46/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2647a — Work and Destiny
How The Human Being Is Created, In His Mother's Womb, And His Provision, Lifespan And Deeds Are Written Down, And His Misery and Happiness
Hadith About Work and Destiny in Islam
Sahih Muslim : 2647a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2647a
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِزُهَيْرٍ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ كُنَّا فِي جَنَازَةٍ فِي بَقِيعِ الْغَرْقَدِ فَأَتَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَعَدَ وَقَعَدْنَا حَوْلَهُ وَمَعَهُ مِخْصَرَةٌ فَنَكَّسَ فَجَعَلَ يَنْكُتُ بِمِخْصَرَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مَا مِنْ نَفْسٍ مَنْفُوسَةٍ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ مَكَانَهَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ وَإِلاَّ وَقَدْ كُتِبَتْ شَقِيَّةً أَوْ سَعِيدَةً " . قَالَ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ نَمْكُثُ عَلَى كِتَابِنَا وَنَدَعُ الْعَمَلَ فَقَالَ " مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ فَسَيَصِيرُ إِلَى عَمَلِ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَةِ فَسَيَصِيرُ إِلَى عَمَلِ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَةِ " . فَقَالَ " اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ أَمَّا أَهْلُ السَّعَادَةِ فَيُيَسَّرُونَ لِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الشَّقَاوَةِ فَيُيَسَّرُونَ لِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَةِ " . ثُمَّ قَرَأَ { فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى}
'Ali Narrated from:
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).
[1] Al-Lail 92:5-10.Reference : Sahih Muslim 2647aIn-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 9USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 33, Hadith 6398
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2647a
This hadith about work and destiny took place during a funeral at the graveyard of Gharqad. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that every person’s place in Paradise or Hell has been written, along with whether they are blessed or unfortunate. A man then asked whether people should depend on destiny and leave deeds. The answer was clear: work. Everyone is made easy for what they were created for. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then recited verses about giving, fearing Allah, accepting truth, miserliness, and denial. The hadith teaches that belief in qadar does not mean giving up action. A Muslim should act, give, guard against evil, and seek the easier path through obedience.
What we learn from this hadith
- Belief in destiny is not an excuse to abandon deeds.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم directly told people to work.
- Good actions are linked in the recited verses with giving, piety, and accepting truth.
- A person should respond to qadar with effort, not laziness.
