Hadith 4 Of An-Nawawi’s Collection JSS2 Islamic Studies Lesson Note

HADITH 4 OF AN-NAWAWIS COLLECTION

Hadith refers to the sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These teachings help Muslims understand how to live according to Islam. Imam An-Nawawi collected 40 important hadith that cover the main teachings of Islam. These are called “An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith” or “Arba’een An-Nawawi.”

The Fourth Hadith: Creation of Human Beings

The fourth hadith in An-Nawawi’s collection is about how Allah creates each human being. This hadith was narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, who was a close companion of Prophet Muhammad.

The Text of the Hadith

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

“Verily, the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a drop, then he becomes a clot for a similar period, then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things: his provision (sustenance), his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be wretched or blessed. Then the soul is breathed into him. So, by Allah, one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is only an arm’s length between him and it, but what has been written overtakes him, and so he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and thus enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of the people of the Fire until there is only an arm’s length between him and it, but what has been written overtakes him, and so he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and thus enters it.”

(Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)

Explanation of the Hadith

Stages of Human Creation

This hadith describes how a human being is formed in the mother’s womb:

Nutfah (Drop): For the first 40 days, the baby is in the form of a drop of fluid.

Alaqah (Clot): For the next 40 days, the baby becomes a clot of blood or something that clings.

Mudghah (Piece of Flesh): For another 40 days, the baby becomes like a piece of chewed flesh.

These stages match what modern science has discovered about how babies develop before birth.

The Angel’s Task

After these three stages (120 days total), Allah sends an angel to write down four things about the baby:

• Rizq (Provision): What food, money, and resources the person will have in life.
• Ajal (Life Span): How long the person will live.
• Amal (Deeds): What actions the person will do in life.
• Shaqiy or Sa’eed (Wretched or Blessed): Whether the person will end up in Paradise or Hell.

The Soul Enters the Body

After these four things are written down, the soul is breathed into the baby. This is when the baby becomes a complete human being with a soul.

Free Will and Divine Decree

The last part of the hadith talks about how a person’s final destination (Paradise or Hell) is known to Allah but not to the person. This shows the balance between:

Qadar (Divine Decree): Allah knows what will happen to everyone.

Free Will: Humans still make their own choices and are responsible for them.

Important Lessons from This Hadith

Scientific Miracle in the Qur’an and Sunnah

This hadith describes stages of human development in the womb that were not known scientifically until many centuries later. This shows that Prophet Muhammad received knowledge from Allah.

The Value of Human Life

Since Allah personally oversees the creation of each human and assigns an angel to record their destiny, this shows how special and valuable each human life is.

Balance Between Effort and Trust

The hadith teaches us to balance between:

• Making our best effort to do good deeds
• Trusting in Allah’s plan for us
• Never Give Up Hope

Even if someone has done many bad deeds, they could still end up doing good at the end of their life and enter Paradise. This gives hope to everyone.

Never Be Overconfident

Even if someone has done many good deeds, they should not become proud or overconfident. They should keep trying their best until the end of life.

The Importance of One’s Final Actions

The hadith shows that the most important deeds are those done at the end of life. This teaches us to always be ready for death and to keep doing good deeds.

Practical Applications in Daily Life

Being Mindful of Our Actions

Knowing that our deeds are recorded should make us more careful about what we do. We should try to do good deeds and avoid bad ones.

Treating Others with Respect

Since each person is specially created by Allah, we should treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Balancing Effort and Trust

We should work hard to do good deeds, but also trust that Allah has a plan for us. This balance helps us avoid both laziness and anxiety.

Making the Most of Our Time

Since our lifespan is already written, we should use our time wisely to do good deeds and avoid wasting time.

Being Humble

No matter how many good deeds we do, we should remain humble, knowing that our final destination depends on Allah’s mercy.

Never Judging Others

We should not judge others harshly, because we don’t know how their lives will end. Someone who seems far from the right path might change later.

This powerful hadith teaches us about our creation, Allah’s knowledge, and the balance between divine decree and human choice. It reminds us to be humble, hopeful, and consistent in doing good deeds. By understanding and applying this hadith, we can better prepare ourselves for the afterlife while living a meaningful life in this world.

Remember that true success comes from Allah’s mercy, so we should always ask for His guidance and forgiveness while trying our best to follow His commands.