Mukhtasar Bukhari

Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): He said, "There was a man among the Children of Israel who had killed ninety-nine (99) people (unjustly). Then (feeling remorseful) he set out to ask about the matter, so he came to a monk (priest) and asked him, 'Can my repentance be accepted?' He replied, 'No.' So the man killed that priest as well. Then he continued to ask about the matter until another man (another priest) told him, 'Go to such-and-such a town.' On the way, death overtook him. (As he was dying,) he turned his chest towards that town. Now the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment began to dispute over him. So Allah Almighty commanded (the town) to which he was going (for repentance) to come closer to him, and commanded the town from which he had left to move farther away from him. Then He said to the angels, 'Measure the distance between the two towns from where he died.' It was found that he was a handspan closer to the town he was heading for repentance, so he was forgiven."