The soul and the decree written in the womb.
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (عبد الله بن مسعود)
إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا نُطْفَةً، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ الْمَلَكُ فَيَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ
"The creation of each of you is gathered in the womb of their mother for forty days as a drop, then a clinging thing for the same period, then a lump of flesh for the same period. Then the angel is sent, who breathes the soul into it, and is commanded to write four things: its provision, its term of life, its deeds, and whether it will be wretched or blessed."
A hadith about the beginning of a human life — and about the inscrutable precision of divine decree. The scholars used this as a primary text on predestination. The final note — that one's ending is written before one has even drawn a breath — is meant to humble, not to discourage action.
Passages that draw on this hadith
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"and Allah instructed the angel of death to descend to his beloved Muhammad in the best of forms, and to be gentle in taking his soul. The angel of death entered and sought permission to take his soul. The prophet asked, O angel of death, where did you leave my beloved Gabriel? The angel"
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"soul of a sinful servant, even the mightiest of men could not endure the sight. It is narrated that the prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said to the angel of death, Can you show me your form when you seize the soul of the wicked? The angel replied, You cannot bear it. Ibrahim insisted,"
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"to the sky. When they reached the fourth heaven, they met the angel of death, who was descending. The angel spoke to the angel of death about Idris's request. The angel of death, surprised, said he was sent to seize Idris's soul in the fourth"
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"and for every hair that his hand covers, he will have a year of life. The angel of death conveyed this to Moses. Moses asked, What after this? The angel replied, Death. Moses then said, Then now. So the angel gave him a whiff and seized his soul. It is also"
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"The world consists of two realms, the realm of command and the realm of creation. To Allah belongs creation and command. Bodies, with their quantities and measurements, belong to the realm of creation, as creation"
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"The breadth of the world that the servant encounters in death to the world's expanse is like the world's size to the womb, but even wider and grander. So compare the hereafter to the present world. Your creation and resurrection are nothing but like that of a single soul, and the second"
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"The soul is a profound and complex topic. When the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was asked about it, he simply conveyed Allah's words, Say, the soul is from the command of my Lord. This indicates the depth and mystery surrounding the soul, which is beyond human comprehension."
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"the matter of Qadar, divine predestination, asserting that there is no predestination and that the responsible being creates his deeds. Sheikh Ahmad told them that if their claims were true, they should rise from their seats, but they could not. The Sheikh left them in their state,"
More on foundations
- The first hadith — the inner measure of every deed."Actions are only by intentions, and every person shall have only what they intended."
- The religion in three words: Islam, Īmān, Iḥsān."Islam is that you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, give zakāt, fast Ramadan, and make pilgrimage to the House if you are able. Īmān is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and in divine decree — its good and its bitter. Iḥsān is that you worship Allah as though you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He sees you."
- The five pillars."Islam is built on five: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; the establishment of prayer; the paying of zakāt; the pilgrimage to the House; and fasting Ramadan."
- Innovation in the religion is returned to its introducer."Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that is not from it — it is rejected."