There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you).

So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitent and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy.  

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا۔ فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ، فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ۔ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنَ تَوْبَةٍ۔ فَقَالَ لاَ، فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً۔ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ، فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ۔ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ۔ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ؟ انْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا أُنَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ، فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مَعَهُمْ وَلاَ تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سَوْءٍ۔

فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّرِيقَ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ، فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلاَئِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلاَئِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ۔ فَقَالَتْ مَلاَئِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ: جَاءَ تَائِبًا مُقْبِلاً بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ۔ وَقَالَتْ مَلاَئِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ۔ فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ۔ فَقَالَ: قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الأَرْضَيْنِ فَإِلَى أَيَّتِهِمَا كَانَ أَدْنَى فَهُوَ لَهُ۔ فَقَاسُوهُ فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ، فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلاَئِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ۔

قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ لَمَّا أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ نَأَى بِصَدْرِهِ  

[Machine] I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a narration that I heard with my ears and it settled in my heart. He said, "Indeed, there was a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then, he felt remorse and sincerely sought repentance. He asked who the most knowledgeable person on earth was, so he was directed to a monk. He went to him and said, 'I have killed ninety-nine people, is there any chance for repentance for me?' The monk asked, 'After killing ninety-nine people?' The man replied, 'Yes.' So the monk told him, 'Then there is no chance for repentance for you.' The man became enraged and killed the monk with his sword, thus completing his murder count to a hundred. He still sought repentance and asked who the most knowledgeable person on earth was, so he was directed to a scholar. He went to him and said, 'I have killed a hundred souls, is there any chance for repentance for me?' The scholar replied, 'Who stands between you and repentance? Leave this corrupted town and go to such and such righteous town and worship your Lord there.' The man left for the righteous town but he died on the way. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over his case. Satan said, 'I am the one who deserves him, for he never disobeyed me for a moment.' The angels of mercy argued, 'He went out as a repentant person.' Then, a man named Hamaam related from Humaid At-Taweel, who related from Bakr ibn Abdullah Al-Muzani, who related from Abu Raafi', who said, 'Allah sent an angel to decide the matter.' They presented the case to him and he instructed them to measure the distance between the two towns to determine which town was closer to the man's location at the time of his death. It was found that the righteous town was closer, so he was included among the people of that town."  

سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَمِعَتْهُ أُذُنَايَ وَوَعَاهُ قَلْبِي إِنَّ عَبْدًا قَتَلَ تِسْعَةًوَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا ثُمَّ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ التَّوْبَةُ فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ؟ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ تِسْعَةٍ وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا؟ قَالَ فَانْتَضَى سَيْفَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ بِهِ فَأَكْمَلَ بِهِ مِائَةً ثُمَّ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ التَّوْبَةُ فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ؟ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ اخْرُجْ مِنَ الْقَرْيَةِ الْخَبِيثَةِ الَّتِي أَنْتَ فِيهَا إِلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ قَرْيَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ فِيهَا قَالَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ فَعَرَضَ لَهُ أَجَلُهُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ قَالَ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِبْلِيسُ أَنَا أَوْلَى بِهِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْصِنِي سَاعَةً قَطُّ قَالَ فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ إِنَّهُ خَرَجَ تَائِبًا قَالَ هَمَّامٌ فَحَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدٌ الطَّوِيلُ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ اللهُ ﷻ لَهُ مَلَكًا فَاخْتَصَمُوا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى حَدِيثِ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ انْظُرُوا أَيُّ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ إِلَيْهِ فَأَلْحِقُوهُ بِأَهْلِهَا قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ قَالَ لَمَّا عَرَفَ الْمَوْتَ احْتَفَزَ بِنَفْسِهِ فَقَرَّبَ اللهُ ﷻ مِنْهُ الْقَرْيَةَ الصَّالِحَةَ وَبَاعَدَ مِنْهُ الْقَرْيَةَ الْخَبِيثَةَ فَأَلْحَقُوهُ بِأَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ  

There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitant and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy. (Using translation from Muslim 2766a)   

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ فَأَتَاهُ فقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ لَا فَقَتَلَهُ وَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ فقَالَ أَنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِئَةً فَهَلْ لَهُ تَوْبَةٌ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ مَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ؟ ائْتِ أَرْضَ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا نَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سُوءٍ فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَصَفَ الطَّرِيقَ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ جَاءَنَا تَائِبًا مُقْبِلًا بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ فَأَتَاهُ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ فقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الْأَرْضَيْنِ أَيُّهُمَا كَانَ أَقْرَبَ فَهِيَ لَهُ فَقَاسُوهُ فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ فَقَبَضَتْهُ بِهَا مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ»  

