Benefits from the Stories of the Repenters:

The Man who Killed One-Hundred People

Compiled and Translated by Ab al-asan Mlik dam al-Akhar

The Repentance of the Man

who Killed One-Hundred People
al-Ramniyyah Publishing

The Repentance of the Man

Who Killed One-Hundred People 1
On the authority ofAb Sad Al-Khudr who said: The Messenger of Allh said: There
was a man from those who came before you who killed ninety-nine people. He then began
to enquire about the most knowledgeable people in the land and was directed to a monk. He
went to him and informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked was there any
hope of his repentance. He replied to him that there was not, so he killed him and completed
one-hundred.
He again asked about the most knowledgeable of the people of the land and was directed to a
scholar. He informed him that he had killed one-hundred people and asked was there any
hope for his repentance. He replied to him that there was and said, Who stands between you
and repentance? Go to such and such a land, you will find there people who worship Allh.
Worship Allh alongside them, and do not return to your land, because it is a land of evil. So
he departed, and when he got about half the distance, death overtook him. A dispute began
between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said, He
came to Allah with a repenting heart, and the angels of punishment argued, He never did a
good deed in his life. Then there appeared an angel in the form of a human being to arbitrate
between them. He said, Measure between the two lands and whichever one he is closer to, he
will be considered from its inhabitants. They measured and found that he was closer to the
land that he intended to go to, and so the angels of mercy took his soul.2
First Benefit: Feeling Remorseful for Ones Sins
As we learn in the narration, this man, from the previous generations, murdered a
considerable number of people and then began to search for the most learned of the people.
He desired to enquire about his hopes for repentance. His search for such an answer, after the
commission of such monstrous crimes, clearly indicates he had developed feelings of regret
and contrition for what his hands had put forth. This benefit can be found in the the
chaptering of the a Ibn Hibbn who collects the adth under the heading: The
Chapter of Repentance: Mention of the adth Showing that Remorse is Repentance.

is an excerpt of a section from a forthcoming publication entitled Until the Sun Rises from its West: Benefits
from the Stories of the Repenters. May Allah facilitate its completion.
1This

Collected by al-Bukhr in his ai (no. 3209) and Muslim (no. 4945) in his ai both on the authority of
Ab Sad al-Khudr.
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In addition to this, al-Shaykh Muammad ibn li al-Uthaymn states: He then became

remorseful and began to ask about the most knowledgeable people of the land 3
Also, there is an authentic adth is collected by Imm Amad in his Musnad and Ibn Mjah
in his Sunan which establishes that of the most important conditions 4 of repentance is regret
for ones sins. He said: To feel remorse is repentance.5

Explanation of Riy al-lihn (1/84)

In his classic work Riy al-lihn, Imm An-Nawaw clarifies the conditions of Tawbah:
The people of knowledge say: It is obligatory to repent from every sin, so if the sin is between is between the
worshipper and Allh, having no connection to another persons rights, then there are three conditions:
First: To leave o the sin
Second: To be remorseful upon committing the act
Third: To firmly determine never to return to the act
If one of these three [conditions] is missing, the tawbah is incomplete.
And if the sin concerns another person, there are four conditions, the three previously mentioned, and [fourth]
the sinner absolving himself, so if it was [concerning] property of some sort, it must be returned to the victim,
and if it is the crime of slander, or similar, he seeks his victims pardon, if it is backbiting, he must seek the
persons forgiveness. It is obligatory to repent from every sin, and if the sinner repents from one of his sins, his
tawbah from that particular sin is complete according to the people of knowledge, and he must repent from
what remains [of his sins]. And the proofs for the obligation of tawbah are clear in the Book [of Allah], the
Sunnah and the consensus of the Islamic nation.
The noble Shaykh al-Uthaymn says in his explanation of Riyd al-lin: And tawbah has the three
conditions mentioned by the author, may Allh have mercy upon him, but upon further research, they reach five
[conditions]:
The first condition: Sincerity to Allh, that is that the intention behind the persons tawbah is to seek only the
Face of Allh and that Allh will forgive him, and refraining from that which he committed from sin; not
seeking from that (repentance) to be seen of the people or to ingratiate himself to them, nor does he intend from
it to merely escape a punishment from the ruler. Rather he only seeks the Face of Allh and the abode of the
afterlife and that Allh will pardon his sins.
Second: Remorse for the commission of his sin, because a person being remorseful is a sign of the truthfulness
of his repentance; meaning, that a person is grieved by what he has done in the past and is overcome by anguish
due to it and knows he will not be relieved from it until he repents to Allh.
Third: To abandon the sin he is committing, and this is from its most important of these conditions. And
desistance from the sin, so if it is the abandonment of that which is obligatory, this means he must implement
the obligatory act. For example, a person failed to pay the Zakah and desires to repent to Allh; then it is upon
him pay the Zakah that he withheld in the past. And if a person was negligent in dutifulness to his parents, then
it is a must that he become dutiful to them. If he is negligent in keeping the family ties, then it is upon him to
keep them. And if the sin was the commission of that which is impermissible, then it is obligatory to refrain
from it immediately. If, for example, he was from those who dealt in interest, then it is obligatory upon him to
desist from it and remain far removed from it, and he must divest what he earned by way of interest
4

