Abu Sa’eed Sa’d ibn Maalik ibn Sinaan al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There was
among the people who came before you a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then he asked
about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him,
told him that he had killed ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit
said, ‘No,’ so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most
knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one
hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, ‘Yes, what could
possibly come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a town, for in it there are
people who worship Allaah. Go and worship with them, and do not go back to your own town,
for it is a bad place.” So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came
to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him. The angels of
mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allaah.’ The angels of wrath said: ‘He never did
any good thing.’ An angel in human form came to them, and they asked him to decide the matter.
He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was
headed for), and whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.’ So they
measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he had been headed,
so the angels of mercy took him.” (Agreed upon). According to a report in al-Saheeh: “The
righteous town was a hand-span closer, so he was counted as one of its people.” According to
another report in al-Saheeh: “Allaah commanded (the evil town) to move away, and (the
righteous town) to move closer, and said: ‘Measure the distance between them,’ and they found
him to be a hand-span closer to the righteous town, so he was forgiven.”
What then can come between a person and repentance? Do you think that your sins are any
greater than the sins of this man, whose repentance Allaah accepted? So why despair? The matter
is even greater than this. Think about the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “And
those who invoke not any other god along with Allaah, nor kill such life as Allaah has forbidden,
except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive
the punishment. The torment shall be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will
abide therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for
those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70].
Stop and think about that phrase: “… Allaah will change their sins into good deeds…” [al-
Furqaan 25:70]. This will explain to you the immense grace and favour of Allaah. The scholars
have defined this change as being of two types:
Changing bad characteristics into good ones, so that shirk is changed into true faith, fornication
into chastity, lies into truthfulness, treachery into trustworthiness, etc.
Changing evil deeds that one has committed into good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. Think
about the words “…Allaah will change their sins into good deeds…”. It does not say that one
bad deed will be exchanged for a good deed (of equal weight). It could be less, the same, or
more, in number or in weight. It will depend on the sincerity of the one who repents. Can you
imagine any greater favour than this? See how this divine generosity is further explained in the
following hadeeth:
‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Jubayr reported from Abu Taweel Shatb al-Mamdood that he came to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [another report states that a very old
man whose eyebrows had fallen over his eyes (i.e., he had sunken eyes) came and stood before
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) supporting himself with a stick] and
said: “What do you think of a man who has committed every sin, not leaving out any sin, major
or minor [according to another report: if his sins were to be divided among all the people of the
world, they would destroy them]. Can such a man repent?” The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) asked, “Have you become Muslim?” He said: “I bear witness that there is
no god except Allaah and that you are the messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do good deeds and keep away from evil deeds, and
Allaah will turn them all into good deeds for you.” He asked, “What about my acts of treachery
and immorality?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yes,
(those too).” The man said, “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great)!” and kept glorifying Allaah
until he was out of sight.
(Al-Haythami said: a similar version was reported by al-Tabaraani and al-Bazzaar. The men of
al-Bazzaar’s isnaad are the men of saheeh apart from Muhammad ibn Haaroon Abi Nasheetah,
who is thiqah. Al-Majma’ 1/36. Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targheeb: its isnaad is jayyid qawiy,
4/113. Ibn Hajar said in al-Isaabah 4/149 that it meets the conditions of saheeh.)
At this point the one who is seeking to repent may ask: “When I was astray and not even praying,
which meant I was beyond the pale of Islam, I did do some good deeds. Will I be rewarded for
these deeds after I repent, or are they lost in the wind?”
The answer to this question may be found in the following hadeeth: ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr
reported that Hakeem ibn Hizaam told him that he said to the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allaah, do you think that I will be
rewarded for the (good) things like giving charity, freeing slaves and upholding family ties that I
did during the Jaahiliyyah (days of ignorance before Islam)?” The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You became Muslim because of the good that
you had already done.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari).
