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 Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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.  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ الشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ فَأَتَى رَجُلاً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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  

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 Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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. (Using translation from Muslim 2645a)   

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ الشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ فَأَتَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُقَالُ لَهُ حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيُّ فَحَدَّثَ بِذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «إِذَا مَرَّ بِالنُّطْفَةِ ثِنْتَانِ وَأَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً بَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهَا مَلَكًا فَصَوَّرَهَا وَخَلَقَ سَمْعَهَا وَبَصَرَهَا وَجِلْدَهَا وَلَحْمَهَا وَعِظَامَهَا ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ ذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُثْنَى؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَجَلُهُ؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَكْتُبُهُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ رِزْقُهُ؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ مَا يَشَاءُ فَيَأْخُذُ الْمَلَكُ بِالصَّحِيفَةِ فِي يَدِهِ فَلَا يُزَادُ فِي أَمْرٍ وَلَا يُنْقَصُ»  

[Machine] Al-Qa'niyy narrated, and Yahya ibn 'Uthman ibn Salih narrated, and 'Abdullah ibn Yusuf narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Ta'ifi, from 'Amr ibn Dinar, from Abu al-Tufayl 'Amir ibn Wathilah who said: I heard Abdullah ibn Mas'ud say, "Indeed, the wretched is one who is wretched in his mother's womb, and indeed the fortunate is one who is admonished by others." So I came to Hudhayfah ibn Asid and said to him, "Are you not surprised by the statement of Ibn Mas'ud?" He said, "And what did he say?" I said, "Indeed, the wretched is one who is wretched in his mother's womb, and indeed the fortunate is one who is admonished by others." Hudhayfah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'When forty-five nights have passed upon the drop [of semen], the angel says, 'Is it a male or a female?' Then Allah decrees and the angel writes. Then the angel says, 'Wretched or fortunate?' Then Allah decrees and the angel writes. Then the angel says, 'His provision, his lifespan, and his deeds?' Then Allah decrees and the angel writes." Hudhayfah said, "Then the record is closed, and nothing is added or subtracted from it."  

ثنا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَا ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ الطَّائِفِيُّ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ عَامِرِ بْنِ وَاثِلَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ ؓ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الشَّقِيَّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَإِنَّ السَّعِيدَ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ فَأَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ أَسِيدٍ فَقُلْتُ أَلَا تَعْجَبُ مِنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ؟ قَالَ وَمَا قَالَ؟ قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّقِيَّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَإِنَّ السَّعِيدَ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ أَنَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا مَضَتْ عَلَى النُّطْفَةِ خَمْسٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً قَالَ الْمَلَكُ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى؟ فَيَقْضِي اللهُ ﷻ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ فَيَقُولُ الْمَلَكُ أَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ؟ فَيَقْضِي اللهُ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ رِزْقُهُ وَأَجَلُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ؟ قَالَ فَيَقْضِي اللهُ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ قَالَ ثُمَّ تُطْوَى الصَّحِيفَةُ فَلَا يُزَادُ فِيهَا وَلَا يُنْقَصُ مِنْهَا  

[Machine] Unlucky is the one who is born unlucky and happy is the one who is born happy. He said, "So I went to Hudhayfah ibn Asid from the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I said, 'I am amazed at the status given to the son of the mother of 'Abd, whether he is born unlucky or lucky.' Hudhayfah said to me, 'What surprises you about that, O Abu al-Tufayl? Shall I inform you about something related to this misfortune? The narration goes that there is an angel assigned to the womb for forty-five nights when Allah wills to create whatever He wants with His permission. The angel says, 'O Lord, is it a male or a female?' Your Lord decrees and the angel writes. Then the angel says, 'O Lord, will he be unlucky or lucky?' Your Lord decrees and the angel writes. Then the angel says, 'O Lord, how long will his life be?' Your Lord decrees and the angel writes. Then everything is added or subtracted."  

الشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ سَعِدَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ أَسِيدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ عَجَبًا لِرَفْعِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ الشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي حُذَيْفَةُ وَمَا يُعْجِبُكُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا أَبَا الطُّفَيْلِ؟ أَفَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ مِنْ هَذَا بِالشَّقَاءِ؟ وَرَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ إِنَّ مَلَكًا مُوَكَّلٌ بِالرَّحِمِ بِضْعًا وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً إِذَا أَرَادَ اللهُ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ مَا شَاءَ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ فَيَقُولُ أَيْ رَبِّ أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَيْ رَبِّ أَشَقِيٌّ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَيْ رَبِّ أَجَلُهُ؟ فَيَقْضِي رَبُّكَ وَيَكْتُبُ الْمَلَكُ ثُمَّ يُطْوَى مَا زَادَ وَلَا نَقَصَ  

"إذَا مرَّ بالنطفة ثنتانِ وأربعونَ ليلَةً بعثَ الله إليها ملكًا فصوَرها وخلقَ سمْعَهَا وبَصَرها وجِلدَها ولحَمهَا وعِظَامَها، ثم قال: يا ربِّ أذَكرٌ أَمْ أُنثَى؟ فيقضِى

ربُّك ما شاءَ ويكتبُ الملَكُ، ثُمَّ يقولُ: يا ربِّ أجَلُه؟ فيقولُ ربُّكَ ما شاءَ ويكتبُ الملَكُ، ثمَّ يقولُ: يا ربِّ رزِقُهُ؟ فيقضي ربُّكَ ما شاءَ، ويكتبُ الملكُ، ثُمَّ يخرجُ الملَكُ بالصَّحيفةِ في يَدِهِ، فلا يزيدُ على أَمْر ولا يَنْقُصُ".