Chapter 1

Chapter: How The Human Being Is Created, In His Mother's Womb, And His Provision, Lifespan And Deeds Are Written Down, And His Misery and Happiness

بَاب كَيْفِيَّةِ خَلْقِ الْآدَمِيِّ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَكِتَابَةِ رِزْقِهِ وَأَجَلِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ وَشَقَاوَتِهِ وَسَعَادَتِهِ

Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who is the most truthful (of the human beings) and his being truthful (is a fact) said:Verily your creation is on this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel to it with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune and misfortune. By Him, besides Whom there is no god, that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَوَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ، اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَوَكِيعٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ ‏ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَكُونُ فِي ذَلِكَ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ الْمَلَكُ فَيَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ وَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ بِكَتْبِ رِزْقِهِ وَأَجَلِهِ وَعَمَلِهِ وَشَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ فَوَالَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا ‏" ‏ ‏.‏

Chapter 2

Chapter: The Debate Between Adam And Musa (Peace And Blessings Of Allah Be Upon Them)

باب حِجَاجِ آدَمَ وَمُوسَى عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ ‏ ‏

This hadith has been reported on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Waki' (the words are):" The creation of any one of you is like this that (semen) is collected in the womb of the mother for forty nights," and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba (the words are):" Forty nights and forty days." And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Jarir and 'Isa (the words are):" Forty days."

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ، الْحَمِيدِ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ، الأَشَجُّ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ‏.‏ قَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ وَكِيعٍ ‏ إِنَّ خَلْقَ أَحَدِكُمْ يُجْمَعُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ مُعَاذٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ ‏ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ‏ ‏.‏ وَأَمَّا فِي حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ وَعِيسَى ‏ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا ‏ ‏.‏

Chapter 3

Chapter: Allah Directs Hearts As He Wills

باب تَصْرِيفِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى الْقُلُوبَ كَيْفَ شَاءَ ‏ ‏

Hudhaifa b. Usaid reported directly from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he said:When the drop of (semen) remains in the womb for forty or forty five nights, the angel comes and says: My Lord, will he be good or evil? And both these things would be written. Then the angel says: My Lord, would he be male or female? And both these things are written. And his deeds and actions, his death, his livelihood; these are also recorded. Then his document of destiny is rolled and there is no addition to nor subtraction from it.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ نُمَيْرٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ، يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ يَدْخُلُ الْمَلَكُ عَلَى النُّطْفَةِ بَعْدَ مَا تَسْتَقِرُّ فِي الرَّحِمِ بِأَرْبَعِينَ أَوْ خَمْسَةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَشَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ فَيُكْتَبَانِ فَيَقُولُ أَىْ رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَوْ أُنْثَى فَيُكْتَبَانِ وَيُكْتَبُ عَمَلُهُ وَأَثَرُهُ وَأَجَلُهُ وَرِزْقُهُ ثُمَّ تُطْوَى الصُّحُفُ فَلاَ يُزَادُ فِيهَا وَلاَ يُنْقَصُ ‏" ‏ ‏.‏

Chapter 4

Chapter: Everything Is Decided And Decreed

باب كُلُّ شَىْءٍ بِقَدَرٍ ‏ ‏

'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported:Evil one is he who is evil in the womb of his mother and the good one is he who takes a lesson from the (fate of) others. The narrator came to a person from amongst the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who was called Hudhaifa b. Usaid Ghifari and said: How can a person be an evil one without (committing an evil) deed? Thereupon the person said to him: You are surprised at this, whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When forty-two nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones, and then says: My Lord, would he be male or female? And your Lord decides as He desires and the angel then puts down that also and then says: My Lord, what about his age? And your Lord decides as He likes it and the angel puts it down. Then he says: My Lord, what about his livelihood? And then the Lord decides as He likes and the angel writes it down, and then the angel gets out with his scroll of destiny in his hand and nothing is added to it and nothing is subtracted from it.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو، بْنُ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ الْمَكِّيِّ، أَنَّ عَامِرَ بْنَ وَاثِلَةَ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، يَقُولُ الشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ ‏.‏ فَأَتَى رَجُلاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَالُ لَهُ حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيُّ فَحَدَّثَهُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ وَكَيْفَ يَشْقَى رَجُلٌ بِغَيْرِ عَمَلٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ أَتَعْجَبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ إِذَا مَرَّ بِالنُّطْفَةِ ثِنْتَانِ وَأَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً بَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهَا مَلَكًا فَصَوَّرَهَا وَخَلَقَ سَمْعَهَا وَبَصَرَهَا وَجِلْدَهَا وَلَحْمَهَا وَعِظَامَهَا ثُمَّ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ مَا شَاءَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَجَلُهُ ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ رَبُّكَ مَا شَاءَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ رِزْقُهُ ‏.‏ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ مَا شَاءَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ الْمَلَكُ بِالصَّحِيفَةِ فِي يَدِهِ فَلاَ يَزِيدُ عَلَى مَا أُمِرَ وَلاَ يَنْقُصُ ‏" ‏ ‏.‏

