Righteous Company

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كانَ فِيمَنْ كانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا

There was among those before you a man who killed ninety-nine people.

فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ

He asked about the most knowledgeable person on Earth.

فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ

He was directed to a monk.

فأتاه فقال إنه قتل تسعه وتسعين نفساً، فهل له من توبة؟

So he came to him and said, 'He has killed ninety-nine people, is there repentance for him?'

فَقَالَ لَا

He said, 'No.'

فَقَتَلَهُ فَكَمَّلَ بِهِ مِائَةً

So he killed him, completing a hundred.

ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ

Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on Earth.

فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لَهُ مِن تَوْبَةٍ

He was directed to a scholar and said, 'He has killed a hundred people; is there repentance for him?'

فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ

He said, 'Yes, and who can prevent him from repentance?'

اِنْطَلِقْ إِلَى أَرْضِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا أُنَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مَعَهُمْ

Go to such and such a land, for there are people who worship Allah there, so worship Allah with them.

وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ فَإِنَّهَا أَرْضُ سُوءٍ

And do not return to your land, for it is a land of evil.

فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّرِيقِ أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ

He set out until when he was halfway there, death came to him.

فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ العَذَابِ

Then the Angels of Mercy and the Angels of Punishment disputed over him.

فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ جَاءَ تَائِبًا مُقْبِلًا بِقَلْبِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

The Angels of Mercy said, 'He came repenting, turning with his heart to Allah, the Almighty.'

وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ العَذَابِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ

The Angels of Punishment said, 'He has never done any good.'

فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صُورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ أَي حَكَمًا

Then an angel came to them in the form of a human, and they made him a judge among them.

فَقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الأَرْضَيْنِ فَإِلَى أَيَّتِهِمَا كَانَ أَدْنَى فَهُوَ لَهُ

He said, 'Measure the distance between the two lands, and whichever he is closer to is his.'

فَقَاسُوا فَوَجَدُوهُ أَدْنَى إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ

They measured and found he was closer to the land he intended.

فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ

So the Angels of Mercy took him.