Working by the Final Deeds

Question:
What is meant by working by the final deeds, and what are examples of this?

Answer:
Answer: Working by the final deeds means, at the time of death, what a person dies upon. If he dies upon good, he is among the people of good, and if he dies upon evil, he is among the people of evil. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, when the decree overtakes him, and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it. And indeed, one of you may do the deeds of the people of the Fire until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, when the decree overtakes him, and he enters it.” The matter revolves around the final deed. Therefore, it is fitting for the Muslim to always ask Allah for a good ending, and to always be engaged in righteous deeds, so that when death comes to him, if he is upon righteous deeds, it is fitting for the Muslim, when he commits a mistake, to hasten to repent and not delay repentance. “And repentance is not for those who do evil deeds until when death approaches one of them, he says, ‘Now I repent.’” So repentance is not accepted. At the gasping of death, the time for repentance ends. So a person must hasten to repent when he commits a sin or a slip, and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents, so that his ending may be good and beautiful.