from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said, "Allah ﷻ said: 'I am as my servant expects of me and I am with him as he remembers me.'" ˹The 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: ˹Allah said:˺ '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 running.'"  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حَيْثُ يَذْكُرُنِي۔ وَاللَّهِ لَلَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ يَجِدُ ضَالَّتَهُ بِالْفَلاَةِ۔ وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِذَا أَقْبَلَ إِلَىَّ يَمْشِي أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ أُهَرْوِلُ۔»  

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.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ بِضَالَّتِهِ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا  

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

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمَعْنَاهُ  

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 Messenger of Allah 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. 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).  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَعُودُهُ وَهُوَ مَرِيضٌ فَحَدَّثَنَا بِحَدِيثَيْنِ حَدِيثًا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَحَدِيثًا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ فِي أَرْضٍ دَوِيَّةٍ مَهْلَكَةٍ مَعَهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَنَامَ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى أَدْرَكَهُ الْعَطَشُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَرْجِعُ إِلَى مَكَانِي الَّذِي كُنْتُ فِيهِ فَأَنَامُ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ فَوَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ عَلَى سَاعِدِهِ لِيَمُوتَ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَعِنْدَهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ وَعَلَيْهَا زَادُهُ وَطَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَاللَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ الْعَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ هَذَا بِرَاحِلَتِهِ وَزَادِهِ  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash through another chain of transmitters.  

وَقَالَ مِنْ رَجُلٍ بِدَاوِيَّةٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ  

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالآخَرُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ  

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 ﷺ. Simak, however, did not hear that himself.  

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 عَيْنُهُ وَانْسَلَّ بَعِيرُهُ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ فَسَعَى شَرَفًا فَلَمْ يَرَ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ سَعَى شَرَفًا ثَانِيًا فَلَمْ يَرَ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ سَعَى شَرَفًا ثَالِثًا فَلَمْ يَرَ شَيْئًا فَأَقْبَلَ حَتَّى أَتَى مَكَانَهُ الَّذِي قَالَ فِيهِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ قَاعِدٌ إِذْ جَاءَهُ بَعِيرُهُ يَمْشِي حَتَّى وَضَعَ خِطَامَهُ فِي يَدِهِ فَلَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ الْعَبْدِ مِنْ هَذَا حِينَ وَجَدَ بَعِيرَهُ عَلَى حَالِهِ قَالَ سِمَاكٌ فَزَعَمَ الشَّعْبِيُّ أَنَّ النُّعْمَانَ رَفَعَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَلَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ  

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  

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Verily, 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 it his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him. He having lost all hope 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 nose string and then out of boundless joy says: O Lord, You are my servant and I am your Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ: كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ، وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا۔ فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ۔ فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا هُوَ بِهَا قَائِمَةً عِنْدَهُ، فَأَخَذَ بِخِطَامِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ عَبْدِي وَأَنَا رَبُّكَ! أَخْطَأَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ۔»  

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.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ قَدْ أَضَلَّهُ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