The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother’s womb in the form of a drop, then they become a piece of congealed blood for a similar period, then they become a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then God sends to him an angel with four words who records his deeds, the period of his life, his provision, and whether he will be miserable or blessed: thereafter He breathes the spirit into him. By Him other than whom there is no god, one of you will do the deeds of those who go to paradise so that there will be only a cubit between him and it, then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of those who go to hell and will enter it; and one of you will do the deeds of those who go to hell so that there will be only a cubit between him and it, then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of those who go to paradise and will enter it. (Bukhari and Muslim.)
The Stages of Human Creation
This noble hadith from Mishkat al-Masabih 82 reveals the divine wisdom in human creation. The forty-day stages - nutfah (sperm drop), alaqah (congealed blood), and mudghah (lump of flesh) - demonstrate Allah's perfect planning. Each stage prepares the vessel for the soul's descent, showing how the physical form gradually becomes worthy of bearing the divine spirit (ruh).
The Angel's Four Records
The angel records four essential matters: deeds, lifespan, provision, and ultimate destiny. This demonstrates that while free will exists, divine knowledge encompasses all outcomes. The recording occurs before the soul's infusion, indicating that Allah's knowledge precedes creation itself.
The scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that these records represent the intersection of divine decree (qadar) and human choice. Provision (rizq) encompasses both lawful and unlawful means, while deeds reflect the choices one makes within their appointed lifespan.
The Mystery of Final Outcomes
The hadith's profound conclusion about people switching between paradise and hell-bound deeds reveals several truths: First, one's final actions determine their ultimate abode. Second, divine decree can redirect a person at the last moment through Allah's mercy or wisdom.
As Imam al-Nawawi comments, this teaches Muslims never to despair of Allah's mercy nor to be complacent about their faith. The "cubit" distance symbolizes how close one may be to salvation or damnation before their divinely decreed fate manifests through their final choices and Allah's ultimate judgment.