then he becomes a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then the angel is sent to him and commanded to record four matters. He is told: ‘Write down his provision, his lifespan, his deeds, and whether he will be wretched or blessed.’ Then the spirit is breathed into him.”

This applies to every person who is born. Allah, glorified be He, knows—through His knowledge, which is an attribute of His—which of His servants are wretched and which are blessed. He has written this in the Preserved Tablet, and He commands the angel to record the condition of every child between the formation of his body and the breathing of the spirit into him. There are also other records that Allah writes, which are not discussed here. Whoever denies His eternal knowledge of this is an unbeliever.

As for animals, Allah, glorified be He, will gather them all, as the Quran and Sunnah indicate. The Most High says:

“There is no creature on earth, nor any bird flying with its two wings, but they are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord they will be gathered.”

The Most High also says:

“And when the wild beasts are gathered.”

And the Most High says:

“Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creatures He has dispersed throughout them. He has the power to gather them whenever He wills.”

The particle idhā (“when”) is used only for what will inevitably occur.

The hadiths concerning this are well known. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, mighty and majestic, will gather the animals and exact retribution for some of them from others. Then He will say to them, “Become dust,” and they will become dust. At that moment, the unbeliever will say:

“If only I were dust!”

Whoever says that they will not be brought back to life commits a most grievous error; indeed, he is astray or an unbeliever. And Allah knows best.