The Decree

Tafsir by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali

Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali Commentary on the Fifth Hadith of Imam Nawawi’s “Forty”

From Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud there is that he said, The Messenger of Allah told us – and he is the truthful one who is confirmed, – ‘The creation of any one of you is gathered in the belly of his mother for forty days as a drop, then later a blood clot for the like of that, then later a morsel of flesh for the like of that Then the angel is sent to him and breathes the ruh (spirit) into him, and he is commanded with four words: with writing his provision, his life-span, his action, and whether he is fortunate or unfortunate. By Allah the One other than Whom there is no god, one of you will do the actions of the people of the Garden until there is only a cubit between him and it, then the decree will overtake him, he will do the actions of the people of the Fire and thus enter it. One of you will do the actions of the people of the Fire until there only remains a cubit between him and it, then the decree will overtake him, he will do the actions of the people of the Garden and so enter it’.” Al-Bukhari (3208) and Muslim (2643) narrated it.

The authenticity of this hadith is agreed upon [by both al-Bukhari and Muslim] and die Ummah has received it with acceptance. Al-A‘mash narrated it from Zayd ibn Wahb from Ibn Mas’ud, and it was by this path that the two shaykhs [al Bukhari and Muslim] narrated it in their two Sahih books.

It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Isfati that he said, “I saw the Prophet  in that which the sleeper sees [i.e. dream], and I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, [what about] the hadith of Ibn Masud which he narrates from you saying, “The Messenger of Allah told us – and he is the truthful one who is confirmed…”?’ He said ‘By the One Whom there is no god but Him, I told him it, I did,’ saying that three times, and then he said, ‘May Allah forgive al-A’mash because he narrated it, and may Allah forgive whoever narrated it before al-A’mash and whoever narrated it after him.’”

It has been narrated from Ibn Mas’ud in other ways.

As for his words “The creation of any one of you is gathered in the belly of his mother for forty days as a drop,” their explanation is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud. Al-A’mash narrated from Khaythamah that Ibn Mas’ud said, “When the drop falls into the womb she conceives in every hair and nail. Then it remains for forty days and then it descends into the womb and becomes a clot” He said, “That is its ‘gathering’.” Ibn Abi Hatim and others narrated it.

A different explanation of ‘gathered’ has been narrated as a marfa hadith. At-Tabarani, and Ibn Mandah in the Kitab at-tawhid, narrated the hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith that the Prophet said, “When Allah, exalted is He, wants to create a slave, and then the man makes love to the woman, his water becomes scattered in every one of her vessels and limbs. On the seventh day, Allah, exalted is He, collects it and presents it with every one of its hereditary characteristics, except for Adam,

“…and assembled you in whatever way He willed.” Ibn Mandah said that its chain of transmission is well known and unbroken according to the criteria of Abu ‘Isa [at-Tirmidhi], an-Nasa’i and others.

Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim and at-Tabarani narrated by way of Mutahhir ibn al-Haytham from Musa ibn ‘Ula ibn Rabah from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet said to his grandfather, “So and so, what child was born to you?” He said, “Messenger of Allah, what was it that was probable to have been born to me? Either a boy or a girl.” He said, “Who does it resemble?” He said, “Who would it most probably resemble? Either its mother or father.” He said that the Prophet said, “Let none of you say anything like this! When the drop is settled in the womb, Allah presents it with every kin relationship between it and Adam. Have you not read this ayah, ‘…and assembled you in whatever way He willed’?.”

He said [it means], “He makes you to travel.” This is a weak chain of transmission, and Mufahhir ibn al- Haytham is extremely weak. Al-Bukhari said, “It is a hadith which is not sound, and it has been mentioned about its chain of transmission from Musa ibn ‘Ula from his father that his father did not accept Islam until the time of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq meaning that he was not a Companion. Something that testifies to this same meaning are the words of the Prophet to the one who said to him, “My wife has given birth to a black boy. ” He said, “Perhaps, he inclines to some ancestral characteristic.’”

His words, Then later a blood clot (alaqah) for the like of that,” means for forty days, and the alaqah is a piece of blood.

Then later a morsel of flesh (for the like of that, ” means for forty days, and the mudgbah is a piece of meat.

Then Allah sends the angel to him and he breathes the ruh into him, and he is commanded with four words: with writing his provision, his life-span, his action, and whether he is fortunate or unfortunate.”

This hadith shows that it [the drop] transforms during one hundred and twenty days through three stages, in each forty days of which it is in a stage. In the first forty days it is a drop, then in the second period of forty days a blood clot, then in the third period of forty days a morsel of flesh, and then after the one hundred and twentieth day the angel breathes the ruh into it and writes these four phrases down for it Allah, exalted is He, mentions in very many places in the Qur’an the transformation of the embryo in these stages, such as in His words, exalted is He:

“Mankind! if you are in any doubt about the Rising, know that We created you from dust then from a drop of sperm then from a clot of blood then from a lump of flesh, formed yet unformed, so We may make things clear to you. We make whatever We want stay in the womb until a specified time.”’

