1037 — Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim informed us. He said: Abu Bishr Makram ibn Bakr ibn Mahmud ibn Makram informed us. He said: Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Dawud al-Munadi narrated to us. He said: Yunus ibn Muhammad narrated to us. He said: Mutamir ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from his father, from Yahya ibn Yamar, who said:

There was a man from Juhaynah who had a streak of recklessness and would assault his neighbors. Then he recited the Quran, taught the prescribed duties, and preached to the people. Eventually, he came to claim that deeds arise independently: whoever wishes does good, and whoever wishes ⦗646⦘ does evil.

I met Abu al-Aswad al-Dili and mentioned this to him. He said, “He is lying. We never saw any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who did not affirm the divine decree.”

Then Humayd ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Himyari and I performed Hajj. Once we had completed our pilgrimage, we said, “Let us go to Medina and meet the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and ask them about the divine decree.” When we came to Medina, we met some people from the Ansar, but we did not ask them. We said, “Let us wait until we meet Ibn Umar or Abu Said al-Khudri.”

Then Ibn Umar met us, and my companion and I flanked him. I stood on his right, while my companion stood on his left. I said, “Will you ask him, or shall I?” He said, “No, rather I shall ask him, for I was more articulate than he was.”

I said, “O Abu Abd al-Rahman, there are people among us in Iraq who have recited the Quran, taught the prescribed duties, and preached to the people. They claim that deeds arise independently: whoever wishes does good, and whoever wishes does evil.”

He said, “When you meet such people, tell them: Ibn Umar disavows you, and you disavow him. Ibn Umar disavows you, and you disavow him. By Allah, if any one of them were to bring deeds as great as Mount Uhud, they would not be accepted from him until he believes in the divine decree ⦗647⦘.

“Umar related to me from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that Moses met Adam and said, ‘O Adam, Allah created you with His Hand, caused the angels to prostrate before you, and settled you in Paradise. By Allah, were it not for what you did, none of your descendants would enter the Fire.’

“He said, ‘O Moses, you are the one whom Allah chose through His messages and His speech. Do you blame me for something that had been written against me before I was created?’ So they argued before Allah, and Adam prevailed over Moses. They argued before Allah, and Adam prevailed over Moses. They argued before Allah, and Adam prevailed over Moses.”