Ibn Mas’ud on Charity: Monk forgiven for adultery due to his charity

Abu al-Zar’a reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “A monk worshiped Allah in his hermitage for sixty years. Then a woman came and laid down at his side, so he laid down with her and was intimate (in adultery) with her for six nights. He became regretful and he fled. He arrived at a mosque and sought refuge in it and remained inside for three days without eating anything. He was given a loaf of bread, so he broke it into two halves and gave half to the man on his right and half to the man on his left. Allah sent to him the angel of death to take hold of his soul. The angel placed his deeds of sixty years upon one side of the scale and he placed the six nights on the other side, yet the six nights outweighed it. Then, he placed the loaf of bread on the scale and it outweighed the six nights.”

Source: Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah 33523

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

عَنْ أَبِي الزَّعْرَاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَاهِبًا عَبَدَ اللَّهَ فِي صَوْمَعَتِهِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً , فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَنَزَلَتْ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهَا فَوَاقَعَهَا سِتَّ لَيَالٍ ثُمَّ سَقَطَ فِي يَدِهِ فَهَرَبَ فَأَتَى مَسْجِدًا فَأَوَى إِلَيْهِ فَمَكَثَ ثَلَاثًا لَا يَطْعَمُ شَيْئًا فَأُتِيَ بِرَغِيفٍ فَكَسَرَ نِصْفَهُ فَأَعْطَى نِصْفَهُ رَجُلًا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَأَعْطَى آخَرَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَبَضَ رُوحَهُ فَوُضِعَ عَمَلُ السِّتِّينَ سَنَةً فِي كِفَّةٍ وَوُضِعَ السَّيِّئَةُ فِي كِفَّةٍ فَرَجَحَتِ السَّيِّئَةُ ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِالرَّغِيفِ فَرَجَحَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ

33523 مصنف ابن أبي شيبة

885 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث صحيح موقوف في صحيح الترغيب