Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
Anas bn Malik, radiyaLlahu an’hu, reported that the Prophet sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi salaatu wa sallam said:
إن الله قبض قبضة فقال: إلى الجنة برحمتي، وقبض قبضة فقال: إلى النار ولا أبالي".
Verily, Allah took a handful (of people) and said: “[Proceed] to the Jannah out of My Mercy”. He took another handful and said: “[Proceed] to the hell and I don’t care”.
Sources: Aboo Ya’alaa in his Musnad, Al ‘Uqaylee in Ad Du’afaa, Ibn ‘Adiyy in Al Kaamil and Ad-Dawlaabee in Al Asmaa waAkkunaa.
Gradation: Al ‘Uqaylee [in Ad Du’faa] and al-Imaam Al-Albaanee graded it authentic [see: As Saheehah vol.1 p.113].
Al Imaam Al-Albaanee commented:
Majority of the people misconstrue these narrations – and the likes - to mean that man is compelled to carry out his actions, that he has no choice as long as it had been aforetime pre-ordained prior the creation that he would either make it to the Jannah or the hell.
It is an obligation upon these people to understand that there is “nothing like a likeness of Him [Al Shoorah: 11] whether in His Self or Attributes. If He took a handful, it is from His (Perfect) Knowledge, Fairness and Wisdom; He The High (Only) used His Right Hand to take those whom He knew would obey Him if He commanded them. Those He Held in His Other Hand whom He had previously known would disobey Him if He commanded them. It is impossible upon the fairness of Allah to hold in His Right those who befit to be in the Other Hand, and vice versa. How would it be when Allaah says: Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you? [Al-Qalam: 35-36]…
For more on this issue, see As-Saheehah vol1. Pp.115-117].
