The meaning of his saying: "Indeed, a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but an arm's length, when the decree overtakes him and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire"

The Shaykh : Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or Ibn Mas'ud swore that a man does the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but one arm's length. The arm's length is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the fingers; this arm's length is from here to here. Allah is the Greatest. Is the arm's length here intended to mean the distance between the worker and entering Paradise, or the distance between the worker and entering the Fire, or the distance between a person and his term of life?
The second option, and it is necessary, because a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise sincerely. Indeed, Allah will never let him down; He will never let him down as long as his intention is sincere and his deed is correct. He will not let him down because Allah is more generous than His servant. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: So whoever turns to Allah with sincerity, by Allah, He will not let him down. But this is doing the deeds of the people of Paradise as it appears to people, until there is nothing left of his term of life but an arm's length, meaning he has reached the edge of the grave. Then the decree overtakes him, and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire. How does the decree overtake him? Because there is a hidden evil in his heart. We seek refuge in Allah, we seek refuge in Allah, we seek refuge in Allah. The heart is the standard by which things are judged. May Allah rectify your heart and your hearts; it is the standard by which things are judged. There may be in your heart hatred for Islam and the Muslims, smaller than an atom, and you will be destroyed. There may be in your heart aversion to the slightest of the legislations of Islam, and you will be destroyed. For this reason, I say to you, O students: until there is nothing between him and Paradise but an arm's length, is this in terms of his term of life, or in terms of his deeds? In terms of his term of life, meaning when his term of life approaches, he turns back, may Allah protect us, in appearance and in reality. As for the first case, he is turned back in reality but upright in appearance.