Keep on sinning but on five conditions..

Once a man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham and said, “I have such a love for sinning that I cannot stop”. Ibrahim soon realised that the man was indeed so deep in sinning that it would be difficult for him to give them up. So he said to him, “Fine, you may continue sinning but you must fulfil five conditions as you sin”. The man took this as good news and then asked what the conditions were.

“First, when you sin, make sure you don’t eat any food given by Allah”

“How can I do that? All food is provided by Allah!”

“Well then how can you disobey Allah and yet eat his food?!”

“Okay, okay, what’s the next condition?”

“Secondly, when you sin, don’t do it on the land of Allah, do it on your own land.”

“That’s impossible; all land is owned by Allah!”

“So you expect to disobey Allah on his own land and continue eating his food?”

“Okay, what’s the next condition?”

“Third, when you commit a sin, go do it where Allah cannot see you”

“That too is impossible! Allah sees everything!”

“You disobey Allah on his land, eat his food and do it front of him?!”

The man began to realise his position but continued to ask the other conditions.

“The fourth this is that when the angel of death comes to take your soul, tell him to wait a minute so that you can make tawba.”

“What? The angel of death waits for nobody. He neither comes a second early nor late!”

Reality began kicking in and Ibrahim carried on.

“Lastly, when you are being thrown into jahannam, make sure you grab onto something to save yourself.”

“In jahannam there will be nothing to hold on” and the man realised his fate. Thereafter he made such sincere repentance that he went to become one of the most pious people of his time.