Collected by Ibn Mjah in his Sunan (no. 4234) and Amad in his Musnad (no. 3597) on the authority of Abd
Allah ibn Masd. It has been authenticated by al-Albn in a Ibn Mjah (3/4328)
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Muammad ibn Hd al-Sind says in the explication of the Sunan of Ibn Mjah: His
statement (To feel regret) means for his sin, due to it being disobedience [of Allh], because
if he felt regret for any other reason, like his regretting drinking intoxicants due wasting his
money, then this is not from repentance whatsoever. Also, his statement (is repentance)
means it is the major part of it (i.e. repentance) and is necessary for the [establishment of]
remaining conditions, for indeed the one who is regretful will generally leave o the sin
immediately and be determined not to return to it in the future, and with this [the conditions
of] repentance are completed.6
Imm al-Manw says: Indeed it is the greatest of its conditions because regret is something
that is connected to the heart and the limbs follow it, so if the heart feels regret, it ceases to
commit the sin and the limbs follow it in that.
He goes on to say: So since regret is from the reasons of repentance, he called it (i.e. regret)
by its (i.e. repentance) name. 7
Al-aw, in Shar Mushkil al-thr, cites the statement of Umar ibn al-Khab: Sincere
repentance is that a man avoids the evil acts that he once committed, repenting to Allh from
them, and not returning to them ever.
After citing this narration, al- aw says: And from that which has been narrated on the
Prophet concerning regret and that it is repentance: To feel remorse is repentance.He then
states: The Messenger of Allh called remorse repentance. This shows that the one who
says, I repent to Allh from such and such a sin, and he is regretful, is rewarded for this
statement of his.
He continues: So regret for this (sin) is from what prevents returning to what is similar to it,
and in this is proof for what we mentioned. And with Allh is success.8
In relation to this, al-fi ibn ajr states: And some of them say that it is sucient for
repentance to be regretful for falling into the sin, for this necessitates abandoning it, and
determining not to return to it, and these are a result of regret.
6

Shar Sunan Ibn Mjah (2/563)

Fayd al-Qadr (6/387)

Shar Mushkil al-thr (no. 1465)

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Al-Allmah ibn al-Uthaymn mentions: The second condition: Regret for what he has
perpetrated from sin, because a person feeling regret shows that he is sincere in his atonement,
this means that he feels sorrow for what he has committed, is overcome with anguish because
of it, and knows he will not find any relief until he repents to Allh. 9

Sharh Riy al-lihn (1/74)

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Second: Asking the People of Knowledge when Seeking Guidance to Repentance

Allh says in His Book:
Ask the people of knowledge when you do not know. [al-Nahl: 43]
So, the seeker of truth must return to the scholars for clarification in matters that confound
him. Thus, the Muslim should be diligent in enquiring about those things that are a means of
obtaining Allhs Pleasure, as well as that which removes him from His Anger. From those
things, rather, the most exigent of them, is the aair of repentance. For if the laymen seeks
guidance and words of advice from those who are ignorant of the rulings connected to
tawbah and its fulfillment, the questioner places himself in harms way. For the devout
worshipper, who is unlearned in the rulings of Islam, may look at the gravity of the crimes of
the sinner and see no hope for him. This ignorance is what prompted the monk in the
narration to speak erringly, costing him his life.
Regarding this, Ibn ajr states: In this hadith is the virtue of the scholar over the worshipper,
10because the one who gave the initial verdict, that there was no repentance for him, was
concerned with worship, so he magnified the murderers crime of taking so many lives. As for
the second (i.e. the scholar), he was concerned with knowledge, so he answered him correctly
and guided him to the path of salvation. 11
Shaykh Uthaymn says: He then became remorseful and began to ask about the most
knowledgeable people of the land to ascertain whether or not there was hope for his
repentance, so he was [first] directed to a monk, meaning a worshipper, but he was not
endowed with knowledge, so when he said that he had killed ninety-nine people andasked
was there any repentance for him, the monk regarded the sin as too great and said: There is
no repentance for you, so he killed the monk and completed one-hundred people. He then
again sought the most knowledgeable people of the land and was directed to a scholar, and he

