Chapter: Reports Concerning Those Who Deny the Divine Decree

Ibn ʿUmar said, “By the One in whose hand lies the soul of Ibn ʿUmar, if any one of them possessed gold equal to Mount Uhud and spent it in the cause of Allah, Allah would still not accept it from him until he believes in the divine decree.” He then adduced the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Faith is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in the divine decree, its good and its evil.” (1) Reported by Muslim.

Relation of this chapter to the Book of Tawḥīd: Affirming divine lordship is incomplete without affirming and believing in the decree, so the compiler cites the severe threats issued against denying it to highlight the obligation of believing in it.

“What has been reported concerning the deniers of the decree” refers to the stern warnings directed at them. Al-qadar, with fatḥah on both the qāf and the dāl, is whatever Allah determines in His judgment and whatever unfolds in the universe.

“Uhud,” with two ḍammahs, is a mountain near the Prophet’s ﷺ city on the northern side.

He then adduced the Prophet’s ﷺ statement—that is, when Gabriel asked him about faith. The proof lies in the fact that the Prophet ﷺ counted belief in the decree among the pillars of faith; whoever denies it is neither a believer nor God-fearing, and Allah accepts only from the God-fearing.