This is discussed at length elsewhere. The evil deeds that occur in existence are willed by Allah through His universal will and fall within His words whose bounds neither the righteous nor the wicked can overstep. Nevertheless, He, glorified be He, has not willed them through His religious will, nor do they accord with His religious words. He does not approve of disbelief for His servants, nor does He command indecency. Thus, in one respect, these deeds are displeasing to Him.

Yet these are not like taking the believer’s soul. He dislikes that—what He dislikes is causing the believer distress—yet He wills it because He has already decreed death for him, so it is inevitable. What He wills for His believing servant is good for him and a mercy to him, for it is authentically reported:

“Allah Most High decrees nothing for the believer except that it is good for him. If prosperity comes his way, he gives thanks, and that is good for him; if adversity befalls him, he remains patient, and that is good for him.”

As for evil deeds, He hates and dislikes them. In this respect, they have no praiseworthy outcome unless those who commit them repent and are shown mercy through repentance, although repentance must necessarily be preceded by a sin.

Accordingly, the question of sins being decreed for the believer is answered in two ways:

First: this hadith does not encompass sins; it concerns only afflictions.

Second: if he repents of them, what is followed by repentance becomes good, for repentance is a good deed, indeed one of the deeds most beloved to Allah. Allah rejoices at His servant’s repentance, when he turns to Him, with the greatest possible joy. As for sins from which a person does not repent, they are evil for the one who commits them. Allah, glorified be He, has ordained and decreed everything on account of His