RIYAD AS-SALIHIN

 

Compiled by

 

Imam Yahaya bin Sharaf-ud-Din An-Nawawi

 

    Hadith Number Twenty: Concerning Allahs mercy being greater than his wrath

 

Text Box: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There was a person from among a nation before you who killed 99 persons and then made an inquiry about learnt persons of the world (who could show him the path to salvation). He was directed to go to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed 99 persons and asked him if there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in negative and was killed also completing 100. He then asked about the learnt persons of the world. He was directed to go to a scholar. He told him that he had killed 100 persons and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in affirmative and asked: what stands between you and the repentance? You better proceed to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you should join them in worship; and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place (for you). So he went away and hardly had he covered half the distance when death overtook him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of torment. The angels of mercy said: this man has come as a repentant to Allah and the Angels of punishment said: he has done no good at all. Then there a appeared another angel in a form of a human being (to decide the issue) and the contending angel agreed that he should act as a arbiter between them. He (angel) said: Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered in the possession of that land to which he is nearer. They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. (Bukhari and Muslim)
 

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1