حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَا نَعْمَلُ فِيهِ أَفِي أَمْرٍ قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ أَوْ مُبْتَدَإٍ أَوْ مُبْتَدَعٍ قَالَ فِيمَا قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ فَاعْمَلْ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ فَإِنَّ كُلًّا مُيَسَّرٌ أَمَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْمَلُ لِلسَّعَادَةِ وَأَمَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْمَلُ لِلشَّقَاءِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 5140
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: 'Umar said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you think we are striving for - is it for something that has already been decreed or something that has yet to be decided? He said: "For something that has already been decreed- So strive, O son of al-Khattaab, for each one will be helped (in the path that has been decreed for him). The one who is destined to be among the blessed will do the deeds of the blessed, and the one who is destined to be among the doomed will do the deeds of the doomed.”
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020