47 – “Indeed Allah grasped a handful and said, ‘(These are) for the Garden, by My mercy,’ then He grasped another handful and said, ‘(These are) for the Fire, and I do not care.’”

Narrated by Abū Yaʿlā in his Musnad (2 / 171); al-ʿUqaylī in al-Ḍuʿafāʾ (p. 93); Ibn ʿAdī in al-Kāmil (2 / 66); and al-Dūlābī in al-Asmāʾ wa’l-Kunā (2 / 48) through the chain of al-Ḥakam ibn Sinān—Thābit—Anas, traced back to the Prophet.

Ibn ʿAdī said, “Some of what al-Ḥakam ibn Sinān relates has no corroboration,” and al-ʿUqaylī expressed a similar view.

I say: He has, in fact, been corroborated, so the ḥadith is sound. Al-ʿUqaylī himself pointed to this when he said, “Reports concerning the two handfuls have been transmitted with acceptable isnāds.” I say: We shall now cite them, if Allah wills.

48 – “When Allah created Adam, He drew forth his offspring from his back and said, ‘These are for Paradise and I do not care, and those are for the Fire and I do not care.’ Someone asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, then upon what shall we act?’ He replied, ‘Upon what the decree has already settled.’”

Narrated by Aḥmad (4 / 186); Ibn Saʿd in al-Ṭabaqāt (1 / 30; 7 / 417); Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ (1806); al-Ḥākim (1 / 31); and the ḥadith scholar ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maqdisī in the ninety-third of his Takhrīj (2 / 41) through Aḥmad’s route, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Qatādah al-Sulamī,