The one who ends up fortunate is fortunate by the decree of Allah, and the one who ends up wretched is wretched by the decree of Allah. The essence of the divine decree is Allah’s secret within His creation; no intimate angel nor any commissioned prophet has been given access to it.

Deeds are judged by how they end. Yet, out of His kindness to His servants, Allah ordains that whoever lives a life of goodness is granted a good ending, and whoever lives a life of evil is granted an evil ending. A person, therefore, must take the proper means while thinking well of Allah.

Some people say, “I will repent just before death.” We reply: Do you know when you will die? You may die in a moment that leaves no opportunity for repentance, and even if you do repent you have no guarantee that it will be accepted, for repentance has its conditions.

A person is not made miserable merely by Allah’s decree; he is made miserable by the deeds that Allah has decreed for him. Whoever has been decreed by Allah to be wretched or blessed will find that the way to that destiny is made easy for him.

In short, you will never reach that secret, no matter how much you probe into decree and destiny. Do not burden yourself with it; rather, believe in the divine decree, perform righteous deeds, and avoid sinful ones. As for investigating the mysteries of fate, that is neither your domain nor your responsibility.

That belongs solely to Allah; it is part of the unseen known only to Him. None other knows it—neither the angels, nor the prophets, nor anyone else, even the best of the messengers—