Allah, the Most High said:
“And I have recorded the numbers of all things in a Clear Book.” (Surah Yaa Seen, 36: 12)
Allah, the Most High, said:
“Indeed, it is (all) in a Book.” (Surah al-Hajj, 22: 70)
He, the Most High, said regarding the debate between Moses and Pharaoh,
“He said, ‘What about the earlier generations?’ Moses said, ‘Knowledge of them is with my Lord, in a Book. My Lord neither errs nor does He forget.’” (Surah Ta- Ha, 20: 51-52)
Allah, the Most High, said:
“And no female conceives or gives birth but with His Knowledge. And no aged man is granted a length of life nor is a part cut off from his life, but it is in a Book. Surely, that is easy for Allah.” (Surah Faatir, 35: 11)
And there are many other verses.
The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said”
“There is not a soul, except that Allah has written its place in the Paradise or Hell-Fire. And it has been written whether it will be miserable or happy.”
This was reported by Muslim, and also in his collection, Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju‘shum said, “O Messenger of Allah, explain our religion to us as if we had been created just now. Whatever deeds we do today, are they because of the fact that the pens have dried and the destinies have begun to operate or do these actions have effects on the future?” The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) replied, “The pens have dried and the destinies have begun to operate.” Suraaqah asked, “If this is so, then what is the use of doing good deeds?” He replied, “Do good deeds for each one will be facilitated.” And in another narration, “Each doer will be facilitated upon his deed.”
And there are many other narrations.
[1] The Record is clear and nothing is left out from it. Every incident is recorded and every number calculated as He said elsewhere:
“And the Book will be placed, and you will see the criminals fearful of that which is recorded in it. They will say: “Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!” (Surah al-Kahf, 18: 49)
[2] This verse combines the first two ranks of Qadar, the level of Knowledge and the Level of Writing.
“Do you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on the earth? Indeed, it is (all) in a Book. Verily that is easy for Allah.”
Allah knew everything about all of His creation prior to their coming into existence and He recorded this knowledge in a Book called al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Preserved/Protected Tablet).
Even the Qur’an is recorded in the Protected Tablet, as the Almighty said:
“Indeed, I have made it an Arabic Qur’aan that you may be able to understand. And indeed, it is in the Mother of the Book with Me, Exalted and Wise.” (Surah az-Zukhruf, 43: 3-4)
[3] All the records are perfect with nothing missing. Allah knows about the earlier generations and has dealt with them justly and appropriately.
[4] Sahih Al Bukhari, vol., p., no. the Book of Tafseer, Chapter: The tafseer of the Surah, “By the night and when it envelops…” (6/84) (Eng. Trans. no. 4944) without the addition of Suraaqah. Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1393, no. 6398.
The complete text of the hadith is as follows:
‘Alee reported: We were in a funeral in the graveyard of Gharqad (Jannatul-Baqee‘) that Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came to us and we sat around him. He had a stick with him. He lowered his head and began to scratch the earth with his stick, and then said, “There is not a soul, except that Allah has written its place in the Paradise or Hell-Fire. And it has been written whether it will be miserable or happy.”
A person asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Should we not then depend upon our destiny and abandon our deeds?” He replied, “The acts of everyone will be facilitated in that which has been created for him so that whoever belongs to the company of the blessed will have doing good works made easier for him and whoever belongs to the unfortunate ones will have evil acts made easier for him.” He then recited this verse: “Then, who gives to the needy and guards against evil and accepts the good, I will make easy for him the easy end and who is miserly and considers himself above need, I will make easy for him the difficult end.”
[5] Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1394, no. 6402.
[6] Among the narrations are those which address the time and process of the recording.
