There is no chance for repentance for you. He killed the monk also and then began to make an inquiry and moved from one village to another village where there lived pious persons, and as he had covered some distance, he was overtaken by death, but he managed to crawl upon his chest (to the side nearer to the place where the pious men lived). He died and then there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment and (when it was measured) he was found to be nearer to the village where pious persons were living equal to the Space of a span and he was thus included among them.
The Book of Repentance - Sahih Muslim 2766b
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. This profound narration from Sahih Muslim reveals the boundless mercy of Allah towards His servants and demonstrates that sincere repentance is accepted until the very moment of death, provided the heart turns towards righteousness.
Commentary on the Narrative
This hadith illustrates that Allah's mercy encompasses all things and that He accepts the sincere intention of His servants, even when their physical actions are incomplete. The man who committed grave sins - including murder - demonstrated genuine remorse and sought proximity to righteous people in his final moments.
The measurement of distance symbolizes the spiritual orientation of the heart. Though physically distant from the pious community, his sincere intention to reach them was counted as if he had actually arrived. This teaches us that Allah judges by the intentions in our hearts rather than merely our outward circumstances.
Scholarly Insights
The dispute between the angels of mercy and punishment reflects the divine justice wherein every soul is judged according to its final state. The man's sincere turning toward righteousness in his last breath transformed his spiritual state entirely.
This narration emphasizes that no one should despair of Allah's mercy, regardless of the magnitude of their sins. The door of repentance remains open as long as the soul has not reached the throat at the moment of death, and sincere intention is sufficient for Allah's acceptance.
The scholars explain that this incident serves as a powerful reminder that our final actions and intentions determine our ultimate fate in the hereafter, and that Allah's mercy can transform even the most seemingly hopeless situations.