Yahya ibn Ya`mar, may Allaah have mercy on him,said:“The first individual to speak regarding predestination was Ma`bad Al-Juhani. So, I went with Humayd ibn `Abd Ar-Rahmaan Al-Himyari to make Hajj or `Umrah, and we said: „If we come across anyone from the Companions of Allaah‟s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, we should ask about what those people say regarding predestination. We were given divine assistance in meeting `Abdullaah ibn`Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him,inside the mosque. So, we surrounded him, one of us to hisright, and the other to his left. I felt that my companion would entrust me to speak, so I said: „O Abu `Abd Ar-Rahmaan, in our area, there are people who read the Qur‟aan but have no nowledge.‟ He continued to mention some of their descriptions, and how they say there is no predestination and that everything is spontaneous. He said:„If you meet them, then inform them that I am free of them,and that they are free from me. By the One who `Abdullaah ibn `Umar swears by, if one of them had a mountain of gold,as big as Uhud, and they spend it for the Sake of Allaah, it would not be accepted until they accept predestination.My father, `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, informed me, saying: „While we were sitting with
Allaah‟s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, one day, a man who had an extremely white garment on, who had extremely black hair, and who did not have any traces of travel, came to us. None of us knew him. He sat with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, so close that their knees touched. He placed his hands on his thighs and said:„O Muhammad, tell me about Islaam.‟ Allaah‟s Messenger,sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:„Islaam is to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establish prayer,give obligatory charity, fast Ramadhaan, and perform pilgrimage if you are able.‟The man said: „You have stated the truth.‟ We were amazed by him; he asked him, but then declared him as having told the truth. Then, he said: „Tell me about faith.‟ Allaah‟s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam, said:„It is to believe in Allaah, His angels, Books,messengers, the Last Day, and the good and bad parts of predestination.‟The man said: You have stated the truth. Tell me about Ihsaan (perfection).‟ The Prophet, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam, said:„It is to worship Allaah as if you see Him. If you cannot see Him, He Sees you.‟The man said: „Tell me about the Hour.‟ The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam, said:„The one being asked is no more knowledgeable than the one asking.‟
The man said: „Tell me of its signs.‟ TheProphet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:„It is when a slave girl gives birth to her master, and when you find barefoot, naked, poor shepherds competing in building structures.‟Then, he left, and I remained for a short while.Then, Allaah‟s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?‟I said: Allaah and His Messenger know more.‟ He,sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:„That was Jibreel, may Allaah exalt his mention, who came to teach you your religion.‟1This is a great and lofty Hadeeth. Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “This is a great Hadeeth that comprises of explaining the entire religion. That is why the Prophet,sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said in the end:
„That was Jibreel who came to teach you your religion,‟after explaining the level of Islam, the level of faith, and the level of Ihsaan.He ruled that all those parts are part of the religion.”2Al-Qaadhi `Iyaadh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “This Hadeeth explains all actions of worship, both inward and outward, such as faith, actions of the limbs, sincerity,safeguarding oneself from evil actions. Actually, all sciences of the religion go back to this Hadeeth and this is a reference for all aspects of the religion.”3Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “This Hadeeth can be called, „The mother of the Sunnah,‟ due to how it comprises of the entirety of knowledge of the Sunnah.”1This Hadeeth was narrated only by Muslim in this wording,not by Al-Bukhaari. Howe
ver, Al-Bukhaari, may Allaah have mercy on him, did report it in another wording. His wording goes through Hayyaan At-Tameemi, may Allaah have mercy on him, who reported it from Abu Zur`ah, may Allaah have mercy on him, who reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who reported that the Prophet,sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was sitting with the people,and Jibreel, may Allaah exalt his mention, came and said:“What is faith?” The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,said:“Faith is to believe in Allaah, His angels, Books, meeting Him, His messengers, and to believe in resurrection.”Jibreel,may Allaah exalt his mention, said: “What is Islaam?” The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“Islaam is to worship Allaah the Exalted
without associating any partners in worship with Him, establish prayer, give obligatory charity, and fast Ramadhaan.”Jibreel, may Allaah exalt his mention, said: “What is Ihsaan?” The Prophet,
sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“It is to worship Allaah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He Sees you.”Jibreel, may Allaah exalt his mention, said: “When is the Hour?” The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“The one being asked knows no more than the one asking.However, I will inform you of its signs. When the slave-girl gives birth to her master, and when the camel herders begin to compete in buildings. The Hour is one of five things that only Allaah the Exalted knows.”Then, Allaah‟s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,recited:{Indeed, Allaah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and Acquainted.}[QUR’AAN 31:34]Then the man left. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam, then said:“Call him back.”They went to search for him, but could not find him. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“This was Jibreel who came to teach people their religion.”1In another narration, he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:“That was Jibreel who wanted to teach you,since you did not ask about it.”
