“Then a man among those present said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, should we not simply rely on what has been written for us and abandon deeds? Whoever is destined for blessedness will surely attain blessedness, and whoever is destined for wretchedness will surely come to wretchedness.’

He replied, ‘Act, for everyone is enabled to do that for which he was created. Those destined for blessedness are enabled to attain blessedness, and those destined for wretchedness are enabled to attain wretchedness.’ Then the Prophet of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—recited:

‘As for the one who gives and fears Allah,
and believes in the best reward,
We will make easy for him the way of ease.
But as for the one who withholds and considers himself self-sufficient,
and denies the best reward,
We will make easy for him the way of hardship.’”

This was related by the hadith compilers in their Sahīh, Sunan, and Musnad collections. Al-Tirmidhī also related:

“The Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what of the medicines we use, the healing recitations we ask others to perform for us, and the precautions we take? Do they avert anything of Allah’s decree?’

He replied, ‘They are part of Allah’s decree.’”

This meaning has been conveyed from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—in several hadiths. He—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—thus explained that Allah’s prior knowledge and recording of who is blessed and who is wretched do not preclude the former’s attaining blessedness through righteous deeds and the latter’s becoming wretched through evil deeds. For He, glorified is He, knows things as they are and records them accordingly. He knows that the blessed attain blessedness through righteous deeds and that the wretched become wretched through evil deeds. Thus, whoever is blessed is enabled to perform the righteous deeds that lead to blessedness, and whoever is wretched is enabled to perform evil deeds