The Joy of Repentance

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وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ سَعْدِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ سِنَانَ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ

From Abu Sa'id Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Sinan al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him.

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ

That the Prophet of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said:

كَانَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ

There were among those who were before you.

رَجُلٌ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَ تِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا

A man killed ninety-nine people.

فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ

So he asked about the most learned of the people of the earth.

فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَاهِبٍ

So he was directed to a monk.

فَأَتَاهُ

Then he went to him.

فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ أَنْفُسًا

He said, "Indeed, he killed ninety-nine people."

فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ

Is there any repentance for him?

فَقَالَ لَا

He then said, "No."

فَقَتَلهُ فَكَمَّلَ بهِ مئَةً

So he killed him, bringing the total to one hundred.

ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ

Then he asked about the most learned person on earth.

فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عَالِمٍ

Then he pointed to a learned man.

فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ

Then he said, 'He killed one hundred people.'

فَهَلْ لَهُ مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ

So is there repentance for him?

فَقَالَ نَعَمْ

He said, "Yes."

وَمَنْ يَحُوْلُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ

And who could come between him and repentance?

انْطَلِقْ إِلى أرضِ كَذَا وكَذَا

Set out for such-and-such a land.

فَإِنَّ بِهَا أُنَاسًا يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى

Indeed, there are people in it who worship Allah, the Exalted.

فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مَعَهُمْ

So worship Allah with them.

وَلَا تَرْجِعْ إِلَى أَرْضِكَ

Do not return to your land.

فَإِنَّهَا أرضُ سُوءٍ

For it is an evil land.

فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى إِذَا نَصَفَ الطَّرِيقَ

Then he set out and continued until he reached the middle of the road.

أَتَاهُ الْمَوْتُ

Death came to him.

فَإِخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الْرَّحْمَةِ

Then the angels of mercy disputed over him.

وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ

And the angels of punishment.

فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ

Then the angels of mercy said:

جَاءَ تَائِبًا

He came repentant.

مُقْبِلًا بِقَلبِهِ إِلى اللهِ تَعَالَى

with his heart turned to God the Exalted,

وَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ

And the angels of punishment said:

إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ

He never did any good at all.

فَأَتَاهُمْ مَلَكٌ فِي صورَةِ آدَمِيٍّ

Then an angel came to them in the form of a human.

فَجَعَلُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ أيْ حَكَمًا

So they appointed him a judge among them.

فَقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَ الْأَرْضَيْنِ

He said, "Measure what is between the two lands."

فَإِلَى أَيِّهِمَا كَانَ أَدْنَىٰ فَهُوَ لَهُ

So whichever of the two he was nearer to, it belonged to him.

فَقَاسُوا فَوَجَدُوهُ

So they measured and found him.

أَدْنَى إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ

nearer to the ground that he intended,

فَقَبَضَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحمةِ

Then the angels of mercy seized him.

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فِي الصَّحِيحِ

And in a narration in the authentic collection:

فَكَانَ إِلَى الْقَرِيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ أَقْرَبَ بِشِبْرٍ فَجُعِلَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا

So he was an inch closer to the righteous village and was made one of its people.

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فِي الصَّحِيحِ

And in a narration in the authentic collection:

فَأَوحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلى هذِهِ أَنْ تَبَاعَدِيِ

So Allah, the Exalted, revealed to this one, "Keep your distance."

وإِلَى هذِهِ أَنْ تَقَرَّبِي

And to this one, "Draw near."

وَقَالَ قِيسُوا مَا بَيْنَهُمَا

And he said, "Measure what is between the two of them."

فَوَجَدُوهُ إِلَى هَذِهِ أَقْرَبَ بِشِبْرٍ فَغُفِرَ لَهُ

They found him closer to this one by a finger's breadth, and he was forgiven.

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ

And in a narration:

فَنَأى بصَدْرِهِ نَحْوَهَا

Then he turned his chest toward her.

وَعَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ خَادِمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ

And from Abu Hamza, Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari, the servant of the Messenger of God.

صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ

May Allah bless him and grant him peace; may Allah be pleased with him, said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings upon him and grant him peace:

اللَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ

God rejoices most at the repentance of His servant.

مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ

from one of you

سَقَطَ عَلَى بَعِيرهِ

He fell onto his camel.

وَقَدْ أَضَلَّهُ فِي أَرْضٍ فَلَاةٍ

And he had led him astray in a desolate land.

وَفِي رِوَايَةِ لِمُسْلِمِ

And in a narration by Muslim:

لِلَّهِ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ

For God is more joyful in the repentance of His servant

حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ

When he repents to Him from one of you.

كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَاةٍ

He was on his mount in a land of desolation,

فَ إِنْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ

Then it ran away from him.

وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ

And on it were his food and his drink.

فَأَيْسَ مِنْهَا

So he despaired of it,

فَأَتى شَجَرَةً

Then he came to a tree.

فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا

Then he lay down in its shade.

وَقَدْ أَيْئَسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ

And he had already despaired of his departure.

فَبَينَما هُوَ كَذَلِكَ

While he was like that.

إِذْ هُوَ بِهَا قَائِمَةٌ عِنْدَهُ

Just then it stood beside him,

فَأَخَذَ بِخِطامِهَا

Then he seized its bridle.

ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ

Then, out of overwhelming joy, he said:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ عَبْدِي وَأَنَا رَبُّكَ

O Allah, you are my servant and I am your Lord!

أَخْطَأَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ

He made a mistake out of overwhelming joy.