Muwatta 2617

Malik transmits from Zayd ibn Abi Unaysa, from Abd al-Hamid ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) (may God be pleased with him), that he told him from Muslim ibn Yasar al-Juhani that Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) was asked about the verse in Surah al-A'raf about taking descendants from the backs of the children of Adam and having them testify against themselves. Umar said: I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ asked about it; he said: God created Adam, then wiped his back with His right hand and brought forth descendants from it, and said: I created these for Paradise and they will do the deeds of the people of Paradise. Then He wiped his back and brought forth descendants, and said: I created these for the Fire and they will do the deeds of the people of the Fire. A man said: then what is the point of deeds? The Prophet said: when God creates a servant for Paradise, He makes him work at the deeds of the people of Paradise until he dies on one of its deeds, and so enters him into Paradise; and when He creates a servant for the Fire, He makes him work at the deeds of the people of the Fire. The editor notes that the chain is broken, since Muslim ibn Yasar did not hear from Umar, and that between them stands the unknown Nuaym ibn Rabia; and that the meaning of the hadith is sound in many ways. ¹

Belongs to the Muwatta, Book of Comprehensive Matters (al-Jami). Source: the Muwatta. Mentions Malik ibn Anas, Zayd ibn Abi Unaysa, Muslim ibn Yasar al-Juhani, Nuaym ibn Rabia, Umar ibn al-Khattab. Built on in the chapters on qadar.