By the One in Whose hand my soul is, if you were not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, who would then forgive them

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, were you not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah would forgive them". [Muslim].

وعنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ “والذي نفسي بيده لو لم تذنبوا، لذهب الله بكم، ولجاء بقوم يذنبون، فيستغفرون الله تعالى، فيغفر لهم” ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them." [Muslim].

"‏والذي نفسي بيده لو لم تذنبوا، لذهب الله تعالى بكم، ولجاء بقوم يذنبون فيستغفرون الله تعالى فيغفر لهم‏"

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, if you had not sinned God would have removed you and brought a people who sin, then ask God’s pardon and are forgiven." Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in Dhikr, the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzhalah, time and time

Abu Rib‘i Hanzhalah ibn Ar-Rabī‘ al-Usaydi, one of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported: I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: 'How are you?' I said: 'Hanzhalah has turned into a hypocrite.' He said: 'Glory be to Allah…

وعن أبي ربعي حنظلة بن الربيع الأسيدى الكاتب أحد كتاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ لقيني أبو بكر رضي الله عنه فقال‏:‏ كيف أنت يا حنظلة‏؟‏ قلت‏:‏ نافق حنظلة‏؟‏ قلت‏:‏ نافق حنظلة ‍‍‏(‏ قال‏:‏ سبحان الله ما تقول‏؟‏…

+ 5 other versions Explained

when death reached him, he said: “I have concealed something I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: ‘If you did not sin, Allah would create a creation that would sin, so He will forgive them.’”

"‏ لَوْلاَ أَنَّكُمْ تُذْنِبُونَ لَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ خَلْقًا يُذْنِبُونَ وَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Ayyūb al-Ansāri + 2 other versions

If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon.

لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبٌ يَغْفِرُهَا اللَّهُ لَكُمْ لَجَاءَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ لَهُمْ ذُنُوبٌ يَغْفِرُهَا لَهُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Ayyūb al-Ansāri

We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he delivered to us a sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my house and began to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon…

سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً وَلَوْ كَانَتْ تَكُونُ قُلُوبُكُمْ كَمَا تَكُونُ عِنْدَ الذِّكْرِ لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ حَتَّى تُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الطُّرُقِ ‏"

Narrated by Hanzala al-Kātib at-Tamīmī al-Usayyidī

“What is wrong with you, O Hanzalah?” He replied: “Hanzalah has become a hypocrite O Abu Bakr! When we are with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) we remember the Fire and Paradise as if we are looking at them with the naked eye. But when we return we busy ourselves with our wives and livelihood and we…

لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّذِي تَقُومُونَ بِهَا مِنْ عِنْدِي لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ فِي مَجَالِسِكُمْ وَفِي طُرُقِكُمْ وَعَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated by Hanzala al-Kātib at-Tamīmī al-Usayyidī

"If you would (always) be as you are with me, then the angels would shade you with their wings." Other chains report similar narrations.

"‏ لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ تَكُونُونَ كَمَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِي لأَظَلَّتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا ‏"

Narrated by Hanzala al-Kātib at-Tamīmī al-Usayyidī