47/10. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4998 — Good Islam Erases Past Sins
A Man Being Good in His Islam
Hadith About Accepting Islam and Good Deeds
Sunan an-Nasai : 4998
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4998
أَخْبَرَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا أَسْلَمَ الْعَبْدُ فَحَسُنَ إِسْلاَمُهُ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ كُلَّ حَسَنَةٍ كَانَ أَزْلَفَهَا وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ كُلُّ سَيِّئَةٍ كَانَ أَزْلَفَهَا ثُمَّ كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْقِصَاصُ الْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرَةِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ وَالسَّيِّئَةُ بِمِثْلِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَجَاوَزَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهَا " .
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'If a person accepts Islam, such that his Islam is good, Allah will decree reward for every good deed that he did before, and every bad deed that he did before will be erased. Then after that will come the reckoning; each good deed will be rewarded ten times up to seven hundred times. And each bad deed will be recorded as it is, unless Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, forgives it.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4998In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 14English translation : Vol. 6, Book 47, Hadith 5001
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4998
This hadith about accepting Islam gives hope and balance. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri narrates that if a person accepts Islam and his Islam is good, Allah records every good deed he did before and erases every bad deed he did before. After that comes the reckoning: each good deed is rewarded ten times up to seven hundred times, and each bad deed is recorded as it is, unless Allah forgives it. The wording is full of mercy, but it also keeps accountability in view. It does not say a person should be careless after Islam. It says good deeds are multiplied, bad deeds are not multiplied, and forgiveness belongs to Allah.
What we learn from this hadith
- Good Islam is linked with past good deeds being recorded.
- Past bad deeds are erased when Islam is accepted well.
- Later good deeds are multiplied, while bad deeds are recorded as they are unless Allah forgives.
