Among those who lived before you, there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was guided to a monk. When he went to him, he informed him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked if his repentance could be accepted. The monk replied in the negative, so the man killed him

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that among those nations that lived before there was a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He regretted what he had done and asked to be guided to the most knowledgeable of people to see if his repentance could be accepted. He found a worshiper, with little knowledge, who felt that the man’s sin was too serious to be forgiven, so told him: Your repentance is not going to be accepted. The man got angry and killed the monk.

Then, he once again asked of the most knowledgeable of people. He found a scholar who assured him that no one could stand between him and repentance. Moreover, he advised him to travel to a certain village, where people were devoted to worshiping Allah, and to leave his own village, which apparently was a land of disbelief. The man listened to the scholar’s advice and started his journey to the of believers, when he was in the middle of the way, death approached him.

Here, a dispute arose between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. Allah sent them another angel to settle that dispute. He suggested measuring the distance between the man and both villages and if he was found closer to the land of disbelief, then his soul should be taken by the angels of punishment. and if he was found closer to the land of faith, then the angels of mercy should take his soul.

Finally, the man was found one span closer to the land of faith and thus his soul was taken by the angels of mercy.