Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
ahmad:3596 – Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ came to a man who asked, "O Messenger of Allah, if I do good in Islam, will I be held accountable for my actions during the time of ignorance?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "If you do good in Islam, you will not be held accountable for your actions during the time of ignorance. However, if you do wrong in Islam, you will be held accountable for both your previous and current actions."  

أحمد:٣٥٩٦ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِذَا أَحْسَنْتُ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَمِلْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَحْسَنْتَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ تُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلْتَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَإِذَا أَسَأْتَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذْتَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī
bukhari:6921 – Khalāad b. Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Manṣūr And al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > Ibn Masʿūd

A man said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds).  

البخاري:٦٩٢١ – حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ وَالأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ؓ قَالَ قَالَ

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَمِلْنَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ قَالَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ أُخِذَ بِالأَوَّلِ وَالآخِرِ  

muslim:120b – [Chain 1] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > Abū And Wakīʿ [Chain 2] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Wakīʿ > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

We once said: Messenger of Allah, would we be held responsible for our deeds committed in the state of ignorance? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: He who did good deeds in Islam would not be held responsible for what he did in the state of ignorance, but he who committed evil (after having come within the fold of Islam) would be held responsible for his previous and later deeds.  

مسلم:١٢٠b – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَوَكِيعٌ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَمِلْنَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ قَالَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ أُخِذَ بِالأَوَّلِ وَالآخِرِ  

ahmad:4086 – Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Manṣūr And Sulaymān > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] "O Messenger of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we did in the pre-Islamic era?" He ﷺ replied, "If you did good deeds, you will not be held accountable. But if you committed wrongdoings in Islam, you will be held accountable for both past and present actions."  

أحمد:٤٠٨٦ – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ سُفْيَانَ حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورٌ وَسُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَنُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَمِلْنَا فِيالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ إِنْ أَحْسَنْتَ لَمْ تُؤَاخَذْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذْتَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ  

ahmad:3886 – ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Sufyān > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > Ibn Masʿūd

A man said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds). (Using translation from Bukhārī 6921)  

أحمد:٣٨٨٦ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ قَالَ

رَجُلٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَيُؤَاخَذُ أَحَدُنَا بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْبِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ  

darimi:1 – Muḥammad b. Yūsuf > Sufyān > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, will a person be held accountable for what they did in pre-Islamic times?" He replied, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be held accountable for what they did in pre-Islamic times, and whoever does evil in Islam will be held accountable for both the past and present."  

الدارمي:١ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُؤَاخَذُ الرَّجُلُ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ «مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا كَانَ عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ»  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ بِأَنَّ الْمَرْءَ الْمُسْلِمَ يَنْفَعُهُ إخْلَاصُهُ حَتَّى يُحْبِطَ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ مِنَ السَّيِّئَةِ، وَأَنَّ نِفَاقَهُ لَا تَنْفَعُهُ مَعَهُ الْأَعْمَالُ الصَّالِحَةُ

ibnhibban:396 – al-Faḍl b. al-Ḥubāb > Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, will Allah hold us accountable for what we used to do in the time of ignorance?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be held accountable for what they did in the time of ignorance, and whoever does evil in Islam will be held accountable for both the past and the present."  

ابن حبّان:٣٩٦ – أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ أَحَدَنَا بِمَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ «مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ»  

bayhaqi:18291 – Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Rūdhbārī > Abū ʿUmar Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Naḥwī Ghulām Thaʿlab > Bishr b. Mūsá al-Asadī > Khallād b. Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Manṣūr And al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd

A man said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Prelslamic Period of ignorance?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-lslamic Period of ignorance and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (bad deeds). (Using translation from Bukhārī 6921)   

البيهقي:١٨٢٩١ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ أنبأ أَبُو عُمَرَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ النَّحْوِيُّ غُلَامُ ثَعْلَبٍ ثنا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْأَسَدِيُّ ثنا خَلَّادُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ثنا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ وَالْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَنُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَمِلْنَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟ قَالَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يُؤَاخَذْ بِمَا عَمِلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أُخِذَ بِالْأَوَّلِ وَالْآخِرِ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ خَلَّادِ بْنِ يَحْيَى