Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 76
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ الرَّقِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ قَالَ " يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُ أَحَدِكُمْ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ الْمَلَكَ فَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَيَقُولُ اكْتُبْ عَمَلَهُ وَأَجَلَهُ وَرِزْقَهُ وَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ . فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
'Ali ibn Muhammad narrated to us; Waki', Muhammad ibn Fudayl, and Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us. (H) 'Ali ibn Maymun al-Raqqi narrated to us; Abu Mu'awiyah and Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Zayd ibn Wahb, who said: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: The truthful and confirmed Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us: Each of you is gathered in his mother's womb for forty days; then he becomes a clinging clot for a like period; then he becomes a lump of flesh for a like period. Then Allah sends an angel to him, who is commanded to write four matters. He says: Write his deeds, his lifespan, his provision, and whether he will be wretched or blessed. By the One in whose hand is my soul, one of you may act with the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is only an arm's length between him and it, then the decree overtakes him, so he acts with the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it. And one of you may act with the deeds of the people of the Fire until there is only an arm's length between him and it, then the decree overtakes him, so he acts with the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic preserves two routes into al-Amash, the “truthful and confirmed” description of the Prophet, the four matters written, and both contrasting endings. The English witness renders the final distance as a forearm; the Arabic says a cubit/arm length (dhira).