thief, nor would a murderer be executed, nor would a prescribed punishment be imposed on an offender, nor would jihad be waged in Allah’s cause, nor would right be enjoined or wrong forbidden.

Fifth: The Prophet was asked about this. He said:

“There is not one of you whose place in Paradise and whose place in Hell have not already been written.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, should we not then abandon deeds and rely on what has been written?” He replied, “No. Act, for everyone will be enabled to do that for which he was created.”

Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. In another hadith in al-Sahīh, he was asked:

“O Messenger of Allah, tell us about the deeds people do and strive at: do they concern matters for which the pens have already dried and the scrolls have been rolled up, or matters they undertake anew in light of what has come to them?”—or words to that effect. He replied, “Rather, they concern matters for which the pens have already dried and the scrolls have been rolled up.” He was then asked, “What, then, is the point of deeds?” He replied, “Act, for everyone will be enabled to do that for which he was created.”

Sixth: It may be said that Allah knew all things and recorded them as they truly are. He, glorified be He, recorded that a certain person would believe and do righteous deeds, and thus enter Paradise, while another would disobey and act wickedly, and thus enter Hell. Likewise, He knew and recorded that a certain person would marry a woman and have intercourse with her, and thus have a child; that another would eat and drink, and thus have his hunger and thirst satisfied; and that another would sow seeds, and thus crops would grow.

Whoever says, “If I am destined to be among the people of Paradise, I will enter it without righteous deeds,” makes a false and self-contradictory statement. For Allah knew that he would enter Paradise through his righteous deeds. If he were to enter it without deeds, that would contradict what Allah knew and decreed.