Those who do not confirm the reality of fate,
Those who exalt in rank the sinners who Allah degrades, and lowers in rank the pious ones who Allah honors,
Those who engage in forbidden acts in the harem of Mecca,
Those who do wrong by my family (ahl al-bayt[1]) and abandon my practices.” (Sunnah)
Ummu Habiba (r.a.) said:
“O Allah! Extend my lifespan so that I may be beneficial to my husband Muhammad (saw), my father Abu Sufyan, and my brother Muawiya.”
Whereupon Rasulullah said:
“You asked Allah for something in regards to predetermined lifespans, compulsory matters and predestined livelihood, all of which are fixed and not subject to change. Had you prayed for salvation from the torments of the grave and hellfire instead, it would have been more beneficial for you.”
Upon this, a man asked:
“O Rasulullah! Are these monkeys and swine the monkeys and swine that have been transformed (from the human state, as a punishment)?”
Rasulullah (saw) answered:
“Verily, there is not one community of people whose lineage continues after Allah destroys them. These monkeys and swine are the monkeys and swine that existed in the past.” (Muslim)
Halid Al-Hazza (r.a.) said: “I asked Hasan Basri ‘Was Adam created for the heavens or the earth?’ Hasan Basri replied: ‘For the earth’. I asked ‘and what if he hadn’t eaten from the forbidden tree?’ he said ‘that is not a possibility; he had to eat from that tree (as this was predestined)’. I said ‘can you explain the meaning of the verse “Can never turn (those who are pure in essence) against Him! Except those who are to burn in Hell.”(Quran 37:162-163)
Hasan Basri said: “The devils cannot tempt anyone into delusion and wrongdoing other than those who are already destined by Allah to be of the people of Hell.” (Abu Dawud)
Halid Al-Hazza (r.a.) narrates from Hasan Basri:
Halid Al-Hazza enquired about the verse “... for that He created them ...” (Quran 11:119), Hasan basri replied: “He created them for Paradise and the others for Hell.”
(Abu Dawud) Anas (r.a.) said: Rasulullah (saw) often made the prayer:
“O Allah, transformer of hearts, fix my heart stable upon the religion.”
We asked him: “O Rasulullah! We believed in you and all your teachings, do you still fear for us?” He said:
“Yes, because the hearts are in between the two fingers of Allah, He changes and shapes them as he likes.” (Tirmidhi)
Muslims says: “All the hearts of every human being is like one single heart, and it is in between the two fingers of Allah the Rahman; He changes it as He likes.”
Abu Huraira (r.a.) narrates:
Rasulullah (saw) says:
“Every person is born into the religion of fitrah (natural disposition). Later on he becomes a Jew, a Christian or a polytheist based on the religion of his parents. Just like a newborn animal that is so complete and perfect… do you ever see something missing?”
Abu Huraira (r.a.) said: “Read, if you like, the verse ‘So direct your face toward the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people.’” (Quran 30:30) (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud–Tirmidhi)
The tall man in Paradise is Abraham (saw). The children around him are the children who have died upon the religion of fitrah. One of the Muslims asked: “O Rasulullah (saw), are the children of the polytheists included among them?”
Rasulullah (saw) said:
“Yes, the children of the polytheists are included too.” (Bukhari)