The Hadith
Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah, the truthful and the one who is believed, told us:
‘The creation of each one of you is gathered in the womb of his mother for forty days as a drop, then he becomes a clot for a similar period, then a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then the angel is sent and breathes the soul into him, and he is commanded with four matters: to write his provision, his lifespan, his deeds, and whether he will be wretched or blessed.
By Allah, besides whom there is no deity worthy of worship, one of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until there remains between him and it only an arm’s length, then what has been written overtakes him and he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.
And one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until there remains between him and it only an arm’s length, then what has been written overtakes him and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.’”
Reference
Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Explanation (From Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan)
The narrator, Abdullah ibn Masud, described the Prophet as “the truthful and the one who is believed.” This description affirms that everything the Prophet informs about is true and must be accepted, especially when he speaks about matters of the unseen.
In this hadith the Prophet informed the companions about the stages of human creation in the womb. These stages occur by the decree of Allah and according to the wisdom of Allah in the creation of human beings.
The first stage is that the human being is a drop of fluid (nutfah) which remains in the womb for forty days.
Then it becomes a clot (‘alaqah) for another forty days.
Then it becomes a lump of flesh (mudghah) for another forty days.
After these stages, an angel is sent by Allah to the fetus. The angel breathes the soul into it and is commanded to write four matters concerning that person.
These four matters are:
- His provision (rizq)
- His lifespan
- His deeds
- Whether he will be among the wretched or the blessed.
This shows that these matters are written and decreed before the person is born.
The Prophet then swore by Allah to emphasize the seriousness of what he was explaining. He informed that a person may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only a short distance remains between him and Paradise. Then what has been written in the decree overtakes him and he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.
Likewise, a person may perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until only a short distance remains between him and the Fire. Then what has been written overtakes him and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.
This hadith teaches that a person should not rely upon his deeds alone, but should ask Allah for firmness and a good ending.
The hadith also affirms belief in the divine decree (al-qadar), which is one of the pillars of faith. Everything occurs by the decree and knowledge of Allah.
References
The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith: Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan. Dar Makkah International.
Verified on 2026-10-21 against: The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith (Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan), Hadith 4.