He mentions these three stages: the drop, the blood-clot and the morsel of flesh, in numerous places in the Qur’an, and in one other place He mentions an additional term, for He says in Surat al-Mu’minun:

“We created man from the purest kind of clay; then made him a drop in a secure receptacle; then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!

These are seven periods of time which Allah mentions in this ayah for the formation of the son of Adam before the breathing of the ruh into him. Ibn Abbas said, “The son of Adam was created from seven,” and then he recited this ayah. He was asked about withdrawal [of the penis in intercourse before ejaculation as a contraceptive measure] and he recited his ayah, and then said, “Is anyone created until this description has happened?” In another version from him, he said, “Does any person die until he has passed through this creation?”

It has been narrated that Rifaah ibn Rafi‘ said, “‘Umar, ‘Ali, az-Zubayr and Sa‘d and a whole group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah sat down with me and discussed the withdrawal method of contraception. They said, ‘There is no harm in it. ’ One man said, ‘They claim that it is a lesser case of child-murder. ’ ‘Ali said, ‘It is not child-murder until it has passed through the seven periods of time: it must be the purest extract of clay, then a drop, then a blood-clot, then a morsel of flesh, then bones, then flesh and then another creation.’ ‘Umar said, ‘You have told the truth, may Allah lengthen your remaining [with us]! ’ ” Ad-Daraqutni narrated it in al-Mu’talif wa ’l-mukhtalif.

A party of the people of fiqh make an allowance for women to abort what is in their wombs as long as the ruh has not been breathed into it and regard it as equivalent to the withdrawal method of contraception, but this is a weak position, because the embryo is a child which is becoming knit together and which probably has become formed, whereas with withdrawal there is no child at all but it causes the prevention of its even beginning to knit together. It may be that withdrawal will not prevent the beginning of the formation if Allah wishes to create it, as the Prophet said when he was asked about withdrawal, ‘There is nothing against you if you do not withdraw. There is no self brought forth but that Allah is its Creator.” Our colleagues clearly declare that when the child becomes a blood-clot, the woman is not permitted to abort it, because itis a child which has begun the process of coagulation, as opposed to a drop which has not yet begun to coagulate and which may not knit together as a child.

In some versions of the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud the mention of the [stage of the] bones is narrated, and that it will be [in the stage of being] bones for forty days. Imam Ahmad narrated a version from ‘Ali ibn Zayd, “I heard Abu ‘Ubaydah narrating saying, “Abdullah said, The Messenger of Allah said, ‘The drop is in the womb for forty days unchanging in that state, and then when the forty pass it becomes a blood-clot, then later a morsel of flesh for the like of that, then bones for the like of that. Then when Allah, exalted is He, wishes to perfect its creation Allah sends an angel to him… ”””

It is narrated as a hadith of ‘Asim from Abu Wa’il from Ibn Mas‘ud that the Prophet said, “When the drop becomes settled in the womb it is a drop for forty nights, then it is a blood-clot for forty nights, then it is bones for forty nights, then later Allah clothes the bones in flesh.”

The narration of Imam Ahmad shows that the embryo is not clothed in flesh until after one hundred and sixty days, and this is wrong without any doubt, because there is no doubt that after one hundred and twenty days the ruh is breathed into it as we will mention. [The narrator] All ibn Zayd is [‘Ah ibn Zayd] ibn Jad‘an and he may not be used as a proof. That which shows that the formation of the bones and flesh happens in the beginning of the second forty days has been narrated in a hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd. In there is from Hudahyfah ibn Usayd that the Prophet, said, ‘When forty-two nights have passed for the drop, Allah sends an angel to it who forms it and creates its hearing and sight, its skin, flesh and bones, and then asks, ‘Lord, is it a male or a female?’ And your Lord decrees what He wills which the angel writes down. Then later he asks, ‘Lord, what is its life-span?’ and your Lord says what He wishes which the angel writes down. Then the angel asks, ‘Lord, what is its provision?’ So your Lord decrees what He wills and the angel writes it down. Then the angel comes out with the page in its hand, and it has not added anything extra to what it was commanded [to write] or left anything out”.

The apparent sense of this hadith shows that the formation of the embryo and the creation of its hearing, sight, skin, flesh and bones is at the beginning of the second period of forty days, so it requires that in the second forty days it is flesh and bones.

One person interpreted that as meaning that the angel divides up the drop when it becomes a clot into different portions, some of which it makes into skin, some into flesh, and some into bones all of which is decreed before its existence, but this contradicts the outward meaning of the hadith, because the apparent outward meaning of it is that he forms and creates all of these parts, but the creation and formation and division of that may be before the existence of the flesh and bones and it may be in some embryos and not others.

