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Riyad as-SalihinThe Book of Miscellany

Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave than one of you is with finding his riding camel after having lost it in a desert

Chapter: Repentance

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Riyad as-Salihin 15

Narrator:Anas ibn Mālik

وعن أبي حمزة أنس بن مالك الأنصارى خادم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏"‏ لله أفرح بتوبة عبده من أحدكم سقط على بعيره وقد أضله في أرض فلاة ‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏
وفى رواية لمسلم‏:‏ لله أشد فرحا بتوبة عبده حين يتوب إليه من أحدكم كان على راحلته بأرض فلاة، فانفلتت منه وعليها طعامه وشرابه فأيس منها، فأتى شجرة فاضطجع في ظلها، وقد أيس من راحلته، فبينما هو كذلك إذا هو بها، قائمة عنده ، فأخذ بخطامها ثم قال من شدة الفرح‏:‏ اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربك، أخطأ من شدة الفرح‏"‏‏.‏

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave than one of you is with finding his riding camel after having lost it in a desert."

Another narration reads: "Verily, Allah is happier with the repentance of His slave when he turns in repentance to Him than one of you who was on his camel in a desert and it got lost and was carrying his provision of food and drink. He, having lost all hope (of finding it), lies down in the shade of a tree feeling hopeless; when all of a sudden he finds it (his camel) standing before him. He takes hold of its reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!' He makes this mistake out of extreme joy."

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 6309) and Muslim (No. 2747a). Cited in Riyad as-Salihin (No. 15).

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Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that Allah is extremely pleased with His slave's return to Him by obeying Him and fulfilling His commands, sincerely from his heart. His pleasure is more than the pleasure of a person who was in a desert with no one around him – no water, food, or people – and he lost his camel. He looked for it but failed to find it. So he went to lie under a tree awaiting death. He lost hope in finding his camel and lost hope in life, for his food and drink were on the back of his lost camel. Then suddenly, in this state of hopelessness, he finds his camel right in front of him, its reins attached to the same tree he slept beneath. What is comparable to such happiness? No one can truly relate to such joy except one who was in the same situation. Indeed, it is great joy; joy of life after death. For this reason he took hold of its reins and cried, "O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!" He wanted to praise Allah saying: "O Allah, You are my Lord and I am Your slave!" but due to his extreme joy, he confused his words.

Explanation in Arabic

يخبر صلى الله عليه وسلم أن الله أشد فرحًا برجوع عبده إليه بطاعته وامتثال أمره مخلصا من قلبه، من فرح أحدكم كان في أرض فلاة، ليس حوله أحد، لا ماء ولا طعام ولا أناس، وضاع بعيره، فجعل يطلبه فلم يجده، فذهب إلى شجرة ونام تحتها ينتظر الموت! قد أيس من بعيره، وأيس من حياته؛ لأن طعامه وشرابه على بعيره، والبعير قد ضاع، فبينما هو كذلك وجد بعيره فجأة عنده قد تعلق خطامه بالشجرة التي هو نائم تحتها، فبأي شيء يقدر هذا الفرح؟ هذا الفرح لا يمكن أن يتصوره أحد إلا من وقع في مثل هذه الحال! لأنه فرح عظيم، فرح بالحياة بعد الموت، ولهذا أخذ بالخطام، وقال: "اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربك"! أراد أن يثني على الله فيقول: "اللهم أنت ربي وأنا عبدك" لكن من شدة فرحه أخطأ.

  • إثبات صفة الفرح لله -عز وجل- على ما يليق بجلال الله سبحانه.
  • رحمة الله تعالى بعباده بقبول توبتهم، وحبه إياهم.
  • الترغيب في التوبة والحث عليها.
  • عدم المؤاخذة في الخطأ غير المتعمد.
  • الحض على محاسبة النفس.
  • جواز استعمال ضرب المثل لتقريب المعنى في التعليم، اقتداء بالنبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-.
  • جواز القسم للتأكيد على ما فيه فائدة ومصلحة.

Scholars’ grades

Original grading term, without a named scholar: صحيح

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2747a

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat)…

لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Mishkat al-Masabih 2332

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, "God is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be if his riding-beast which was carrying his food and drink escaped from him in a waterless desert and he, despairing of recovering it, went…

" لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كانَ رَاحِلَتُهُ بِأَرْضٍ فَلَاةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Also reported by… (6)
  • الفقيه والمتفقه للخطيب (578)لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ، وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا وَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ ، فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ ، إِذَا
  • تغليق التعليق لابن حجر (2119)لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ
  • شرح السنة (1289)لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَتْ رَاحِلَتُهُ بِأَرْضِ فَلاةٍ ، فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ ، وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ ، فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا ، فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً ، فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ
  • مسند أبي يعلى الموصلي (1692)لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ
  • معالم التنزيل تفسير البغوي (1060)للَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ فَلاةٍ ، فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ ، وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ ، فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا ، فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً ، فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا ، وَقَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَ
  • معجم ابن المقرئ (534)لَلَّهُ تَعَالَى أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ ، فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ آيَسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ ، فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ ، إِذَا هُوَ بِهَا قَائِمَةً عِنْدَهُ ، فَقَامَ فَأَخَذَ بِخِطَامِهَا

On the same subject

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2744a

I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allahs Messenger (ﷺ). He heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink…

لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ فِي أَرْضٍ دَوِيَّةٍ مَهْلَكَةٍ مَعَهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَنَامَ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى أَدْرَكَهُ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 2 other versions

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2746

What is your opinion about the delight of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon the waterless desert in which there is neither food nor drink, and lie wanders about in search of that until he is completely…

كَيْفَ تَقُولُونَ بِفَرَحِ رَجُلٍ انْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ تَجُرُّ زِمَامَهَا بِأَرْضٍ قَفْرٍ لَيْسَ بِهَا طَعَامٌ وَلاَ شَرَابٌ وَعَلَيْهَا لَهُ طَعَامٌ وَشَرَابٌ فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى شَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ…

Narrated by Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib + 1 other version

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2747b

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than if one of you gets up and he finds his camel missing in a waterless desert (and then he accidentally finds it). This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.

لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ قَدْ أَضَلَّهُ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ ‏"

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 1 other version

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 6308

`Abdullah bin Mas`ud related to us two narrations: One from the Prophet (ﷺ) and the other from himself, saying: A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which, he is afraid, may fall on him; whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he…

لَلَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ نَزَلَ مَنْزِلاً، وَبِهِ مَهْلَكَةٌ، وَمَعَهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ، فَوَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَنَامَ نَوْمَةً، فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ رَاحِلَتُهُ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2745

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing servant than of a person who set out on a journey with a provision of food and drink on the back of his camel. He went on until he came to a waterless desert and he felt like sleeping. So he got down under the shade of a tree and was overcome…

لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ حَمَلَ زَادَهُ وَمَزَادَهُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ ثُمَّ سَارَ حَتَّى كَانَ بِفَلاَةٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ فَأَدْرَكَتْهُ الْقَائِلَةُ فَنَزَلَ فَقَالَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَغَلَبَتْهُ…

Narrated by An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr

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