The endings of deeds (khawatim)

خواتيم الأعمال

That deeds are weighed by their endings; in his commentary on Ibn Masud's hadith Ibn Rajab explains 'deeds are but by their endings' as meaning that what counts is the state — sound or corrupt — in which the deed ends, that an evil ending comes through a hidden inward corrupting trait in the servant that people do not see, and that 'endings are the legacy of what preceded'; hence the early generations' intense fear of a bad ending and their fear that lesser hypocrisy might overcome them at the end and carry them into greater hypocrisy, while the Prophet ﷺ often prayed 'O turner of hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion'.

Depth

At a glance

Era: The Prophetic Era
Region: Global / Diaspora
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Creed Afterlife and eschatology Spirituality and Sufism

Overview

The endings of deeds are a meaning that Ibn Rajab explains through the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud: "Deeds are only by their endings." ¹

The meaning according to Ibn Rajab

He holds that what counts is the state in which a deed ends, whether good or bad. A bad ending comes from a hidden inner trait in the servant that people do not see. He says that "endings are the inheritance of earlier deeds." ¹

The fear of the early generations

He notes that the early generations greatly feared a bad ending. They feared that the lesser hypocrisy would prevail over them at the end, leading them into the greater hypocrisy. ¹

He reports that the Prophet often prayed: "O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion." ¹

Connections

Explore the connections

Based on: Arba'un 4 — the creation gathered in the womb

People and things also explored

Qadar (divine decree)· Abdullah ibn Mas'ud· Islamic eschatology· Certainty and its degrees (yaqin)· Ihsan (excellence in worship)· Istiqama (steadfast uprightness)· Nasiha (sincere counsel)· Niyya (intention in deeds)

Sources

Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam — Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali , p. 148-154

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The endings of deeds (khawatim)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/khawatim/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Wing

Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Qadar (divine decree)

The Tahawi creed's belief that God created by His knowledge and decreed measures and terms, that all things happen by His will and judgement, with a warning against probing the secret of the decree.