The preceding hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith shows that the formation happens in the drop on the seventh day, and Allah, exalted is He, says: In “We created man from a mingled drop to test him,” and a party of the right-acting first generations explained the ‘mingling’ of the drop as referring to the inherited characteristics that are in it. Ibn Masud said, “Its mingled nature is its inherited characteristics.” Scholarly medical people mention something that accords with that, for they say that when the sperm reaches the womb it chums and froths for six or seven days, and in these days the drop forms without help from the womb, but then after that it receives help from it The beginning of the lines and points are three days after this, give or take a day. Then after six days, which is the fifteenth day from the moment of adhesion [to the wall of the womb], the blood passes through to all of it so that it becomes a blood-clot. Then the limbs become outwardly distinct and each of them withdraws from contact with the others and the moistness of the spinal cord becomes stretched out. Then after nine days the head becomes distinct on the shoulders and the fingertips on the fingers in a way which is clear in some but not yet in others.

They say that the shortest period in which the male becomes distinct is thirty days and the average time for the formation of the embryo is thirty-five days up to forty-five days. They say that a complete male is not to be found in miscarried fetuses before thirty days, nor a female before forty days, which is in accordance with what the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd indicates, that the formation happens in the second period of forty days in which it also becomes flesh. Some interpret the hadith of Ibn Masud as meaning that the embryo is predominantly of the nature of the drop of sperm in the first forty days, and then predominantly of the nature of the blood-clot, then in the third period of forty days it is predominantly of the nature of the morsel of flesh even if it’s fully made and formed, and there is no mention in the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud of a time for the embryo’s being given its form.

That which shows that the formation takes place before the second forty days is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud himself, because ash-Sha‘bi narrated from ‘Alqamah that Ibn Mas’ud said, “When the drop is settled in the womb an angel comes to it who takes it in the palm of his hand and asks, ‘My Lord, [is it to be] complete or incomplete?’ If it is said, ‘Incomplete,’ it will not become a person and the womb casts it out as blood. If it is said, ‘Complete,’ he asks, ‘My Lord is it male or female, unfortunate or fortunate, what is its life-span and what are its footprints, and in what land will it die?’” He said, “Then the drop is asked, ‘Who is your Lord?’ And it will answer, ‘Allah.’ It will be asked, ‘Who is your Provider?’ And it will answer, ‘Allah.’ Then it will be said [to the angel], ‘Go to the Book, for you will find the story of this drop in it”’ He said, “Then it is created, and it will live its life, eat its provision and walk on its own footprints, until when its prescribed term comes, it will die and be buried in that [land in which it was written that it would die].”

Then ash-Sha’bi recited [this ayah], “Mankind! if you are in any doubt about the Rising, know that We created you from dust then from a drop of sperm then from a clot of blood then from a lump of flesh, formed yet unformed… ”

“Then if the morsel of flesh attains that [state], it changes its manner of being to the fourth [stage of its] creation and becomes a person. If it is incomplete the womb casts it out as blood, but if it is complete it changes its manner of being into a person.” Ibn Abi Hatim and others narrated it.

It has been narrated in another way from Ibn Mas’ud that there is no formation until after eighty days, because as-Suddi narrated from Abu Malik and from Abu Salih from Ibn ‘Abbas and from Murrah al-Hamdani from Ibn Mas’ud and from other people from the Companions of the Prophet concerning His words;

It is He who forms you in the womb however He wills.” that he said, “When the drop comes into the womb it becomes dispersed through the body for forty days, and then it becomes a blood-clot for forty days, then it becomes a morsel of flesh for forty days. Then when it attains [the point of] being formed, Allah sends an angel to it which gives it its form, the angel comes bringing dust between two of its fingers which it mixes with the morsel of flesh and then kneads it with it, and then forms it as it is told asking, ‘Is it a male or a female? Is it unfortunate or fortunate? What is its provision and its lifespan, its footprints and its misfortunes?’ Allah, blessed is He and exalted, will speak and the angel will write it When that body dies it will be buried in the place from which that dust was taken.” Ibn Jarir at-Tabari narrated it in his commentary on the Qur’an, but there are different views on as-Suddi. Imam Ahmad used to reject his ascribing numerous chains of transmission (isnads) to a single piece of tafsir, just as he and others rejected al-Waqidi’s ascription of numerous chains of transmission to a single hadith.

A group of the people of fiqh take their position based on the apparent outward meaning of his version and then they interpret the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud which he attributed [to the Prophet] on the basis of it. They said that the shortest period in which the form of the child becomes clear is eighty one days since it is not a morsel of flesh until the third [period of] forty, and it does not have its form before it is a morsel of flesh.

Our people [the Hanbali’s] and ash-Shafii’s people say on the basis of this source that the iddah period [of divorce] does not come to an end, nor is the slave-woman who is a mother of her owner’s child set free except [when the embryo reaches the stage of] the morsel of flesh which has gained human form, and the least period of time in which it is possible for it to be formed and fashioned is eighty-one days.

