Sahih Muslim Book - 46, Hadith - 6735

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ (ح) وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : جَاءَ سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ مَالِكِ بْنِ جُعْشُمٍ قَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، بَيِّنْ لَنَا دِينَنَا كَأَنَّا خُلِقْنَا الآنَ ، فِيمَا الْعَمَلُ الْيَوْمَ ؟ أَفِيمَا جَفَّتْ بِهِ الأَقْلاَمُ ، وَجَرَتْ بِهِ الْمَقَادِيرُ ، أَمْ فِيمَا نَسْتَقْبِلُ ؟ قَالَ : لاَ ، بَلْ فِيمَا جَفَّتْ بِهِ الأَقْلاَمُ وَجَرَتْ بِهِ الْمَقَادِيرُ قَالَ : فَفِيمَ الْعَمَلُ ؟. قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ : ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ أَفْهَمْهُ ، فَسَأَلْتُ : مَا قَالَ ؟ فَقَالَ : اعْمَلُوا فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ.

It was narrated that Jabir said: "Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'sham said: 'O Messenger of Allah, explain our religion to us as if we had been created just now. What about the deeds that we do day-to-day? Are they because the pens have dried and they are happening as they have already been decreed, or what we are to do?' He (s.a.w) said: 'No, it is because the pens have dried and they are happening as they have already been decreed.' He said: 'Then why should we strive?"' Zuhair (a sub narrator) said: "Then Abu Az-Zubair (a narrator) said something that I did not understand, and I asked: 'What did he say?' He said: 'Strive, for everyone is helped."'