The meaning of "they did not perform any good deeds"
The meaning of his (صلى الله عليه وسلم) saying "they did not perform any good deeds", is that they did not perform any righteous actions however faith had settled in their hearts. Thus either those people died before being capable of performing actions, they believed and then died before being capable of performing actions, and then it would apply to them that they did not perform any good deeds at all.
Or that this hadeeth is tied to the likes of those hadeeth which indicate that the leaving off of certain righteous deeds is Kufr, such as the prayer for example. Hence the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, even if he claims that he is a believer in Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And for the disbeliever the intercession of the intercessors is of no use on the Day of Judgement and he will abide forever in the Hellfire, and Allah's refuge is sought. What is important, is that this hadeeth is either with regards to people who believed and then died without being capable of performing actions, they died straight upon their faith and thus they did not perform any good deeds at all, or that this is general but what is excluded from it is what the Islamic texts indicate that it has to be carried out, such as the prayer. For the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, the intercession is of no use for him and he does not come out of the Hellfire.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-'Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: 2/48 Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaail Muhammad Saalih Al-Uthaymeen, vol 2, chapter the Day of Judgment.
Or that this hadeeth is tied to the likes of those hadeeth which indicate that the leaving off of certain righteous deeds is Kufr, such as the prayer for example. Hence the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, even if he claims that he is a believer in Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And for the disbeliever the intercession of the intercessors is of no use on the Day of Judgement and he will abide forever in the Hellfire, and Allah's refuge is sought. What is important, is that this hadeeth is either with regards to people who believed and then died without being capable of performing actions, they died straight upon their faith and thus they did not perform any good deeds at all, or that this is general but what is excluded from it is what the Islamic texts indicate that it has to be carried out, such as the prayer. For the one who does not pray is a disbeliever, the intercession is of no use for him and he does not come out of the Hellfire.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-'Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: 2/48 Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaail Muhammad Saalih Al-Uthaymeen, vol 2, chapter the Day of Judgment.
وقال رحمه الله : معنى قوله: “لم يعملوا خيراً قط” أنهم ما عملوا أعمالاً صالحة، لكن الإيمان قد وقر في قلوبهم، فإما أن يكون هؤلاء قد ماتوا قبل التمكن من العمل آمنوا ثم ماتوا قبل أن يتمكنوا من العمل وحينئذ يصدق عليهم أنهم لم يعملوا خيراً قط.وإما أن يكون هذا الحديث مقيداً بمثل الأحاديث الدالة على أن بعض الأعمال الصالحة تركها كفر كالصلاة مثلاً، فإن من لم يصلِّ فهو كافر ولو زعم أنه مؤمن بالله ورسوله، والكافر لا تنفعه شفاعة الشافعين يوم القيامة وهو خالد مخلد في النار أبد الآبدين والعياذ بالله، فالمهم أن هذا الحديث إما أن يكون في قوم آمنوا ولم يتمكنوا من العمل فماتوا فور إيمانهم فما عملوا خيراً قط.وإما أن يكون هذا عاماً ولكنه يستثنى منه ما دلت النصوص الشرعية على أنه لا بد أن يعمل كالصلاة فمن لم يصل فهو كافر لا تنفعه الشفاعة ولا يخرج من النار
2/48 مجموع فتاوى و رسائل الشيخ محمد صالح العثيمين المجلد الثاني – باب اليوم الآخر