come into existence only later. Allah, glorified is He, knew and decreed that one person would do certain deeds and thereby attain blessedness, while another would do certain deeds and thereby become wretched. He knows that righteous deeds bring blessedness, just as He knows all other causes and their effects: He knows that one person will consume poison and die, while another will eat and be satisfied, or drink and have his thirst quenched. Thus, the error in the questioner’s statement becomes clear:
“There is therefore no point in exhausting oneself with deeds or restraining oneself from pleasures, since what was recorded from eternity will inevitably occur.”
What was recorded from eternity is the blessedness of the blessed person through the righteous deeds made easy for him, and the wretchedness of the wretched person through the evil deeds made easy for him. It is not one without the other that was recorded. Whatever the servant is commanded to do that entails exertion or abstention from a desire is among the means by which blessedness is attained.
What has been decreed and recorded is both blessedness and the deeds through which it is attained. If the servant abandons what he has been commanded to do, relying on what has been recorded, that abandonment is itself among the things recorded and decreed through which he becomes wretched. His statement is like that of someone who says:
“I shall neither eat nor drink. If Allah has decreed that my hunger and thirst will be satisfied, that will happen; otherwise, it will not.”
Or someone who says:
“I shall not have intercourse with my wife. If Allah has decreed a child for me, the child will come into being.”
The same applies to someone who mistakenly abandons supplication, or seeking Allah’s help and placing his trust in Him, supposing that such abandonment is one of the spiritual stations of the elect because he focuses on divine decree. All such people are ignorant and astray.
This is supported by what Muslim narrated in his Sahīh from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who said:
“The strong believer is better than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, and seek help