44 – Muḥammad ibn Yazīd al-Ādamī narrated to me; Abū Mushir narrated to us; Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz narrated, from Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, from a man of the family of Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim, from Abū Qatādah, who traced it back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said:

“Allah said to the angels, ‘Shall I inform you about two servants from the Children of Israel? As for one of them, the Children of Israel consider him the better of the two in religion, knowledge, and character; the other they see as a man who has greatly wronged himself. When the first heard his companion mentioned, he said, “Allah will never forgive him.” Allah said, “Do you not know that I am the Most Merciful of those who show mercy? Do you not know that My mercy has outstripped My wrath? I have decreed mercy for this man and punishment for that one.”’

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, “So do not presume to speak for Allah.”