Do not be impressed by anyone's deeds until you see how his life ends, for a man may spend a stretch of his time, or a portion of his life, doing evil deeds, such that if he died upon them he would die in a state of evil, yet he then turns to righteous deeds and his life is sealed with them. And a servant may spend a stretch of his time, or a portion of his life, doing righteous deeds, such that if he died upon them he would die in a state of goodness, yet he then turns to evil deeds and his life is sealed with them.The narrator said that Humayd once raised this report to the Prophet ﷺ, then later refrained from doing so.
حدثنا محمد بن أبي عدي عن حميد قال
لا عليكم أن لا تعجبوا لعمل رجل حتى تعلموا ما يختم له به فقد يعمل الرجل برهة من دهره أو زمانا من عمره عملا سيئا لو مات عليه مات على شر فيتحول إلى عمل صالح فيختم له به وقد يعمل العبد برهة من دهره أو زمانا من عمره عملا صالحا لو مات عليه مات على خير فيتحول إلى عمل سيئ فيختم له به قال وقد رفعه حميد مرة ثم كف عنه
No references are available.
Its isnad is sahih. It has already been mentioned at 12153, and this definitely carries the ruling of an elevated hadith, but Humayd refrained from attributing it to the Prophet, adhering strictly to what he had heard.