Ahmad said about the blood-clot, “It is blood in which the form is not yet apparent.” If the morsel of flesh is unformed, then does the ‘iddah period come to an end because of it, and does the slave-woman who is the mother of her owner’s child become [legally] pregnant? On this there are two positions based on two different narrations from Ahmad. If the delineation [of the form] has not become clear in it except lightly and indistinctly, which no one knows but experienced women, then if they bear witness to that, their testimony is accepted, and there is no difference whether this happens after or before four complete months according to most of the people of knowledge, and Imam Ahmad clearly took that stand in the version narrated from a great number of his colleagues, but his son salih narrated that the form of the infant becomes clear in four [months, i.e. three periods of forty days].

Ash-Sha’bi said, “If it is miscarried (nukisa) in the fourth [stage of] creation and it is fully formed, then by that the iddah period is terminated, and the slave-woman [who is pregnant by her owner] is set free, if it is after four months.” Similarly, Hanbal narrated from him, “If the slave-woman who is pregnant by her owner has a miscarriage, then if it is fully formed she is set free, and the iddah period is terminated when it enters on the fourth stage of its formation in four months in which the ruh is breathed into it. “However, this contradicts what the majority narrate from him. Ahmad said, in one narration from him, “If its form is clear there is no disagreement that if she is a slave-woman she is set free. ” A group narrate from him also that if it becomes clear that the blood-clot is a child, slave-women are freed because of that, and that was also the position of an-Nakha’i and is said to be a position that ash- Shafil took. Some of our people also refute and reject this narration from Ahmad on the termination of the ‘iddah because of it. All of this is based on the fact that it is possible for the formation to take place in the stage of the blood-clot, as is derived from the aforementioned hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, except that some say that the hadith of Hudhayfah only shows that it takes on form when it becomes flesh and bones which may happen in the second forty [days], not in the state when it is a blood-clot, and on that there are different views and Allah knows best.

That which the doctors mention shows that the blood clot takes on a form and an outline, and similarly women midwives bear witness to that The hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith also testifies to formation taking place in the state when the embryo is a drop, and Allah, exalted is He, knows best. There remains in the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud that after its becoming a morsel of flesh the angel is sent to it and writes the four phrases and breathes the ruh into it, all of which happens after one hundred and twenty days.

The wordings of the different versions of this hadith vary in the order of the writing [of the destiny] and the breathing [of the ruh In the version of al-Bukhari in his Sahih there is, The angel is sent to him and commanded to [write] four phrases, and then later the ruh is breathed into him.” In this version there is an open declaration of the delay of the breathing of the rah until after the writing [of the destiny]. In a version which al-Bayhaqi narrated in the kitab al-Qadr (The Decree) there is, Then the angel is sent to him and he breathes the ruh into him, then later he is commanded with the four phrases.” This version declares openly that the breathing [of the ruh] precedes the writing. So either this is the narrators’ themselves acting according to their own independent judgement in conveying the meaning they understood, or else it is just the order in which it is told and not the order in which it happens.

Anyway, the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud indicates that the breathing of the ruh into the embryo and the angels writing down his affair is delayed until after four months so that the three sets of forty days are completed. As for the breathing of the ruh, it has been narrated openly from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, that the ruh is only breathed into it after four months, just as the outward sense of the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud indicates; Zayd ibn ‘Ali narrated from his father from Ali that he said, “When the drop has completed four months, Allah sends an angel to it who breathes the ruh into it in the darknesse’s. That is His words, exalted is He:

‘and then brought him into being as another creature.’”

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it, but there is a break in its chain of transmission. Al-Lalka’i narrated with his chain of transmission that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When the drop falls into the womb it remains there four months and ten [days]. Then the ruh is breathed into it and after that it remains forty nights. Then an angel is sent to it who breaks the vertex of the brain in the cavity at the nape of the neck and writes whether it is unfortunate or fortunate.” There are some views about the chain of transmission. In it there is that the breathing of the ruh is delayed ten days after the four months.

Imam Ahmad based his well known position on the apparent meaning of the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, that the infant’s ruh is breathed into it after four months, and that if it is miscarried after completing four months, the [funeral] prayer is performed over it since the ruh has been breathed into it before it died. That is also said to have been the position of Said ibn al-Musayyab, and is also one of the two positions that ash-Shafii and Ishaq took. More than one person transmitted from Ahmad that he said, “When it reaches four months and ten days, then in those ten days the ruh is breathed into it and the [funeral] prayer must be said over it [if there is a miscarriage].” He said in the narration of Abu’l-Harith, The person is a drop for forty nights, a blood-clot for forty nights and a morsel of flesh for forty nights, and then it becomes bones and flesh. Then when four months and ten [days] are over, the ruh is breathed into it.”

The apparent meaning of this narration is that the ruh not breathed into it until after the completion of four months and ten [days] as has been narrated of Ibn ‘Abbas. The narrations before this from Ahmad only indicate that the ruh is breathed into it during the ten days after the completion of the four [months], and this is the position for which he is well-known, just as Ibn al-Musayyab said when he was asked about the ‘iddah period for [a widow mourning the] death [of her husband] which is four months and ten [days] “What is the purpose of the ten [days]?” He said, ‘The ruh is breathed into it.”

As for medical people, they mention that if the embryo takes on form in thirty-five days, it will move within seventy days and it will be born in two hundred and ten days, i.e. seven months, plus or minus some days in formation and birth. Then if formation happens in forty-five days it will move in ninety days and be born after two hundred and seventy days, i.e. nine months, and Allah knows best.

As for the writing of the angel, the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud indicates that it also is after four months according to the preceding. There is in the two Sahih. books from Anas that the Prophet said, “Allah has charged an angel with the wombs and he says [at each stage of development], ‘O my Lord, a drop! O my Lord, a blood-clot! O my Lord, a morsel of flesh!’ Then when Allah intends to decree a creature, it asks, ‘O my Lord, is it male or female?

Is it fortunate or unfortunate? What is its provision and what is its life-span?’ He writes all of that down while it is in its mother’s womb.” The apparent meaning of this agrees with the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, but however there is no measure of the period of time. The preceding hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd indicates that the writing takes place at the beginning of the second forty [days]. Muslim also narrated the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd with another wording which connects back to the Prophet that he said, The angel enters in upon the drop after it is established in the womb, forty or forty-five nights later, and asks, ‘O my Lord, is it fortunate or unfortunate?’ and they are both written down. It will ask, ‘O my Lord, is it male or female? and they are both written down, and he writes his deeds, his footprints, his life-span and his provision. Then the pages are rolled up and nothing is added into them or subtracted from them.” In another version of Muslim’s there is, ‘The drop is in the womb for forty nights and then the angel climbs in upon him and asks, ‘O my Lord, is it a male or a female?’…” Also in another version of Muslim’s there is, “…after forty and so many nights.”

In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad there is the hadith of Jabir that the Prophet said, “When the drop has been settled in the womb for forty days or forty nights the angel is sent to him and asks, ‘O my Lord, is it a male or a female?’ And it is informed [of that] .”

We have previously seen what ash-Sha’bi narrated from ‘Alqamah from Ibn Mas’ud of his own words, the apparent meaning of which indicates that the angel is sent to him while he is a drop. It has been narrated from Ibn Mas’ud in two other ways, that he said, “Every day the actions of the descendants of Adam are shown to Allah and He looks into them for three hours. Then He is brought the wombs and He looks into them for three hours, and that is in His words:

‘It is He who forms you in the womb however He wills and His words:

‘He gives daughters to whomever He wishes; and He gives sons to whomever He wishes.’ He is brought the provisions and He looks into them for three hours, and the angels glorify Him for three hours.” He said, This is some of your business and the business of your Lord. “However, there are no specific times for His investigating [the events which take place in] the wombs.

It has been narrated from a group of the Companions that the writing takes place in the second forty [days]. AI-Lalka’i narrated with a chain of transmission that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As said, “When the drop rests in the woman’s womb for forty nights, the angel comes to it and animates it, then ascends with it to the All-Merciful and says, ‘Create! O Best of Creators!’ So Allah decides about its affair what He wills and it is turned over to the angel at that, and he asks, ‘O my Lord, is it to miscarry or to go the fall term?’ and He explains that to him. Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, is it to have a short life-span or a full life-span?’ and He makes that clear to him.

Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, is it a single child or twins?’ and He makes that dear to him. He asks, ‘O my Lord is it a male or a female?’ and He makes that clear to him, then he asks, “O my Lord, is it fortunate or unfortunate?’ and He makes that clear to him. Then he says, ‘O my Lord, apportion his provision for him!’ and He apportions his provision for him along with his life-span, and then he [the angel] descends with both of them together. By the One in Whose hand is my self, he will not obtain anything of the world except that which has been apportioned to him.”

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Abu Dharr said, The sperm remains in the womb for forty nights, then the angel of the spirits comes to it and ascends with it to the Compeller and asks, ‘O my Lord, is it a male or a female?’ and so Allah decides whatever He decides. Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, is it fortunate or unfortunate?’ and he writes whatever he will receive [in his life] in front of him.” Then Abu Dharr recited the beginning of Surat at-Taghabun up to His words:

“…and formed you, giving you the best of forms. And He is your final destination.”

All of this agrees with what is in the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd. We have also seen previously from Ibn Abbas that the writing of the angel takes place forty nights after the breathing of the ruh, but that there is some discussion on its chain of transmission.

One scholar united these different hadith and traditions and the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud by affirming that the writing happens twice; and it is said along with that that one of the two is in the heaven and the other in the womb of the mother, but what is most apparent, and Allah knows best, is that it happens once, but that it probably differs according to the different embryos, some of which have their destinies written after the first forty [days] and some after the third forty.