10

This can also be seen in hadith of Muadh ibn Jabal that the Prophet said: The virtue of the scholar over the
worshipper is like that of the full moon over the stars. Authenticated in ai al-Jami (no. 4212) of Shaykh alAlbn
11

Fat al-Br (7/200)

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informed him that he had killed one-hundred people and enquired whether or not was there
was any repentance for him. He informed him that indeed there was. 12
Therefore, one should seek out the people of knowledge and virtue to ask them concerning
the conditions and means of repentance. The evidences for this are copious. For example,
what is found in the adth collected in the Sunan of Ab Dawud on the authority of Jbir
ibn Abd Allh who said: We went out on an expedition and one of us was hit with a rock
and it caused a gash in his head, then when he slept he had a wet dream, so he asked his
companions: Is it permissible for me to make Tayammum? They answered: We dont see
anything to permit you to do so as long as there is water present. So he made Ghusl and died.
When we reached the Messenger of Allh , he was informed of this and said: They killed
him. Allh kill them. Could they not have asked if they did not know? Indeed the cure for
ignorance is the question.
After citing this hadith in his propitious work al-Jawb al-Kf, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
states: So he (i.e. the Prophet )here has related that ignorance is a sickness, and the cure
for that sickness is the question.13
Sufyn al-Thawr stated: It was said: Fear the trial of the ignorant worshipper and the sinful
scholar, for indeed they are a trial for all who have been tested.14
Also, Imm Mlik said: Knowledge is not to be taken from four, and it is to be taken from
any besides them: it is not taken from an ignorant man who openly displays his ignorance, or
one who lies in the aairs of the people, even if he is not accused of lying in the adth of the
Messenger of Allh, or the person of desires who calls the people to them, or the man who is
devout in his worship but doesnt have knowledge ofwhat he relates.15

12

Explanation of Riyd al-lin 1/84

13

al-Jawb al-Kfi (p. 32)

14

Tahdhb al-Kaml (11/168)

15

al-Jmi li Akhlq al-Rw wa Adab al-Smi (no. 169) and al-Kifyah (no. 465)
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Third: Allh Forgives the Greatest of Sins with Sincere Repentance

The evidence for this can be found in the response of the scholar, Who stands between you
and repentance? And there is no question concerning the evil of murder. It is considered
from the gravest of sins after Shirk. To this end, al-fi al-Dhahab mentions it second in his
book al-Kabir (The Major Sins) after ascribing partners in worship with Allh.
Allh says in His Noble Quran:
Because of that We ordained for the Children of Isrl that if anyone
killed a person not in retaliation of murder or to spread corruption in
the land-it would be as if he killed all of mankind. [al-Midah 5:32]
He also says:
And those who do not call on anyone with Allh, nor kill a person
unjustly, except in the right, nor commit fornication, and whoever
does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled
for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in
disgrace. [al-Furqn 25:68-71]
And Allh says:
And whoever kills a believer intentionally; his recompense is Hell to abide
therein. [al-Nis 4:93]
In addition to this, in the hadith of Anas ibn Mlik that the Prophet was asked about the
major sins and he said: To ascribe partners in worship with Allh, to disobey ones parents,
the taking of a life, and false witness.16
Also, in the two as from the adth of Ab Wil on the authority of Ibn Masd who
said: I said to the Messenger of Allh , O Messenger of Allh! What is the worst sin? He

Collected by al-Bukhr in his ai (no. 2654, 5976, 6273 and 6274) and Muslim (no. 87) on the authority of
Ab Bakrah
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said: To join partners with Allh after He has created you.. I said, And then? He said: To
kill your child fearing that he will share your food.17
These text clearly place murder as one of the greatest of the major sins, second only to
associating partners in worship with Allh, so its gravity is unquestionable. At same time,
there are numerous texts from the Book and the Sunnah that prove that even the one who
has committed this heinous sin of murder, and then sincerely repents to Allh, he is forgiven.
From theses evidences are the verses in Surah al-Furqn:
And those who do not call on anyone with Allh, nor kill a person
unjustly, except in the right, nor commit fornication, and whoever does
this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled for him on
the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace.
Except those who repent and believe, and work righteous deeds; for those
Allh will change their sins into good deeds, and Allh is The Forgiving,
The Merciful.
And whosoever repents and does righteous deeds; then verily he repents to
Allh with true repentance. [al-Furqn 25:72-74]
Shaykh Abd al-Ramn ibn Nir al-Sad says in the tafsr of these verses: (Except those
who repent) from sins changing them and abandoning them immediately, feeling regret for
their actions in the past, and being determined to never repeat them. (And believe) in Allh,
a true belief that necessitates abandoning sin and becoming obedient (and work righteous
deeds) from what Allh has commanded, making the intention for the Face of Allh (For
those Allh will change their sins into good deeds) meaning, their deeds and statements
that were once counted from evil will be changed to good: their Shirk into Imn, and their sin
into obedience, then they will do acts of good and observance and repent from every sin,
from what is apparent in the verse.18

