Shaykh al-Islām Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-ʿAbbās was asked about the hadith which states:

“Allah took two handfuls and said, ‘This one is for Paradise, and I care not; and this one is for the Fire, and I care not.’”

Is this hadith authentic? Did Allah take them Himself, or did He command one of the angels to take them? And what of the other hadith stating:

“When Allah created Adam, He showed him his descendants to the right and to the left, then said, ‘These are for the Fire, and I care not; and these are for Paradise, and I care not.’”

This is recorded in the Sahīh.

He replied—may Allah be pleased with him:

Yes, this meaning is well known through numerous reports from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Among them is the report in Mālik’s Muwattaʾ, the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasāʾī, and elsewhere, from Muslim ibn Yasār—and, in another wording, from Nuʿaym ibn Rabīʿah—that ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb was asked about the verse:

“And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins…”

—and the rest of the verse. ʿUmar then narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. In another wording, he said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, being asked about it. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Allah created Adam, then wiped his back with His right hand and brought forth descendants from him. He said, ‘I created these for Paradise, and they will perform the deeds of the people of Paradise.’ Then He wiped his back and brought forth descendants from him. He said, ‘I created