It has been said that the word “then” in the hadith of Ibn Masud only refers to the order in which it is told but not the order in which it happens, and Allah knows best.

One later scholar gives preference to the writing of the destiny occurring in the beginning of the second forty, as the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd indicates, and he said, “Its mention is only deferred in the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud until after mention of the morsel of flesh – even if he mentions it with the word “then” — so as not to interrupt the sequence of the three stages through which the embryo transforms, i.e. the fact that it is a drop, a blood-clot and a morsel of flesh, because the mention of these three stages successively is better and more wonderful. For that reason he deferred mentioning the conjoined term, even though the one to which it is conjoined precedes other terms in sequence, and he sought an evidence of that from His words:

“He commenced the creation of man from clay; then produced his seed from an extract of base fluid; then formed him and breathed His into him.” Here what is meant by ‘man’ is Adam and it is well known that his being perfected and the breathing of the ruh into him was before his progeny were made from a pure extract of a despised fluid. However, since the purpose is to mention the power of Allah in both beginning the creation of Adam and the creation of his progeny, then one is mentioned right after the other, and the mention of the perfecting of Adam and of the breathing of the ruh into him is deferred even though it took place in between the creation of Adam from day and the creation of his progeny, and Allah knows best.

It has been narrated that this writing of the destiny is between the two eyes of the embryo. There is in the Musnad of al-Bazzar from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet i said, “When Allah creates a person, the angel of the wombs asks, ‘O my Lord, is it a male or a female?’” He said, “So Allah decides his affair. Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, ‘Is he fortunate or unfortunate?’ and so Allah decides his affair, and then he writes between his eyes what he is to receive, even the hurt in the foot he will get from a stone.”38 It has been transmitted as a tradition that stops short at Ibn ‘Umar without being attributed directly [to the Prophet]. The aforementioned hadith of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd states clearly that the angel writes that in the page, but it is possible that he rates it in die page and also between the child’s eyes.

It is narrated that, coupled with the writing, what comprises the child’s attributes are created along with it. It is narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet said, “When Allah wants to create a creature He sends an angel who enters the womb and asks, ‘O my Lord, what is this?’ and He answers that it is a boy or a girl or whatever it is that Allah wishes to create in the womb. Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, is it to be fortunate or unfortunate?’ so He answers whatever He wills. Then he asks, ‘O my Lord, what is its life-span to be?’ so He answers such and such. So he asks, ‘What is its outward physical form and what are its inner characteristics?’ so He answers, ‘Such and such.’ There is nothing but that it is created along with it in the womb.” Abu Dawud narrated it in the Kitab al-Qadr The Book of the Decree” and al-Bazzar in his Musnad.

In any case, this writing which is written for the embryo in its mother’s womb is not the writing of the decrees which preceded the creation of all creatures mentioned in His words, exalted is He:

“Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen”, and as is mentioned in Sahih Muslim from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr from the Prophet “Truly, Allah decreed the destinies of creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.”4’ There is in the hadith of ‘Ubadah ibn as-samit that the Prophet said, “The first thing that Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it, ‘Write!’ and so it proceeded with whatever is to be until the Day of Rising.”

We have previously mentioned that which is narrated of Ibn Mas’ud that when the angel asks about the state of the drop he is told to go to the Book which preceded [the creation of the heaven and the earth] and it is said to him, “You will find the story of this drop in it,” and there are many texts which mention the writing of the [state of] good fortune [in the Garden] or misfortune [in the Fire] before [the creation].

In the two -Sahih books there is from Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Prophet said, “There is no human being born but that Allah has written his place in the Garden or in the Fire, and has written whether he is fortunate or unfortunate.” A man asked, “Messenger of Allah, should we not then abide by our decree and give up action?” He said, “Act! For everyone will be eased to that for which he is created. As for the people of good fortune, they are eased to the deeds of the people of good fortune. As for the people of misfortune, they are eased to the deeds of the people of misfortune. ” Then he recited:

“As for him who gives out and has taqwa and confirms the Good …” reciting the two ayah.

In this hadith there is that fortune and misfortune have previously been decreed, and that they are decreed according to the actions, and that everyone is eased to those deeds which are created for him which are the cause of his fortune or misfortune.’

In the two Sahih books there is that ‘Imran ibn Husayn said, “A man asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, are the people of the Garden known [now] from the people of the Fire?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Then why do those who do deeds do them?’ He said, ‘Everyone acts for that for which he is created or for that which is made easy for him. ’ ” This meaning has been narrated from the Prophet in many different ways, and in the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud there is that fortune and misfortune are according to the concluding actions [of one’s life].

It has been said that his words at the end of the hadith, “Then, by the One Whom there is no god other than Him! Any of you will do the actions of the people of the Garden until there…” is actually an interpolation by Ibn Masud of his own words. That is how Salamah ibn Kuhayl narrated it from Zayd ibn Wahb from Ibn Mas’ud as his words, but this meaning has also been narrated from the Prophet in many other ways.

