A man of many sins who sought Allah’s forgiveness - a reminder of mercy

As-salāmu ʿalaykum. I wanted to share a simple story passed down from the time before Islam that really moved me - it reminds me not to lose hope in Allah’s mercy. There was once a man among the people of Bani Israel who had a very dark past: he had killed 99 people. Guilt ate at him and he wondered if sincere repentance could ever reach Allah. One day he left his home looking for guidance and met a pious monk. The man asked if repentance could be accepted. The monk, surprised and perhaps mistaken about the nature of divine mercy, told him plainly, “No, there’s no hope for you.” In a fit of despair and anger the man killed the monk too, and now his count became 100. Still driven by a yearning to turn back to Allah, he continued traveling until he found a wise and compassionate scholar. He again asked if he could repent. The scholar answered kindly, “Yes. Go to that village over there where people worship Allah. Live among them, pray with them, and do not return to your old land, for it was a place of evil for you.” So he set out for that village. On the road, as his life was leaving him, he made a final effort and turned his body toward the village he intended to reach. At that moment there was a disagreement between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment about whose claim was right. Allah, in His wisdom, caused the village of mercy to be brought nearer and the other village to be set farther away, then measured the distance. He was a handspan closer to the place of repentance, and the angels of mercy took his soul. This event shows how vast Allah’s forgiveness is and that sincere repentance, paired with a real intention to change, can erase even the greatest of sins. It teaches us never to despair of Allah’s mercy and always to turn back to Him with humility and hope. May Allah make us among those who repent sincerely. Remember His words: “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’” [39:53]