Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—said:

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As for the Prophet’s saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

“My nation is like rain: one cannot tell whether its beginning or its end is better.”

Ahmad narrated this in al-Musnad. Some scholars declared it weak, while others did not, but explained its meaning as follows: among the later members of this nation will be people who approach its earliest members in virtue, even if they are not of their number. Their virtue will be so close that an observer may be uncertain which group is better, even though Allah knows that the earliest are better. Similarly, concerning a garment whose two ends look alike, one might say, “One cannot tell which end of this garment is better,” despite knowing that one end is better than the other.

This is because he said, “One cannot tell whether its beginning or its end is better.” It is well known that Allah knows which is better, if that is the case. The lack of knowledge is attributed only to the created being, not to the Creator. What is meant is their resemblance and closeness in virtue; when two things are so alike, a created being may be uncertain which is better.