Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 17607

Abu Qays, the freed slave of Banu Jumah, narrates: I heard Sayyiduna Abu Zam'ah al-Balawi (may Allah be pleased with him). He had the honour of taking part in the Pledge of Ridwan, and he pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) beneath the tree. One day he came to the mosque of Fustat and stood in the courtyard. It had reached him about Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was strict in certain matters, so he said: Do not be harsh with people, for I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "A man from the Children of Israel killed 97 people. Then he went to a monk and said: 'I have killed 97 people; do you find any room for repentance for me?' The monk said: 'No!' The man killed that monk as well. Then he went to another monk and said: 'I have killed 98 people; do you find any room for repentance for me?' This monk too replied: 'No!' The man killed him as well. Then he went to a third monk and said: 'I have killed 99 people, among whom were two monks; do you find any room for repentance for me?' The monk said: 'You have done an evil deed, but if I were to say that Allah Almighty is not Forgiving and Merciful, my words would be false. Repent to Allah Almighty!' The man said: 'After these words of yours, I will not part from you now.' After that he began to live with that monk, on the condition that he would not disobey him, and he kept serving him, until one day a man died who had been spoken of with censure. When that man was buried, he (the repentant killer) sat at his grave and wept greatly. Then another man passed away who had been spoken of with praise. When that man was buried, he (the repentant killer) sat at his grave and laughed a great deal. His companions objected to this. They gathered before their head and said: 'How can this man (the repentant killer) stay with you, when he has killed several people, and you have now seen what he has done?' So doubt arose concerning that man in the heart of the monk and in the hearts of his companions. On one occasion that man came to their head, and his companion was with him, and he spoke with him. The man asked the monk: 'What do you command me?' The monk said: 'Go and kindle an oven!' The man did so, then came and told the monk that he had done it. The monk said: 'Go and throw yourself into that oven!' The monk then became heedless of the man, and the man went and threw himself into the oven. Then, when the monk remembered, he said: 'I think that man has thrown himself into the oven because of what I said.' So the monk went and found that the man was alive in the oven and was sweating. The monk took him by the hand, brought him out of the oven and said: 'Now it is not fitting that you serve me; rather, now I will serve you. But tell me: why did you weep over the first man who died, and why did you laugh over the second?' The man said: 'As for the first person, when he was buried I saw the evil state being inflicted upon him, and I remembered my own sins and began to weep. As for the second person, I saw goodness being bestowed upon him, so I began to laugh.' Afterwards that man was counted among the great ones (that is, the great worshippers) of the Children of Israel."
At-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, who is da'if (weak).