An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 42

The vastness of Allah's forgiveness

سعة مغفرة الله

A sacred hadith on the vastness of Allah's forgiveness for whoever calls on Him, hopes in Him and asks pardon.

Sahih

The hadith

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتنِي وَرَجَوْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْك وَلَا أُبَالِي، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُك عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إنَّك لَوْ أتَيْتنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتنِي لَا تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَأَتَيْتُك بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:3540]، وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Allah the Almighty has said: ‘O Son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the Earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it [too].’ ” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said that it was a hasan hadeeth

Reported by
at-Tirmidhi

Lessons

This is counted among the most hope-giving hadith: whoever calls on Allah and hopes in Him is forgiven, however great their sins. Its causes are supplication made with certainty and a present heart (40:60), seeking forgiveness with regret and resolve (3:17, 71:10-12), and above all tawhid, worshipping Allah alone (6:82). Hope must come with action, not wishful thinking. At-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih.

In practice: call on Allah with conviction, seek His forgiveness often, and never let the size of a sin stop you from turning back to Him.

Evidence

Sahih

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 42

Grades
GraderVerdict
Full narration

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتنِي وَرَجَوْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْك وَلَا أُبَالِي، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُك عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إنَّك لَوْ أتَيْتنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتنِي لَا تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَأَتَيْتُك بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:3540]، وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Allah the Almighty has said: ‘O Son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the Earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it [too].’ ” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said that it was a hasan hadeeth

Graded through the collections it is cited from below.

Sahih

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3540

Grades
GraderVerdict
Ahmad Muhammad ShakirSahih (Sahih)
Al-AlbaniSahih (Sahih)
Bashar Awad MaaroufHasan (Hasan)
Zubair Ali ZaiIsnaad Hasan (Hasan)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ فَائِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ بَكْرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيَّ، يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتَنِي لاَ تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لأَتَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.’”

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