In Sahih al Bukhari there is from Sahl ibn Sa’d that the Prophet said, “Actions are only according to their conclusions.”

In Sahih Ibn Hibban there is from ‘A’ishah from the Prophet that he said,

“Actions are only by their conclusions. ”

In it there is also from Mu‘awiyah that he said, “I heard the Prophet saying, “Actions are only according to their conclusions, like the bag which if i ts Upper is good then its lower is good, and if its upper is bad its lower is bad.”

In Sahih Muslim there is from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet said, “A man may act for a very long time with the deeds of the people of the Garden and then his actions conclude with the action of the people of the Fire. And a man may act for a very long time with the deeds of the people of the Fire and then his actions conclude with the action of the people of the Garden.”

Imam Ahmad narrated the hadith of Anas that the Prophet said, “You must not marvel at anyone until you see what his conclusion is, because an active person may act for a large part of his life or for a very long time doing right actions which if he were to die while doing them he would enter the Garden, then later he changes and does an evil act A slave may do wrong actions for a very long time which if he were to die while doing them he would enter the Fire, then later change and do right actions.”

He also narrated the hadith of ‘A’ishah that the Prophet said, “A man may do the actions of the people of the Garden whereas he is written in the Book as one of the people of the Fire, so that when it is just before his death he changes and does the action of the people of the Fire, then dies and enters the Fire. A man may do the actions of the people of the Fire, whereas he is written in the Book as one of the people of the Garden, then when it is just before his death he changes and does the action of the people of the Garden, dies and enters it”

Imam Ahmad, an-Nasa’i and at-Tirmidhi narrated the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr that he said, “The Messenger of Allah came out to us and in his hand there were two writings. He asked, ‘Do you know what these two writings are?’ We said, ‘No, Messenger of Allah, only if you tell us.’ He said about the one which was in his right hand, ‘This is a writing from the Lord of the Worlds in which are the names of the people of the Garden and their parents’ and their tribes’ names up until the very last of them, so that there will never be any added into them or subtracted from them.’ Then he said about the one in his left hand, ‘This is a writing from the Lord of the Worlds in which are the names of the people of the Fire, their parents’ and their tribes’ names up to the very last of them so that there will never be any added to them or subtracted from them.’ His Companions asked, ‘Then for what purpose is action, Messenger of Allah, if the matter has already been decided , upon?’ He said, ‘Hit the mark and strive to get close to it, because the person

I of the Garden will have the action of the people of the Garden at his conclusion no matter what action he has done. And the person of the Fire will have die action of the people of the Fire at his conclusion no matter what other actions he has done.’ Then the Messenger of Allah indicated his hands and cast them [the papers] away and said, ‘Your Lord has finished with the slaves. A party are in the Garden and a party are in the Fire.’”

This hadith has been narrated from the Prophet in many different ways. At-Tabarani narrated it from a hadith of ‘All ibn Abi Talib from the Prophet and he said in addition, “The person of the Garden will have his actions concluded by the actions of the people of the Garden, and the person of the Fire will have his actions concluded by the actions of the people of the Fire, no matter what action he has done. Sometimes, the people of good fortune will be made to travel the path of [the people of] misfortune so much that it is said, ‘How much they resemble them, no, rather they are of them!’ and then good fortune will overtake them and deliver them. Sometimes, the people of misfortune will be made to travel the path of the people of good fortune so much that it is said, ‘How much they resemble them, no, rather they are of them!’ and then misfortune will overtake them. Whomever Allah has written as fortunate in the original of the Book,55 He will not bring him out of the world before He employs him in some deed which will render him fortunate before his death, even if it only happens in the time between two milking’s of a she-camel.” Then he said, “Actions are according to their conclusions, actions are according to their conclusions. ”56 Al-Bazzar narrated it in his Musnad with this same meaning from a hadith of Ibn ‘Umar from the Prophet.

In the two Sahih books there is from Sahl ibn Sa‘d that the Prophet met with people who associate partners with Allah [in battle] and among his companions there was a man who would not leave any isolated or separated [fighter] without chasing him and striking him with his sword. They said, “No one has sufficed today as so and so has sufficed,” so the Messenger of Allah said, “He is one of the people of the Fire.” One of the people said, “I will keep his company,” and so he followed him. The man was wounded severely and wanted to hasten his own death. He placed the iron head of his sword on the ground and the tip between his breasts, then he pressed down on his sword and killed himself. The man went to the Messenger of Allah and said,

“I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah,” and told him the story. The Messenger of Allah said, “A man may do the actions of the people of the Garden, as it appears to people, whereas he is one of the people of the Fire. A man may do the actions of the people of the Fire, as it appears to people, and he is one of the people of the Garden.” Al-Bukhari added in a version of his, “Actions are only according to their conclusions.”

His words, “As it appears to people,” indicates that the inward reality of the affair is opposite to that, and that the evil conclusion is because of an inner secret which people had not discovered, either from the point of view of an evil action [which unknown to people the man did] and the like of that, and that characteristic necessitates an evil conclusion at death. Similarly, a man may do the actions of the people of the Fire and yet in his inward there is a hidden good characteristic which overcomes him at the end of his life, and requires that he have a good conclusion. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Abi Rawwad said, “I attended a man on the point of death who was being prompted to say, ‘There is no god but Allah.’ But the last thing he said was that he disbelieved what we said, and on that he died.” He said, “I asked about him and found that he was an incessant drinker of wine. ” ‘Abd al-‘Aziz used to say, “Be careful of wrong actions because they are what overthrew him. ”

To sum up, concluding actions are the inheritance of what was previously ordained, all of what is previously in the first Book. For that reason, the right acting first generations used to be terribly afraid of evil concluding actions, and some of them would grow agitated at mention of pre-ordained decrees. It has been said that the hearts of the good are attached to concluding [actions] and that they ask, “What will be our conclusion?” but that the hearts of those who are brought near [to Allah] are attached to pre-ordained decrees and that they ask, “What has been ordained for us?”

One of the Companions wept as he was dying and he was asked about it, so he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘Truly, Allah, exalted is He, grasped His creation in two handfuls and said, “These are for the Garden, and there are for the Fire,”’ and I do not know in which handful I was. ” One of the right-acting first generations said, “What makes the eyes weep? What makes them weep is the pre-ordained decree.”

Sufyan [ath-Thawri] said to one of the right-acting, “Has Allah’s knowledge of you ever made you weep?” That man said to him, “You leave me in such a state that I will never rejoice.” Sufyan Used to become exceedingly agitated about pre-ordained decrees and concluding actions; He used to weep and say, “I am afraid that in the core of the Book I am [pre-ordained] as unfortunate.” He would weep and say, “I am afraid that Iman will be removed from me at death.” Malik ibn Dinar used to stand the whole night grasping his beard, saying, O my Lord, you know who is an inhabitant of the Garden and who is an inhabitant of the Fire. In which of the two abodes is the dwelling of Malik?”

Hatim al-Asamm said, “Whoever’s heart is void of remembrance of four

perils is deceived and is not safe from misfortune: first, the peril of the Day of Covenant when He said, ‘These are in the Garden and I do not care, and these are in the Fire and I do not care,’ for one does not know in which group one is. Second, when one was created in three-fold darkness and the angel was called to [write the decree] of misfortune or fortune, and one does not know whether one is of the unfortunate or the fortunate. Third, the remembrance of the terror of the rising, for one does not know whether one will be given the good news of the good pleasure of Allah or of His wrath. Fourth, the Day on which mankind issue forth in groups, for one does not know on which of the two paths one will be made to travel.”

Sahl at-Tustari said, “The disciple fears that he will be tried with acts of disobedience, but the gnostic fears that he will be tried with kufr” It was because of this that the Companions and those of the right-acting first generations who came after them used to fear for themselves hypocrisy and be extremely agitated and anxious about it. The mu’min fears the lesser hypocrisy for himself and that it will overcome him upon the conclusion [of his deeds at death], and take him on to major hypocrisy, as we previously saw that hidden secret wrong actions may necessitate an evil conclusion [to one’s life]. The Prophet used to say very often in his supplications: .. „

“O Over turner of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your dm.” Someone asked him, “Prophet of Allah, we believe in you and in what you have brought; do you fear for us?” He said, “Yes. Truly, hearts are between two of the All-Merciful’s fingers and He turns them about however He wills.” Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi narrated it from a hadith of Anas.

Imam Ahmad narrated from a hadith of Umm Salamah that, “The Prophet used very often in his supplications to say:

‘O Allah, Overturner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your din’ So I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, do hearts overturn?’ He said, ‘Yes. There is none of the creation of Allah of the mortal descendants of Adam but that his heart is between two fingers of the All-Merciful. If Allah wills, He establishes him, and if He wills, He makes him deviate. So we ask Allah our Lord that He not cause our hearts to deviate after He has guided us, and we ask Him that He give us mercy from His presence, truly, He is the Ever-giving of gifts.’” She said, “I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, will you not teach me a supplication with which I can supplicate for myself?’ He said, ‘Yes, of course. Say:

“O Allah, Lord of the Prophet Muhammad forgive me my wrong action and drive off the rage of my heart, and save me, as long as You cause me to live, from those things of the trials which cause one to go astray.’”” There are many hadith with this same meaning.

Muslim narrated from a hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘All of the hearts of the descendants of Adam are between two of the fingers of the All-Merciful as if they were one heart; He turns them about as He wills.’ Then he said;

‘O Allah, Turner about of the hearts, turn our hearts to Your obedience. ’ ”