#الأربعون_في_ذكر_الأربعين

5. The Stages of Human Creation, Forty by Forty Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ، قَالَ: ((إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ اللهُ مَلَكًا فَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ : اكْتُبْ عَمَلَهُ وَرِزْقَهُ وَأَجَلَهُ، وَشَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ، ثُمَّ يُنْفَخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ، فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا ذِرَاعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابُهُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَيَعْمَلُ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّارِ إِلَّا ذِرَاعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ)). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who is truthful and trustworthy, told us: “Each one of you is formed in your mother’s womb for forty days as a drop. Then he becomes a clot for the same period, then a lump of flesh for the same period. Then Allah sends an angel and commands him to write four things: his deeds, his provision, his lifespan, and whether he will be miserable or happy. Then the soul is breathed into him. A person may keep doing the deeds of the people of Paradise until he is only an arm’s length away from it, but what has been written overtakes him, and he then does the deeds of the people of Hell and enters it. And a person may keep doing the deeds of the people of Hell until he is only an arm’s length away from it, but what has been written overtakes him, and he then does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.” [Reported by Bukhari 3208 & Muslim 2643] Summarised Commentary: 1. The soul is breathed into the baby after four months, which is why scholars say a fetus after this stage is treated as a human life. 2. Allah has already known and written everything: What is written first is in Al-Lawh Al-Mahfudh; this remains unchanged. What is written later is what the angel records for the fetus in the womb; this may change. 3. What matters most is how a person’s life ends. A person may appear good for a long time, but no one knows how their life will end. Likewise, someone may be sinful but end their life in goodness. 4. A bad ending usually happens to those who have hidden corruption or persist in major sins, especially if death comes suddenly. 5. A person who dies upon disbelief remains in Hell forever, but a sinful believer will not remain in Hell forever. 6. The hadith encourages us to always ask Allah for a good ending and protection from a bad ending. 7. It also teaches contentment: Since provision is already decided, excessive greed is useless. We still work and earn because we are required to take legislated means. 8. Deeds are a means for entering Paradise or Hell, but everything ultimately happens by Allah’s will; because Allah’s power and will are above all means and causes. [Adapted from the explanations of Imam An-Nawawi on Hadith 2643 in Sahih Muslim and Ibn Hajar on Hadith 6594 in Sahih Al-Bukhari] https://t.me/madrasatuna/6024