Collected by al-Bukhr in his a (no. 4477, 6811, 6861, 7520 and 7032) and Muslim in his a (no. 86)
from the adth of Abd Allah ibn Masd.
17

18

Taysr al-Karm al-Ramn (p. 639-640)

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From the proofs also in the Qurn is the verse where Allh says:
Say: O my slaves who have transgressed against themselves! Do not
despair of the Mercy of Allh: certainly, Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is
the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [al-Zumar: 53]
From the well-known proofs in the Sunnah is this adth of the one who killed one-hundred
people. Ibn ajr says: In this adth is proof that repentance benefits for murder as it does for
all other sins. 19
Imm Muslim collects this hadith in his a in the Book of Repentance under the chapter
The Acceptance of the Repentance of the Murderer even if he has taken Many Lives. Imm
al-Nawaw says in the explication of this adth: His statement: (Indeed there was a man
who killed ninety-nine people, then completed one-hundred, then a scholar
answered that there was repentance for him) This is the position of the people of
knowledge, and there is consensus among them regarding the acceptance of the repentance of
the one who murders intentionally, without any dierence of opinion among them20
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Imm al-Bukhr collects the narration of Ibn Abbs that a man came
to him and said to him: I was engaged to a woman and she refused to marry me, so another
man proposed to her, and she wanted to marry him, so I became extremely jealous and killed
her. Is there any repentance for me? He said: Is your mother alive? He answered: No. He
said: Repent to Allh, and draw close to Him as much as possible. At ibn Yasr said: I went
and asked Ibn Abbs: Why did you ask was his mother alive? He answered: Indeed I do not
know an act that brings one closer to Allh then righteousness to ones mother. 21

19

Fat al-Br (7/200)

20

Shar Muslim (17/85)

21

al-Adab al-Mufrad of Imm al-Bukhr (no.4)

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Fourth: The Encouragement of the Repenter to Flee from the Places and People of
Sin:
This narration is a clear indication of the great reward of Hijrah (emigration) from the lands
of sin and trangression to the lands of Tawhd and obediance. Hijrah has a direct relation to
tawbah, as it is a means of having ones sins wiped clean. The Messenger of Allah says:
Verily, Islm wipes away what came before it, and al-Hijrah (emigration) erases what
preceded it; and indeed al-ajj wipes out what came before it.22 So the scholar who advised
the killer to emigrate directed him to one of the greatest paths to repentance.
In the explication of the adth of the man who killed one-hudred people, al-Hfi ibn ajr
says: And in this adth is the virtue of leaving the land of which a person fell into sin [for
fear] that he will most likely return to it there either because it will remind him of his past
actions, and the temptation found in it, or because of the presence of those who will aid him
upon it and encourage him to it, and therefore the second one said: And do not return to
your land because it is a land of evil, and in it is an indication that the repenter must separate
himself from the circumstances that he was accustomed to in the days of his disobedience. 23
Al-Nawaw says: In this is the desire for the one who is repenting to remove himself from
the places where he used to commit sin and separate from the people he committed sins with,
and to abandon them as long as they remain in that condition; and to change his companions

Collected by Imm Muslim in his ai (no. 165) on the authority of Ibn Shamasa Mahr who said: We went
to Amr ibn 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 Allh not give you tidings of this? He (the narrator) said: He turned his face
and said: The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is none worthy of worship (in
truth) but Allh and that Muammad is the Prophet of Allh. 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 Allh , 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 certainly been one of the inhabitants of Hellfire. When Allh instilled the love of Islam in
my heart, I came to the Prophet 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 (i.e. the Prophet) said: What has happened to
you, O 'Amr? I replied: I intend to lay down a condition. He asked: What condition do you intend to put
forward? I said: That I be granted pardon. He (the Prophet) observed: Are you not aware of the fact that Islam
wipes out all the previous [misdeeds]? Verily, Hijrah (emigration) wipes out all the previous [misdeeds], and
verily the al-ajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all the [previous] misdeeds... See also al-Irw (no. 1280) by Shaykh alAlbn
22

