We were in a funeral in the graveyard of Gharqad when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to us and we sat around him. He had a stick with him. He lowered his head and began to scratch the earth with his stick, and then said: There is not one amongst you whom a seat in Paradise or Hell has not been allotted and about whom it has not been written down whether he would be an evil person or a blessed person. A person said: Allah's Messenger, should we not then depend upon our destiny and abandon our deeds? Thereupon he said: Acts of everyone will be facilitated in that which has been created for him so that whoever belongs to the company of the blessed will have good works made easier for him and whoever belongs to the unfortunate ones will have evil acts made easier for him. He then recited this verse (from the Qur'an): "Then, who gives to the needy and guards against evil and accepts the excellent (the truth of Islam and the path of righteousness it prescribes), We shall make easy for him the easy end and who is miserly and considers himself above need, We shall make easy for him the difficult end" (xcii. 5-10).
The Book of Destiny - Sahih Muslim 2647a
This profound hadith from Sahih Muslim addresses the divine decree (al-Qadr) and human responsibility, demonstrating how Allah's foreknowledge and human free will coexist in perfect harmony.
The Setting and Initial Teaching
The Prophet's arrival at the Gharqad cemetery during a funeral serves as a powerful reminder of mortality and the ultimate return to Allah. His scratching of the earth with his stick visually reinforces the temporal nature of this world compared to the eternal reality of the Hereafter.
The declaration that every person's eternal abode has been predetermined reflects the Islamic belief in Allah's complete knowledge of all matters before their occurrence. This encompasses both the ultimate destination (Paradise or Hell) and the spiritual state (righteous or wicked) of each soul.
The Companion's Question and the Prophetic Response
The companion's question represents a natural human concern: if everything is predetermined, what is the value of human effort? The Prophet's response clarifies that predestination does not negate human responsibility but rather encompasses the means along with the ends.
The concept of "facilitation" (taysīr) demonstrates divine wisdom: Allah creates circumstances and inclinations that align with a person's ultimate destiny. The righteous find obedience naturally appealing, while the wicked find sin increasingly accessible.
Qur'anic Corroboration
The recitation of Surah al-Layl (92:5-10) provides scriptural evidence for this principle. Those who purify their souls through charity, God-consciousness, and acceptance of truth are granted divine assistance in achieving salvation. Conversely, those enslaved by miserliness and arrogance are led toward destruction.
This demonstrates that a person's choices in this world are both evidence of their predetermined state and the means through which that state is actualized. The divine decree operates through natural laws and human psychology rather than through compulsion.
Scholarly Insights
Classical scholars emphasize that this hadith resolves the apparent tension between divine decree and human responsibility. Allah's knowledge does not compel human action; rather, it encompasses the choices humans will freely make.
The "facilitation" mentioned indicates that Allah grants success to those inclined toward goodness and abandons those who persistently choose evil. Thus, a person's ultimate state reflects their innermost disposition and voluntary actions.