677—Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Hammuyah al-Shahid al-Razi informed us: Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Muhammadi al-Abadhi narrated to us in Nishapur: Uthman ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Nu‘aym ibn Hammad narrated to us: Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Hazim narrated to us, from al-Ala’, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah’s knowledge concerning His creation has preceded, and they are proceeding toward it.”