1198 — Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Nadr informed us. He said: Ali ibn ⦗731⦘ Abd Allah ibn Mubashshir informed us. He said: Muhammad ibn Ubadah narrated to us. He said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us. He said: Sufyan al-Thawri informed us, from Khalid al-Hadhdha, from Abd Allah ibn al-Harith, who said:

Umar ibn al-Khattab rose to deliver a sermon at al-Jabiyah and said in his sermon, “Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whomever He leads astray, none can guide.” The Catholicos was present, listening to what he said. He shook his garment in objection, whereupon Umar asked, “What is he saying?”

He replied, “Commander of the Believers, he claims that Allah does not lead anyone astray.”

Umar said, “You lie, enemy of Allah! Rather, Allah created you, and it is He who has led you astray, and He will admit you into the Fire, if Allah wills. By Allah, were it not for a binding covenant that protects you, I would have struck off your head.

“Indeed, Allah created all beings: He created the people of Paradise and what they would do, and He created the people of the Fire and what they would do. He said: ‘These are for this, and these are for this.’”