Sunan Abi Dawud 4708

Hafs ibn ‘Umar al-Namari narrated to us: Shu‘bah narrated to us. (Another chain:) Muhammad ibn Kathir informed us: Sufyan narrated to us—the meaning is the same, and the wording ‘narrated to us’ occurs in Sufyan’s version—from al-A‘mash, who said: Zayd ibn Wahb narrated to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), the truthful and confirmed as truthful, said: ‘Each of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days, then becomes a clinging clot for the same length of time, then a lump of flesh for the same length of time. Then an angel is sent to him and commanded with four matters: his provision, lifespan, and deeds are written, and then whether he will be wretched or blessed is written. Then the spirit is breathed into him. One of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only an arm’s length—or the measure of an arm’s length—remains between him and it; then what is 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 only an arm’s length—or the measure of an arm’s length—remains between him and it; then what is written overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.’