Sunan Abi Dawud 4901
Narrated AbuHurayrah: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There were two men among Banu Isra’il, who were striving for the same goal. One of them would commit sin and the other would strive to do his best in the world. The man who exerted himself in worship continued to see the other in sin. He would say: Refrain from it. One day he found him in sin and said to him: Refrain from it. He said: Leave me alone with my Lord. Have you been sent as a watchman over me? He said: I swear by Allah, Allah will not forgive you, nor will he admit you to Paradise. Then their souls were taken back (by Allah), and they met together with the Lord of the worlds. He (Allah) said to this man who had striven hard in worship; Had you knowledge about Me or had you power over that which I had in My hand? He said to the man who sinned: Go and enter Paradise by My mercy. He said about the other: Take him to Hell. AbuHurayrah said: By Him in Whose hand my soul is, he spoke a word by which this world and the next world of his were destroyed.
- The hadith narrates a story of two men from the Banu Isra’il who were striving for the same goal. One of them committed sins while the other exerted himself in worship. The man who was striving in worship would advise the other to refrain from sin, but one day, he told him that Allah would not forgive him and that he would not enter Paradise. Later, both of their souls were taken by Allah and they met with Him. Allah asked the man who was striving in worship if he had knowledge about Him or power over what He had in His hand. Allah then told the man who sinned to enter Paradise by His mercy, and the other man was sent to Hell. The hadith emphasizes the importance of not judging others and leaving the ultimate judgment to Allah, as only He knows what is truly in a person’s heart.
