Ibrahim's Vision, and Three Kinds of People

It is said of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) that, in that spiritual realm called ʿālam al-malakūt, he saw a person committing zinā and at once asked Allah (swt) to destroy so despicable a sinner. He then saw another drinking alcohol and asked the same, calling it an act of defiance deserving destruction. He saw a third committing theft and said the same again. Allah (swt) told him: O Ibrāhīm, take it easy — these are My servants, this is their nature, this is what they do. Human beings, He said, fall into three kinds: some, as soon as they sin, remember Him and come to their senses, making tawbah, and their tawbah is accepted at once. Others do not make tawbah, and remain unjust to themselves, yet because of some good deed done, perhaps in the past, or through their own descendants, righteous people, ʿābidīn, will still arise from their line who worship Him and make tawbah in their stead. And others insist on neither believing in Him nor making tawbah at all, and these, as an act of justice and fairness, will be punished on the Day of Judgement. But, Allah (swt) told Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), leave them be — the matter is not settled for anyone until his last breath, or until the sun rises from the west. The door of tawbah is open to everyone; no one should ever be judged, or belittled, for sinning, when his desires have simply overcome him.