the blessings and afflictions that befall a person, as in His words:

“Whatever good befalls you is from Allah, and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself.”

This is why he said:

“If prosperity comes his way, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If adversity befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”

Thus, he described the decree as the prosperity and adversity that befall a person. This is the apparent meaning of the hadith’s wording, and on this understanding there is no difficulty.

The second answer is that, even assuming that deeds are included here, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever is pleased by his good deed and distressed by his evil deed is a believer.”

If Allah decrees that he do good, this pleases him, and he thanks Allah for it. If He decrees that he commit an evil deed, it is only a deed for which he deserves punishment if he does not repent of it. If he repents, it is replaced with a good deed, and he thanks Allah for it. If he does not repent, he is tested with afflictions that expiate it, and he bears them patiently; thus, that is good for him.

The Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah does not decree for the believer…” The believer is one who does not persist in a sin but repents of it, so that it becomes a good deed, as stated in several verses. A servant may indeed commit a sin and, through what he does thereafter, enter Paradise because of it: he keeps repenting of it until his repentance for it brings him into Paradise. Sin leads the servant to humility and submission, to supplicate to Allah and seek His forgiveness, and to recognize his utter poverty and need of Him, and that none forgives sins but Him.