In short: A man from the Children of Israel had killed ninety-nine people. He went looking for a way to repent, and was told to travel to another town. He died on the way, and Allah forgave him because he was found closer to the town he was heading to (Sahih al-Bukhari 3470).
The story
The Prophet ﷺ told of a man who had killed ninety-nine people. He asked a monk whether he could still repent. The monk said no, so the man killed him too. He kept asking until someone told him to go to a certain town.
He set out, but death reached him on the road. As he was dying, he turned his chest towards the town he was walking to. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. Allah commanded the land to draw nearer on one side and further on the other, and told the angels to measure. He was found one hand-span closer to the town he was heading for, and he was forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 3470; a longer version is in Sahih Muslim 2766).
What we can take from it
- Do not let anyone tell you the door is closed. Allah says: “Do not despair of the mercy of Allah” (Quran 39:53).
- The direction you are walking in matters. He did not arrive; he was forgiven while on his way.
- Leave the place that keeps you in sin. He was told to go to a town where people worshipped Allah.