A wonderful example of Allah's forgiveness

A wonderful example of Allah's forgiveness

In support of his opinion, Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه has cited a famous incident narrated in the Hadith about a murderer who had committed ninety-nine murders. After having committed these horrible sins, he became worried about the punishment of the Hereafter. In order to find a way out of this predicament he visited a Christian Monk and informed him about his sin of ninety-nine murders. He asked him if there was any way out for him. The Monk told him that there was none and that he had totally ruined himself. This reply added to the man's dejection. In his great dejection he killed this Monk also. thus raising the number of his murders to one hundred. As the man was determined to find some way out for himself, he called upon another godly saint and related to him his harrowing tale. This saint , convinced the murderer that there was nothing at all to feel dejected for. He advised the sinner first to repent for his sins, leave the place for another village and stay there. as it was the abode of righteous men. Their company would benefit him. As he had repented for his sins, he set off for that village, as he had been advised to do.

While he was still on the way, death overtook him. It occurs in narrative that even in his struggle for life and death, he tried to take himself nearer and nearer to the place of his destination by dragging himself in that direction on his chest. At last he died and the Angles of mercy and the Angels of punishment both reached the spot to get hold of the man's soul. A dispute arose between the two. The Angels of mercy argued that they would take the man's soul with them, as he had repented for his sins and was going to the village of righteous men. The Angels of  punishment argued that it was their right to get the man's soul, as he had murdered one hundred men and had not yet been granted forgiveness. To settle this dispute Almighty Allah decided that it should be seen whether at the time of death the man was nearer to the village from which he had started or to the village of the righteous men to which he was going. When the distance travelled was measured it was found that he was nearer to the village to which he was going. His soul was therefore handed over to the Angels of mercy. Almighty Allah forgave the sin of murdering one hundred men, by virtue of his sincere effort for salvation. (Sahi Muslim Hadith NO 2766)

Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه, has further said that although the man had rights of the servants of Allah outstanding against him, yet Allah granted him salvation by virtue of the sincere efforts he made for it. This story contains the analogy of a man who offers repentance and starts his efforts to pay the rights of the servants of Allah outstanding against him, but in the meantime death overtakes him. It can be said on the basis of this analogy that Allah will, by His mercy, grant salvation even to such a murderer and make his claimants satisfied and agreeable to forgo their rights against the man. This will come to pass on account of Allah's infinite mercy.

Thus, it is necessary to offer these two categories of Taubah

(i) Tazlbah in brief.

(ii) Taubah in detail.