Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative, so the man killed him

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative, so the man killed him and made him the hundredth. After that, the man once again asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a scholar. He informed him of his hundred murders and asked if there was a chance for his repentance to be accepted. The scholar replied in the affirmative and said: 'Who can place a barrier between him and the repentance?' He advised him to travel to a certain land where people were worshiping Allah, the Almighty, and asked him to join them in their worship and not to return to his land, which was an evil land. The man listened to the scholar’s advice and set out from his land, when he reached the middle of the way death approached him. The angels of mercy and the angels of torment disputed over the man. The angels of mercy said: 'He came with a repenting heart to Allah, the Almighty.' The angels of torment said: 'He has never done anything good in his life.' Another angel then came in the form of a human being and they agreed to take him as an arbitrator. He said: 'Measure the distance between the man and the two lands and see to which one he is closer.' They did that and found him closer to the land he was traveling to, so the angels of mercy took his soul.” Another authentic narration reads: “He was one span closer to the land of piety, so he was considered one of its people.” The wording of another authentic narration reads: “Allah, the Almighty, ordered this land (evil place) to go far away and the other land (good place) to get closer and on measuring the distances, he was found one span closer to the village to which he intended to go and so he was forgiven.” Another narration reads: “He directed his chest towards it (the village he intended to go to).”

Attribution: Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Grade: Authentic hadith