قيس بن محمد

Qays ibn Muḥammad related to me. He said: Mūsā ibn Naṣr related to us. He said: Bashshār ibn Qīrāṭ related to us, from Abū Ḥanīfa, who said: ʿAlqama ibn Marthad and I went to ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ. ʿAlqama said to him: “Abū Muḥammad! In our country there are people who dislike saying: ‘We are believers.’” He said: “Why is that?” He said: “They say: ‘If we said, “We are believers,” we would be saying, “We are among the people of Paradise.”’” He said: “Tell them: ‘Say, “We are believers,” and do not say, “We are among the people of Paradise.” For if God were to punish the inhabitants of His heavens and His earth, He would punish them without wronging them.’” ʿAlqama said to him: “Abū Muḥammad! Does God not have angels prostrating who have not raised their heads from the day they were created until the day they are raised, and angels bowing in the same way?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Have these not met the reckoning for everything they were commanded to do?” He said: “My brother’s son! God directed them to that obedience, inspired them with it, and firmly resolved it for them. If He demanded from them gratitude for the favors He bestowed on them, they would fall short, and He would be entitled to punish them without wronging them.”

The question about meeting the reckoning is retained as a question; it is not converted into an editorial assertion.