The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) related to us, and he is the truthful and the trusted one; he said: "The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days and forty nights
Chapter: “And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves – the Messengers”
Authentic
hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari
Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Sahih al-Bukhari 7454
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ وَهْبٍ، سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ " إِ
‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) related to us, and he is the truthful and the trusted one; he said: "The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days and forty nights. Then, he becomes a clinging clot for a similar period, then a lump (of flesh) for a similar period. Then, there is sent to him the angel who is commanded to write down four things: his sustenance, lifespan, actions, and whether miserable or happy. Then, he breathes life into him. One of you would do the actions of the people of Paradise until there is an arm's length between him and Paradise, but the predestination overtakes him, causing him to do actions of the people of Hellfire, and he enters it; and one of you would do the actions of the people of Hellfire until he is an arm's length away from Hellfire, but the predestination overtakes him, causing him to do deeds of the people of Paradise, and he enters it."
Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 7454, 3208, 3332, 6594), Muslim (No. 2643a), Abu Dawud (No. 4708), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2137), Ibn Majah (No. 76) and Ahmad (No. 3441, 3882).
Ibn Mas‘ūd reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) related to us, and he is the truthful one in his speech, and the trusted one, as Allah Almighty endorsed him. He said: The creation of each one of you is brought together. When a man copulates with his wife, his scattered semen is brought together in the woman's womb as a sperm-drop for forty days. Then, he becomes a clinging clot for another forty days. Then, he becomes a lump, which is a piece of chewable flesh, for a third period of forty days. Then, Allah sends to him the angel, who breathes life into him after the end of the third period. The angel is commanded to write four things: his sustenance, which is the amount of bliss he will gain during his lifetime; his lifespan, which is the duration of his stay in this world; and his deeds, as to what they will be; and whether he will be miserable or happy. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore that a person might perform the righteous deeds of the people of Paradise, as they outwardly seem, and he continues in this state until there is only an arm's length (a cubit) between him and Paradise; that is, only a cubit separates him from reaching Paradise. But then destiny overtakes him, and thereupon he performs the deeds of the people of Hellfire, and they become his last deeds, and so he enters Hellfire. This is because it is required for a person's virtuous deeds to be accepted and that he continues to do them and not change course. There is another type of people, who perform the deeds of the people of Hellfire until they are close to entering it, as if only a cubit is separating between them. But then destiny overtakes them, and they begin to perform the deeds of Paradise, and they enter it.
Lessons
The outcome of things goes in the course determined by divine decree and predestination.
The Hadīth warns us of getting deceived by the appearance of deeds, for deeds are only judged by their endings.
Explanation in Arabic
قال ابن مسعود: حدثنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو الصادق في قوله، والمصدوق حيث صَدَقَه الله تعالى،
قال: إن أحدكم يُجمع خلقه، وذلك أن الرجل إذا أتى أهله فمَنِيُّه المتفرِّق يُجمع في بطن المرأة أربعين يومًا نطفة،
ثم يكون علقة وهي الدم الغليظ الجامد، وهذا في الأربعين الثانية،
ثم يكون مضغة وهي قطعة من اللحم قدر ما يُمضَغ، وهذا في الأربعين الثالثة،
ثم يرسِل الله إليه الملك، فينفخ فيه الروح بعد انتهاء الأربعين الثالثة،
ويُؤمر الملك أن يكتب أربع كلمات وهي: رزقه، وهو ما مقدار ما سيحصل عليه من النعم في عمره،
وأجله، وهو مدة بقائه في الدنيا،
وعمله، ما هو؟ وشقيٌ أو سعيد.
ثم أقسم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن الواحد ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة ويكون عمله صالحًا، أي فيما يظهر للناس، ويظل كذلك حتى ما يكون بينه وبين الجنة إلا ذراع، أي: ما يبقى بينه وبين أن يصلها إلا كمن بقي بينه وبين موضع من الأرض ذراع، فيغلب عليه الكتاب وما قُدِّر عليه فعند ذلك يعمل بعمل أهل النار فيُختم له به فيدخل النار؛
لأن شرط قبول عمله أن يثبت عليه ولا يُبدِّل، وآخر من الناس يعمل أعمال أهل النار حتى يقترب من أن يدخلها، وكأن بينه وبين النار مقدار ذراع من الأرض، فيغلب عليه الكتاب وما قُدِّر عليه فيعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيختم له بذلك فيدخل الجنة.
الخوف من سوء العاقبة، والحث على سؤال الله الثبات إلى الممات.
التحذير من الاغترار بصور الأعمال؛ فإنما الأعمال بالخواتيم.
هذا الحديث في حق من لا يعمل إخلاصا وإيمانا، بل يعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيما يبدو للناس فقط، أما من يعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حقيقة، إخلاصا وإيمانا، فالله تعالى أعدل وأكرم وأرحم من أن يخذله في نهاية عمره، قال تعالى : ( يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ ).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) related to us, and he is the truthful and the trusted one; he said: "The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days. Then, he becomes a clinging clot for a similar period, then a lump (of flesh) for a similar period. Then, the…
"إن أحدكم يجمع خلقه في بطن أمه أربعين يوماً نطفةً، ثم يكون علقة مثل ذلك، ثم يكون مضغةً مثل ذلك، ثم يرسل الملك، فينفخ فيه الروح، ويؤمر بأربع كلمات: يكتب رزقه، وأجله، وعمله، وشقى أم سعيد. فوالذي لا إله غيره إن أحدكم…
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Mishkat al-Masabih 82
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has appointed an angel in charge of the womb, and the angel says: 'O Lord, (it is) a sperm drop! O Lord, (it is now ) a clot! O Lord, (it is now) a piece of flesh.'…
