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: Messenger of Allah, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ 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 بِجِذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ فَتَعَلَّقَ زِمَامُهَا فَوَجَدَهَا مُتَعَلِّقَةً بِهِ قُلْنَا شَدِيدًا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ  

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: Messenger of Allah, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel. (Using translation from Muslim 2746)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ تَقُولُونَ بِفَرَحِ رَجُلٍ انْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ تَجُرُّ زِمَامَهَا بِأَرْضٍ قَفْرٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا طَعَامٌ وَلَا شَرَابٌ وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامٌ قَالَ عَفَّانُ وَشَرَابٌ فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى شَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ بِجِذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ قَالَ عَفَّانُ بِجِذْلٍ فَتَعَلَّقَ زِمَامُهَا فَوَجَدَهَا مُعَلَّقَةً بِهِ قَالَ عَفَّانُ مُتَعَلِّقَةً بِهِ قَالَ قُلْنَا شَدِيدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَمَا وَاللهِ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ  

"كَيفَ تَقُولُونَ بِفَرَحِ رَجُلٍ انْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ تَجُرُّ زِمَامَهَا بِأَرْضٍ قَفْرٍ لَيسَ بِهَا طَعَامٌ وَلَا شَرَابٌ، وَعَلَيهَا لَهُ طَعَامٌ وَشَرَابٌ، فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى شَقَّ عَلَيهِ، ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ

بِجذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ فَتَعَلَّقَ زِمَامُهَا فَوَجَدَها مُتَعَلِّقَةً بِهِ؟ قَالُوا: شَدِيدًا يَا رَسُولَ الله. قَال: أمَّا وَالله للهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ".