Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), the true and truly inspired said, "(as regards your creation), every one of you is collected in the womb of his mother for the first forty days, and then he becomes a clot for another forty days, and then a piece of flesh for another forty days. Then Allah sends an angel to write four items: He writes his deeds, time of his death, means of his livelihood, and whether he will be wretched or blessed (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into his body. So a man may do deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire, so much so that there is only the distance of a cubit between him and it, and then what has been written (by the angel) surpasses, and so he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise and enters Paradise. Similarly, a person may do deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise, so much so that there is only the distance of a cubit between him and it, and then what has been written (by the angel) surpasses, and he starts doing deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire and enters the (Hell) Fire."
The Stages of Human Creation
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) describes the three forty-day stages of embryonic development: first as a nutfah (semen drop) for forty days, then as an 'alaqah (clot) for another forty days, then as a mudghah (piece of flesh) for a final forty days. This demonstrates Allah's perfect planning and wisdom in human creation.
The Divine Decree
After 120 days, Allah sends an angel to record four essential matters: the person's deeds, appointed time of death, means of livelihood, and ultimate destiny in the Hereafter (wretched or blessed). This establishes the Islamic doctrine of divine decree (al-qadr) while maintaining human responsibility.
The Final Transformation
The soul is then breathed into the fetus, completing human creation. The hadith illustrates how a person's final deeds determine their ultimate fate, showing that divine decree doesn't negate free will but encompasses it within Allah's eternal knowledge.
Scholarly Commentary
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 3332 confirms that while Allah's preordainment is absolute, human actions matter profoundly. A person may appear destined for Paradise based on early deeds, but their final actions—guided by divine wisdom—determine their actual destination, demonstrating the balance between divine knowledge and human choice.