It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“A man went to extremes in committing sins. When death came to him, he left instructions to his sons, saying: ‘When I die, burn me, then grind me into powder, then scatter me in the wind and in the sea, for by Allah, if my Lord has power over me, He will subject me to a punishment that He has never subjected anyone to.’ So they did that to him, then (Allah) said to the earth: ‘Return what you have taken,’ and there he was, standing. He said to him: ‘What made you do what you have done?’ He said: ‘Fear of You, O Lord.’ So He forgave him because of that (fear).”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، قَالَ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ : أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ بِحَدِيثَيْنِ عَجِيبَيْنِ : أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ ﷺ ـ قَالَ : " أَسْرَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَوْصَى بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ : إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ ذَرُّونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَىَّ رَبِّي لَيُعَذِّبُنِي عَذَابًا مَا عَذَّبَهُ أَحَدًا . قَالَ : فَفَعَلُوا بِهِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِلأَرْضِ : أَدِّي مَا أَخَذْتِ . فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ : مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ : خَشْيَتُكَ - أَوْ مَخَافَتُكَ - يَا رَبِّ . فَغَفَرَ لَهُ لِذَلِكَ " .