These sins will be forgiven, these evil deeds will be turned into good deeds, and these good
deeds that were done during the days of jaahiliyyah will still count in your favour after you
repent. What more could anyone possibly want?
that the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There was
among the people who came before you a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then he asked
about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him,
told him that he had killed ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit
said, ‘No,’ so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most
knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one
hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, ‘Yes, what could
possibly come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a town, for in it there are
people who worship Allaah. Go and worship with them, and do not go back to your own town,
for it is a bad place.” So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came
to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him. The angels of
mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allaah.’ The angels of wrath said: ‘He never did
any good thing.’ An angel in human form came to them, and they asked him to decide the matter.
He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was
headed for), and whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.’ So they
measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he had been headed,
so the angels of mercy took him.” (Agreed upon). According to a report in al-Saheeh: “The
righteous town was a hand-span closer, so he was counted as one of its people.” According to
another report in al-Saheeh: “Allaah commanded (the evil town) to move away, and (the
righteous town) to move closer, and said: ‘Measure the distance between them,’ and they found
him to be a hand-span closer to the righteous town, so he was forgiven.”
What then can come between a person and repentance? Do you think that your sins are any
greater than the sins of this man, whose repentance Allaah accepted? So why despair? The matter
is even greater than this. Think about the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “And
those who invoke not any other god along with Allaah, nor kill such life as Allaah has forbidden,
except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive
the punishment. The torment shall be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will
abide therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for
those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70].
Stop and think about that phrase: “… Allaah will change their sins into good deeds…” [al-
Furqaan 25:70]. This will explain to you the immense grace and favour of Allaah. The scholars
have defined this change as being of two types:
Changing bad characteristics into good ones, so that shirk is changed into true faith, fornication
into chastity, lies into truthfulness, treachery into trustworthiness, etc.
Changing evil deeds that one has committed into good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. Think
about the words “…Allaah will change their sins into good deeds…”. It does not say that one
bad deed will be exchanged for a good deed (of equal weight). It could be less, the same, or
more, in number or in weight. It will depend on the sincerity of the one who repents. Can you
imagine any greater favour than this? See how this divine generosity is further explained in the
following hadeeth:
‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Jubayr reported from Abu Taweel Shatb al-Mamdood that he came to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [another report states that a very old
man whose eyebrows had fallen over his eyes (i.e., he had sunken eyes) came and stood before
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) supporting himself with a stick] and
said: “What do you think of a man who has committed every sin, not leaving out any sin, major
or minor [according to another report: if his sins were to be divided among all the people of the
world, they would destroy them]. Can such a man repent?” The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) asked, “Have you become Muslim?” He said: “I bear witness that there is
no god except Allaah and that you are the messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do good deeds and keep away from evil deeds, and
Allaah will turn them all into good deeds for you.” He asked, “What about my acts of treachery
and immorality?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yes,
(those too).” The man said, “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great)!” and kept glorifying Allaah
until he was out of sight.
(Al-Haythami said: a similar version was reported by al-Tabaraani and al-Bazzaar. The men of
al-Bazzaar’s isnaad are the men of saheeh apart from Muhammad ibn Haaroon Abi Nasheetah,
who is thiqah. Al-Majma’ 1/36. Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targheeb: its isnaad is jayyid qawiy,
4/113. Ibn Hajar said in al-Isaabah 4/149 that it meets the conditions of saheeh.)
At this point the one who is seeking to repent may ask: “When I was astray and not even praying,
which meant I was beyond the pale of Islam, I did do some good deeds. Will I be rewarded for
these deeds after I repent, or are they lost in the wind?”
The answer to this question may be found in the following hadeeth: ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr
reported that Hakeem ibn Hizaam told him that he said to the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allaah, do you think that I will be
rewarded for the (good) things like giving charity, freeing slaves and upholding family ties that I
did during the Jaahiliyyah (days of ignorance before Islam)?” The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You became Muslim because of the good that
you had already done.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari).
These sins will be forgiven, these evil deeds will be turned into good deeds, and these good
deeds that were done during the days of jaahiliyyah will still count in your favour after you
repent. What more could anyone possibly want?
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