The Book of Destiny - Sahih Muslim 2651

This commentary examines the profound hadith concerning the finality of deeds and divine decree from Imam Muslim's authentic collection.

The Reality of Concluding Deeds

This narration reveals the profound wisdom that a person's ultimate destination is determined by their final deeds, not merely the accumulation of actions over time. The scholars explain that this demonstrates Allah's infinite mercy and justice.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments that this hadith shows how Allah's knowledge encompasses all possibilities, and how He grants success to whom He wills at the moment of death with righteous ending (husn al-khatimah) or permits others to fall into evil ending (su' al-khatimah).

Divine Wisdom in Apparent Contradictions

Al-Nawawi explains in his Sharh Sahih Muslim that this teaching serves multiple purposes: it instills continuous hope for sinners and caution for the righteous, preventing despair and complacency respectively.

The apparent contradiction between lifelong patterns and final outcomes reflects the ultimate manifestation of divine qadr (decree), where Allah's will transcends human expectations and calculations.

Practical Implications for Believers

Classical scholars emphasize that this hadith should motivate believers to consistently seek Allah's protection against evil endings and to persevere in good deeds until death.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali notes that the "concluding deeds" refer to what a person dies upon, not necessarily their very last action, but the state of their heart and commitment at life's end.

This understanding should inspire constant vigilance, sincere repentance, and dependence on Allah's mercy rather than relying on one's past achievements.