The Shaykh (al-Ash`ari) asked Abu `Ali (al-Jubba'i) "O shaykh, what have you to say about three persons, one a believer, another an unbeliever, and the third a child." He replied, "The believer is among the people of [high] rank [in Paradise], the unbeliever among those who perish, and the child among those who are safe." The Shaykh answered, "If the child wishes to rise to [a place among] the people of rank, can he do so?" Al-Jubba'i said, "No, it will be said to him, `The believer achieved this rank only by obedience, and you have nothing of the sort.'" The Sheikh said, "Then if he says, `The deficiency is no fault of mine, and therefore if Thou hadst suffered me to live, I would have rendered obedience like the believer.'" Al-Jubba'i said, "God will say to him, `I knew that if you survived you would surely be disobedient and incur punishment. Therefore I considered what was best for you and brought death upon you before you reached the age of responsibility.'" The Sheikh said, "Then, if the unbeliever says, `O my Lord, Thou didst know his condition as Thou knewest mine; therefore why didst Thou not consider also what was best for me?'" Then al-Jubba'i was nonplussed. (based on the translation of Walter C. Klein, al-Ibanah `an Usul al-Diyanah, p. 27)

سأل الشيخ رضي الله عنه أبا علي فقال: أيها الشيخ ما قولك في ثلاثة مؤمن وكافر و صبي؟ فقال: المؤمن من أهل الدرجات والكافر من أهل الهلكات والصبي من أهل النجاة. فقال الشيخ: فإن اراد الصبي ان يرقى الى أهل الدرجات هل يمكن؟ قال الجبائي لا، يقال له إن المؤمن انما نال هذه الدرجة بالطاعة وليس لك مثلها. قال الشيخ: فان قال: التقصير ليس مني فلو احييتني كنت عملت من الطاعات كعمل المؤمن. قال الجبائي: يقول له الله: كنت أعلم انك لو بقيت لعصيت ولعوقبت فراعيت مصلحتك وامتّك قبل ان تنتهي الى سن التكليف. قال الشيخ: فلو قال الكافر: يا رب علمت حاله كما علمت حالي فهلا راعيت مصلحتي مثله؟ فانقطع الجبائي . (من طبقات الشافعية للسبكي ، ج 2 ، ص 250)