50/8. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2766b — Moving Toward Mercy
The Acceptance Of The Repentance Of The One Who Kills, Even If He Has Killed A Great Deal
Hadith About Moving Toward Repentance
Sahih Muslim : 2766b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2766b
حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا الصِّدِّيقِ النَّاجِيَّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَجَعَلَ يَسْأَلُ هَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ فَأَتَى رَاهِبًا فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَيْسَتْ لَكَ تَوْبَةٌ . فَقَتَلَ الرَّاهِبَ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَسْأَلُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَى قَرْيَةٍ فِيهَا قَوْمٌ صَالِحُونَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ أَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَنَأَى بِصَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ مَاتَ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلاَئِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلاَئِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ فَكَانَ إِلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ أَقْرَبَ مِنْهَا بِشِبْرٍ فَجُعِلَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا " .
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Narrated from:
A man killed ninety-nine persons and then he began to make an inquiry whether there was any way left for him for repentance. He came to a monk and asked him about that, and he said: There is no chance for repentance for you. He killed the monk also and then began to make an inquiry and moved from one village to another village where there lived pious persons, and as he had covered some distance, he was overtaken by death, but he managed to crawl upon his chest (to the side nearer to the place where the pious men lived).He died and then there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment and (when it was measured) he was found to be nearer to the village where pious persons were living equal to the Space of a span and he was thus included among them.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2766bIn-book reference : Book 50, Hadith 55USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 37, Hadith 6663
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2766b
This hadith about repentance after major sins retells the story of a man who killed ninety-nine people, then a monk, and then searched again for a way to repent. He was directed to leave one village for another where pious people lived. Before reaching it, death overtook him. The narration says he managed to crawl upon his chest toward the village of the righteous. When the angels of mercy and punishment disputed over him, he was found nearer to that village by a span and was included among its people. The focus is not on claiming safety after sin, but on the man's real movement toward repentance and a better company.
What we learn from this hadith
- Repentance should be followed by a clear move away from sin.
- Good company is shown as important for a person trying to change.
- The man's effort continued even when death approached him.
- The report gives hope to the one who turns sincerely toward Allah.