23

Fat al-Bri (7/200)

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to the righteous, the scholars, the worshippers and those who he benefits from their
companionship, and this reassures his repentance. 24
This last statement from al-Nawaw is very important, rather, it is an essential step the
repenter must take, because if he remains with the people that he used to commit sin with,
then he will, in all likelihood, return to it. This is due to the fact that the human being is
created weak.
Allh says:
And man was created weak. [al-Nis: 28]
In commanding with keeping righteous company Allh says:
And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning
and afternoon, seeking His Face: and let not your eyes overlook them,
desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of this world. [al-Kahf: 28]
Ibn Kathr says in the commentary of this verse: Sit with those who remember Allh, exalt
Him, praise Him, and ask of Him in the day and the night, from the worshippers of Allh
whether they are from the poor, the rich or the weak. 25
Also, in the two Sahhs on the authority of Ab Ms al-Ashar from the Prophet :
Indeed the example of good company and bad company is like that of the seller of scents
and the blacksmith, so the seller of scents will either give you some as a gift or sell you some
or at least you will find with him a pleasant smell, and the blacksmith will either burn your
clothes or you will find with him an awful odor. 26
Imm Muslim collects this hadith in his Sahh, the chapter: The Desire of Sitting with the
Righteous and Avoiding Evil Companionship. Al-Nawaw says: In this hadith is the virtue
of sitting with the righteous, the people of good, honor, upright character, fear [of Allh],
knowledge, and good conduct; and the prohibition of sitting with the people of evil,

24

Shar ahh Muslim (17/86)

25

Tafsr Ibn Kathr (3/80)

26

Collected by al-Bukhar in his a (no. 5229) and Muslim in his a (no. 4740)
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innovation, those who backbite the people, or who commit an abundance of sin, and what is
similar from unpraiseworthy types.27
Am al-bdi states: In this hadith is guidance to companion the pious, and the scholars,
and to sit with them, for indeed it will benefit in this life and the next; and to avoid
companioning the wicked and sinful, for indeed it harms [a person] religiously and in the
worldly aairs. 28
Consequently, a person must carefully select his companions from the righteous, as all other
friends will be enemies to one another on the Day of Judgment.
Allh says:
Friends on that Day will be enemies to one another except the
righteous. [al-Zukhruf: 67]
Imm al-Baghaw says in his commentary of this verse: (Friends) upon sin in the worldly
life (on that Day) the Day of Resurrection (will be enemies to one another except the
righteous) except those who loved for the sake of Allah upon obedience to Him.
Al ibn Ab Tlib said: There were two believing friends, and two disbelieving friends, so
one of the believing friends dies and says: O Lord! Certainly so and so used to enjoin me to
obedience to You and Your Messenger, and enjoined me to good and forbade me from evil,
and reminded me that I was going to meet You. O Allh! Do not send him astray him after
me and guide him as You guided me, and bestow Your favor upon him as You bestowed Your
favor upon me. So when his friend dies, they are joined together and they will praise one
another saying: What an excellent brother and companion.
And when one of the disbelievers dies and he says: O Lord! Indeed so and so prevented me
from obedience to You and Your Messenger, he commanded me to do evil and prevented me

27

Shar a Muslim (16/394)

28

Awn al-Mabd (13/146)

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from good and told me that I would not meet You, and he will say: What and evil brother
and companion. 29
Qatdah ibn Dimah said: By Allh we have never seen a man companion a people except
that he was like them, so companion the righteous from the worshippers of Allh, that
perhaps you will be like them or with them.30
Ibn Abd al-Barr narrates that it was reported to him on the authority of al-Anf ibn alQays that he said: Good speech is better than remaining quiet, and remaining quiet is better
than evil, vain speech, and good companionship is better than being alone, and being alone is
better than evil companionship.31
We ask Allh to allow us to benefit from righteous companionship in the best of gatherings.
Just as we ask that He makes us from the sincere repenters. Indeed Allh loves those who
repent and those who purify themselves. May the Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet,
his family, companions and all who follow them until the Day of Resurrection.
Written by the one in need of his Lords Favor
Ab al-asan Mlik dam al-Akhar

Tafsr al-Baghaw (7/221)

This indeed reminds us of the narration of Anas ibn Mlik who stated that the Prophet said: There are not
two people who loved each other for Allhs Sake and then separated except because of some sin one of them
committed. See Silsilah al-aiah of Shaykh al-Albn (no. 637)
29

30

al-Ibnah (2/480)

31

al-Tamhd (17/449)
14