth as being in accordance with divine decree is to make a distinction without any distinguishing basis.

It is established in the authentic hadith that, before the soul is breathed into him, his provision, lifespan, deeds, and whether he will be wretched or felicitous are recorded. Had it been said, “Every newborn has the soul breathed into him upon the natural disposition,” this would have been closer to that meaning, although the breathing of the soul occurs after the recording.

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said:

“Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazī said: ‘This view resembles what Abū ‘Ubayd related from Ibn al-Mubārak: when asked about this hadith, he replied, “It is explained by the other hadith in which, when asked about the children of the polytheists, [the Prophet said]: ‘Allah knows best what they would have done.’”’