What is Sahih Muslim 6568 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Destiny), narrated by 'Ali reported that one day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting with a wood in his hand and he was scratching the ground. He raised his head and said:, states: "There is not one amongst you who has not been allotted his seat in Paradise or Hell. They said: Allah's Messenger. then, why should we perform good deeds, why not depend upon our destiny? Thereupon he…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 6568 in the Book of The Book of Destiny.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#6567

#6568

Sahih Muslim

#6569

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Sahih Muslim #6568

The Book of Destiny

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ جَالِسًا وَفِي يَدِهِ عُودٌ يَنْكُتُ بِهِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ عُلِمَ مَنْزِلُهَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَلِمَ نَعْمَلُ أَفَلاَ نَتَّكِلُ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ ‏.‏ اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ‏{‏ فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى‏}‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ‏{‏ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى‏}‏

There is not one amongst you who has not been allotted his seat in Paradise or Hell. They said: Allah's Messenger. then, why should we perform good deeds, why not depend upon our destiny? Thereupon he said. No, do perform good deeds, for everyone is facilitated in that for which he has been created; then he recited this verse:" 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..." (xcii. 5-10).

Narrated by 'Ali reported that one day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting with a wood in his hand and he was scratching the ground. He raised his head and said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ addresses the concept of predestination and the importance of human effort. When asked why one should perform good deeds if their fate is already determined, he emphasizes that everyone is created for a specific purpose and should strive to fulfill it. This teaching encourages believers to act righteously despite their predetermined outcomes.

Modern Application

This principle is relevant today as it encourages individuals to take initiative in their lives. People are reminded that while certain outcomes may be beyond their control, their efforts in doing good can lead to positive results and personal growth.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Decree and Good Deeds because it illustrates the balance between fate and personal responsibility in performing righteous actions.

Divine Decree Good Deeds