what He has decreed they will ultimately become, may differ from how they act beforehand. Someone whom He originally created for misguidance—that is, whom He decreed would die misguided—may previously have performed the deeds of the rightly guided. Thus, someone born with a sound innate disposition conducive to guidance may have that disposition altered by something that befalls it, and so reach the outcome previously decreed.

As stated in the authentic hadith:

“One of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only a cubit remains between him and it; then the written decree overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters the Fire. And one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until only a cubit remains between him and it; then the written decree overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.”

This is why Muhammad ibn Ka‘b said that all the descendants acknowledged Him with faith and recognition. He thus affirmed both, since there is no contradiction between them.

Then Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr narrated through his chain of transmission (from Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, concerning His words:

“As He originated you, so you will return.”

He said: “You will be as has been decreed for you.”

[Comment by Ibn Taymiyyah]

Ibn Abī Najīh reported from Mujāhid, concerning His words:

“As He originated you, so you will return.”

He said: “Some wretched, others blessed.”

Someone else reported from Mujāhid, concerning His words:

“As He originated you, so you will return.”

He said: “The Muslim will be resurrected as a Muslim, and the disbeliever as a disbeliever.”