There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitant and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy. (Using translation from Muslim 2766a)   

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ لَا فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلَ بِهَ مِائَةً ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ انْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا نَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللهَ فَاعْبُدْ مَعَهُمْ وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سُوءٍ فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَى نِصْفَ الطَّرِيقِ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ جَاءَ تَائِبًا مُقْبِلًا بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللهِ ﷻ وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الْأَرَضِينَ فَإِلَى أَيِّهَا كَانَ أَدْنَى فَهُوَ لَهُ فَقَاسُوا فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ لَمَّا أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ نَاءَ بِصَدْرِهِ  

"كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَان قَبْلكمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وتِسْعِينَ نفْسًا، فسأَلَ عَنْ أعْلَمِ أهْلِ الأرْضِ فدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ فأَتَاهُ (*) فَقال: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تسْعَةً وتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهلْ لَهُ منْ توْبَة؟ فَقَال: لا، فَقَتَلَهُ وكَمَّلَ بِه الْمِائة، ثمَّ سأَلَ عن أعْلَمِ أهْلِ الأرْضِ فدُلِّ عَلى رَجُلٍ

فَقال: إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مَائةً فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قال: نَعَمْ مَنْ يَحُول بَينَكَ وبَينَ التَّوْبَةِ؟ ، إِيتِ أرْضَ كَذَا وكَذَا فإِنَّ بِهَا نَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللهَ فاعْبَدِ اللهَ ولا تَرْجعْ إِلَى أرْضِكَ، فإِنَّهَا أرْض سُوءٍ، فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذا أنْصفَ الطَّريقَ أتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ، فاخْتَصَمَتْ فيه ملائِكة الرَّحْمَةِ ومَلائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ، فَقالتْ مَلائكَةُ الرَّحْمَة: جَاءَنَا تَائبًا مقْبلًا بِقَلْبه إِلى الله، وَقَالتْ مَلائِكَة الْعَذَابِ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَل خَيرًا قطُّ، فأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ فَجَعَلُوهُ بَينَهُمْ، فَقَال: قِيسُوا مَا بَينَ الأرْضَينِ أيهما كان أقرب فهي له، فقاسوه فوجدوه أدنى إلى الأرض الَّتِي أرَادَ فَقَبَضَتْهُ بِها مَلائِكِة الرَّحَمْةِ".  

"إِنّ رَجُلًا قتلَ تِسْعَة وَتِسْعينَ نفْسًا، ثُمَ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ التَّوْبَةُ فسأَل عَنْ أعْلَم، أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ، فَدُلَّ على رَاهِبٍ، فَأتَاهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنه قتلَ تسعةً وتسعين نَفْسًا، فهلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَة؟ فَقال: لا، فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلِ بِه مائة، ثم سأَل عن أَعْلَم أَهْل الأَرض فَدُلَّ على رجُل عالم (فَأَتَاهُ) فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ قتلَ مائةَ نفس، فَهَلْ له من توبةِ؟ فقال: نَعَمْ، وَمَنْ يحولُ بينَهُ وبينَ التوبة؟ انْطَلِقْ إِلى أرْض كذا (وكذا) فإِن بها أُنَاسًا يعْبُدونَ اللَّهَ، فَاعْبُد اللَّهَ معهم ولَا ترْجع إِلى أَرْضكَ؛ فَإِنَّهَا أرْضُ سُوءٍ، فَانْطَلَق حتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّريقَ أَتَاهُ الموتُ، فَاخْتصمتْ فيه ملَائكةُ الرحمة وملائكةُ العذاب، فقالت ملائكةُ الرحمة: جاءَ تائبًا مُقْبلًا بقَلْبه إِلى اللَّه تعالى، وقالت ملائكةُ العذابِ: إِنَّهُ لم يعمل خيرًا قطُّ، فَأَتَاهُم مَلَكٌ في صُورَةِ آدمىِّ فَجعَلُوهُ بيْنَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: قِيسوا ما بَيْنَ الأرْضَيْن فإِلَى أيَّتهمَا كان أَدْنَى فَهُوَ له، فَقَاسُوا، فوجدوه أَدْنى إِلى الأَرض التى أَراد، فقبضَته ملائكةُ الرَّحَمة".