What is the meaning of the Hadeeth: “Deeds depend upon what the last of them will be.”?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It was narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “A person may do deeds as the deeds of the people of Hell while in fact, he is from the dwellers of Paradise: and similarly a person may do deeds as the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact, he is from the dwellers of Hell. The (results of) deeds depend upon what the last of them will be.” [Al-Bukhari]

As for the narration reported by Imaam Ahmad in Al-Musnad and deemed Saheeh by Al-Arnaa’oot is as follows: “And verily, the (results of) deeds depend upon what the last of them will be.”

The ‘deeds’ mean the good and the bad deeds of any person and the last actions mean the actions that are done during the last days of the lifetime of any person.

Az-Zarqaani said in his explanation of  Al-Muwatta’ that everyone will be rewarded according to his last actions. That is because whoever gives up doing bad deeds and starts doing good deeds will be considered a repentant person and whoever renounces Islam and becomes a non-Muslim, will be considered an apostate.

It can also be explained as what Ibn Hajar said, that the Hadeeth refers to the one who does righteous deeds out of ostentation and  showing off then dies in this evil state.

In fact, both possibilities can be substantiated by the following Hadeeth: “A man may do the deeds of [the people of] Paradise, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Hell, and a man may do the deeds of [the people of] Hell, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Paradise. And verily, the (results of) deeds depend upon what the last of them will be.” [Al-Bukhari]

The opinion of Az-Zarqaani can be substantiated by the following Hadeeth: “Do not be impressed with someone’s actions (thinking they are righteous) until you see what will be his last deeds, because one would be performing a (righteous) deed for a long period of his life, and should he die upon such a deed he would enter Paradise, but he switches to performing evil deeds (before his death). The slave would be performing a (bad) deed for a long period of his life, and should he die upon such a deed he would enter Hellfire, but he switches to performing good deeds (before his death) and when Allaah Wills good for a slave He uses him before his death. The companions asked: “O Messenger of Allaah! How does Allaah Use him?” He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, responded: “He Enables him to perform a good deed, then Ends his life upon it.” [Ahmad, and Al-Albaani and Al-Arnaa’oot: Saheeh]

Allaah Knows best.