Ubayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us, saying: Abdullah ibn Ishaq al-Misri narrated to us; Bakkar ibn Qutaybah narrated to us; Muammal ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Wuhayb ibn Khalid narrated to us; Khalid narrated to us, saying: I asked al-Hasan, “Was Adam created for this—that is, for Heaven or for the earth?” He replied, “No; rather, for the earth ⦗626⦘.”

He said: I asked, “Consider: had he refrained from the sin and not committed it, would he have been left in Paradise?” He said, “Glory be to Allah! He had no alternative but to commit it.”

He said: I asked, “O Abu Sa'id, regarding the words of Allah: ‘You cannot lead anyone astray by means of it’ [al-Saffat 37:162]?” He replied, “You cannot mislead anyone by it except one for whom it has been decreed that he will enter the Blazing Fire.”