We went to Amr b. al-As and he was about to die. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: Did the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him not give you tidings of this? Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ not give you tidings of this? He (the narrator) said: He turned his face (towards the audience) and said: The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Verily I have passed through three phases. (The first one) in which I found myself averse to none else more than I was averse to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there was no other desire stronger in me than the one that I should overpower him and kill him. Had I died in this state, I would have been definitely one of the denizens of Fire.

When Allah instilled the love of Islam in my heart, I came to the Apostle ﷺ and said: Stretch out your right hand so that may pledge my allegiance to you. He stretched out his right hand, I withdrew my hand, He (the Holy Prophet) said: What has happened to you, O 'Amr? replied: I intend to lay down some condition. He asked: What condition do you intend to put forward? I said: should be granted pardon. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes out all the previous (misdeeds)? Verily migration wipes out all the previous (misdeeds), and verily the pilgrimage wipes out all the (previous) misdeeds.

And then no one as or dear to me than the Messenger of Allah and none was more sublime in my eyes than he, Never could I, pluck courage to catch a full glimpse of his face due to its splendour. So if I am asked to describe his features, I cannot do that for I have not eyed him fully. Had I died in this state had every reason to hope that I would have bee among the dwellers of Paradise.

Then we were responsible for certain things (in the light of which) I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, let neither female mourner nor fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill my grave well with earth, then stand around it for the time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy and (in your company) ascertain what answer I can give to the messengers (angels) of Allah.  

حَضَرْنَا عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَهُوَ فِي سِيَاقَةِ الْمَوْتِ فَبَكَى طَوِيلاً وَحَوَّلَ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى الْجِدَارِ فَجَعَلَ ابْنُهُ يَقُولُ يَا أَبَتَاهُ أَمَا بَشَّرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِكَذَا أَمَا بَشَّرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِكَذَا قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ مَا نُعِدُّ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِنِّي قَدْ كُنْتُ عَلَى أَطْبَاقٍ ثَلاَثٍ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي وَمَا أَحَدٌ أَشَدَّ بُغْضًا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنِّي وَلاَ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ أَنْ أَكُونَ قَدِ اسْتَمْكَنْتُ مِنْهُ فَقَتَلْتُهُ فَلَوْ مُتُّ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ لَكُنْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلَمَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الإِسْلاَمَ فِي قَلْبِي أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ ابْسُطْ يَمِينَكَ فَلأُبَايِعْكَ فَبَسَطَ يَمِينَهُ قَالَ فَقَبَضْتُ يَدِي قَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَمْرُو قَالَ قُلْتُ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِطَ قَالَ تَشْتَرِطُ بِمَاذَا قُلْتُ أَنْ يُغْفَرَ لِي قَالَ أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الإِسْلاَمَ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ وَأَنَّ الْهِجْرَةَ تَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهَا وَأَنَّ الْحَجَّ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ وَمَا كَانَ أَحَدٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلاَ أَجَلَّ فِي عَيْنِي مِنْهُ وَمَا كُنْتُ أُطِيقُ أَنْ أَمْلأَ عَيْنَىَّ مِنْهُ إِجْلاَلاً لَهُ وَلَوْ سُئِلْتُ أَنْ أَصِفَهُ مَا أَطَقْتُ لأَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ أَمْلأُ عَيْنَىَّ مِنْهُ وَلَوْ مُتُّ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ لَرَجَوْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ثُمَّ وَلِينَا أَشْيَاءَ مَا أَدْرِي مَا حَالِي فِيهَا فَإِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَلاَ تَصْحَبْنِي نَائِحَةٌ وَلاَ نَارٌ فَإِذَا دَفَنْتُمُونِي فَشُنُّوا عَلَىَّ التُّرَابَ شَنًّا ثُمَّ أَقِيمُوا حَوْلَ قَبْرِي قَدْرَ مَا تُنْحَرُ جَزُورٌ وَيُقْسَمُ لَحْمُهَا حَتَّى أَسْتَأْنِسَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْظُرَ مَاذَا أُرَاجِعُ بِهِ رُسُلَ رَبِّي  

Whatever you assert and whatever you call to is indeed good. But if you inform us that there is atonement of our past deeds (then we would embrace Islam). Then it was revealed: And those who call not unto another god along with Allah and slay not any soul which Allah has forbidden except in the cause of justice, nor commit fornication; and he who does this shall meet the requital of sin. Multiplied for him shall be the torment on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall therein abide disgraced, except him who repents a believes and does good deeds. Then these! for the Allah shall change their vices into virtues. Verily Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful (xxv. 68-70). Say thou: O my bondsmen woo have committed extravagance against themselves despair not of the Mercy of Allah I Verily Allah will forgive the sins altogether. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful (xxxix. 53).  

أَنَّ نَاسًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ قَتَلُوا فَأَكْثَرُوا وَزَنَوْا فَأَكْثَرُوا ثُمَّ أَتَوْا مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ الَّذِي تَقُولُ وَتَدْعُو لَحَسَنٌ وَلَوْ تُخْبِرُنَا أَنَّ لِمَا عَمِلْنَا كَفَّارَةً فَنَزَلَ { وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلاَ يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا} وَنَزَلَ { يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لاَ تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ{