It is narrated on the authority of Yahya b. Ya'mur that the
first man who discussed about Qadr (Divine Decree) in Basra was Ma'bad al-Juhani. I along
with Humaid b. 'Abdur-Rahman Himyari set out for prilgrimage or for 'Umrah and said:
Should it so happen that we come into contact with one of the Companions of the Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) we shall ask him a bout what is talked about Taqdir (Division
Decree). Accidentally we came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, while he was
entering the mosque. My companion and I surrounded him. One of us (stood) on his right and
the other stood on his left. I expected that my companion would authorize me to speak. I
therefore said: Abu Abdur Rahman! there have appeared some people in our land who recite
the Holy Qur'an and pursue knowledge. And then after talking about their affairs, added:
They (such people) claim that there is no such thing as Divine Decree and events are not
predestined. He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: When you happen to meet such people tell them
that I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. And verily they
are in no way responsible for my (belief). Abdullah ibn Umar swore by Him (the Lord) (and
said): If any one of them (who does not believe in the Divine Decree) had with him gold
equal to the bulk of (the mountain) Uhud and then, it (in the way of Allah), Allah would
not accept it unless he affirmed his faith in Divine Decree. He further said: My father,
Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle
(peace be upon him) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his
hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us
recognized him. At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt before him
placed his palms on his thighs and said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam. The Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god
but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay
Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are
solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have told
the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and
then he would himself verify the truth. He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman
(faith). He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His
angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith
in the Divine Decree about good and evil. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan (performance of good deeds). He
(the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you
don't see Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the
hour (of the Doom). He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than
the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its
indications. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her
mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one
another in the construction of magnificent buildings. He (the narrator, Umar ibn
al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Holy
Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I
replied: Allah and His Apostle knows best. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel
(the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.