Chapter 5

Chapter: The Son Of Adam's Share Of Zina Etc. Is Decreed For Him

باب قُدِّرَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ حَظُّهُ مِنَ الزِّنَى وَغَيْرِهِ ‏ ‏

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud through another chain of transmitters.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ النَّوْفَلِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ أَبَا الطُّفَيْلِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، يَقُولُ ‏.‏ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ ‏.‏

Chapter 6

Chapter: The Meaning Of "Every Child Is Born In A State Of Fitrah" And The Ruling On The Dead Children Of The Disbelievers And Of The Muslims.

بَاب مَعْنَى كُلِّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ وَحُكْمِ مَوْتِ أَطْفَالِ الْكُفَّارِ وَأَطْفَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Abu Tufail reported:I visited Abu Sariha Hudhaifa b. Usaid al-Ghifari who said: I listened with these two ears of mine Allahs Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The semen stays in the womb for forty nights, then the angel, gives it a shape. Zubair said: I think that he said: One who fashions that and decides whether he would be male or female. Then he (the angel) says: Would his limbs be full or imperfect? And then the Lord makes thein full and perfect or otherwise as He desires. Then he says: My Lord, what about his livelihood, and his death and what about his disposition? And then the Lord decides about his misfortune and fortune.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ، أَنَّ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا الطُّفَيْلِ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي سَرِيحَةَ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِأُذُنَىَّ هَاتَيْنِ يَقُولُ ‏ إِنَّ النُّطْفَةَ تَقَعُ فِي الرَّحِمِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ يَتَصَوَّرُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَلَكُ ‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَسِبْتُهُ قَالَ الَّذِي يَخْلُقُهَا ‏ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَوْ أُنْثَى فَيَجْعَلُهُ اللَّهُ ذَكَرًا أَوْ أُنْثَى ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَسَوِيٌّ أَوْ غَيْرُ سَوِيٍّ فَيَجْعَلُهُ اللَّهُ سَوِيًّا أَوْ غَيْرَ سَوِيٍّ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ مَا رِزْقُهُ مَا أَجَلُهُ مَا خُلُقُهُ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ اللَّهُ شَقِيًّا أَوْ سَعِيدًا ‏ ‏.‏

Chapter 7

Chapter: Lifespans, Provisions, Etc. Do Not Increase Or Decrease From What Has Already Been Decreed

بَاب بَيَانِ أَنَّ الْآجَالَ وَالْأَرْزَاقَ وَغَيْرَهَا لَا تَزِيدُ وَلَا تَنْقُصُ عَمَّا سَبَقَ بِهِ الْقَدَرُ

Hadhaifa b. Usaid Ghifari, a Companion of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), reported it directly from Allah's Messenger (may peace upon him). as he said:There is an angel who looks after the womb when Allah decides to create any- thing after more than forty nights are over; the rest of the hadith is the same.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ كُلْثُومٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي كُلْثُومٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ أَنَّ مَلَكًا مُوَكَّلاً بِالرَّحِمِ إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ شَيْئًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ لِبِضْعٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ‏" ‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِهِمْ ‏.‏

Chapter 8

Chapter: Belief In The Divine Decree And Submission To It

بَاب فِي الْأَمْرِ بِالْقُوَّةِ وَتَرْكِ الْعَجْزِ وَالِاسْتِعَانَةِ بِاللَّهِ وَتَفْوِيضِ الْمَقَادِيرِ لِلَّهِ

Anas b. Malik reported directly from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he said:Allah, the Exlated and Glorious, has appointed an angel as the caretaker of the womb, and he would say: My Lord, it is now a drop of semen; my Lord, It is now a clot of blood; my Lord, it has now become a lump of flesh, and when Allah decides to give it a final shape, the angel says: My Lord, would it be male or female or would he be an evil or a good person? What about his livelihood and his age? And it is all written as he is in the womb of his mother.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو كَامِلٍ، فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ، اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، وَرَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ وَكَّلَ بِالرَّحِمِ مَلَكًا فَيَقُولُ أَىْ رَبِّ نُطْفَةٌ أَىْ رَبِّ عَلَقَةٌ أَىْ رَبِّ مُضْغَةٌ ‏.‏ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ خَلْقًا - قَالَ - قَالَ الْمَلَكُ أَىْ رَبِّ ذَكَرٌ أَوْ أُنْثَى شَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ فَمَا الرِّزْقُ فَمَا الأَجَلُ فَيُكْتَبُ كَذَلِكَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ ‏" ‏ ‏.‏