Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be on finding the lost camel.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira رضی اللہ عنہ through another chain of transmitters.

I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ). He heard Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) 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. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink).

And he said: "...then a man in a desolate land."

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.

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 by sleep and his camel ran away. As he got up he tried to see (the camel) standing upon a mound. but did not find it. He then got upon the other mound, but could not see anything. He then climbed upon the third mound but did not see anything until he came back to the place where he had been previously. And as he was sitting (in utter disappointment) there came to him the camel, till that (camel) placed its nosestring in his hand. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the person who found (his lost camel) in this very state. Simak reported that Sha'bi was of the opinion that Nu'min traced it to Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ). Simak, however, did not hear that himself.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying that Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: 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 exhausted and then accidentally it happens to pass by the trunk of a tree and its nosestring gets entangled in that and he finds it entangled therein? He (in response to the question of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel. Jafar said: "Ubaidullah bin Iyad narrated form his father."

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) said: 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 that) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: O Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: 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 bin Malik رضی اللہ عنہ through another chain of transmitters.

When the time of the death of Abu Ayyub Ansari رضی اللہ عنہ drew near, he said: I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) and I heard Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) said: 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.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.

I met Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ . He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ ) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ went to Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.

We were in the company of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) 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 he said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said Show respite. And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said: I have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum.

We were in the presence of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) and he brought to our minds the problems pertaining to Paradise and Hell-Fire. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: My mercy excels My wrath.

Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌) as saying: When Allah created the creation, He ordained for Himself and this document is with Him: Verily, My mercy predominates Mv wrath.