Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
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السيوطي:٢٢١٦a

"إذا عمْلتَ سيئةً فأَتْبِعْها حسنةً تمْحُها قيل: يا رسول الله! مِنَ الحسناتِ لا إِلهَ إلَّا الله؟ قال: هي أفْضَلُ الحسناتِ" .  

[حم] أحمد عن أبي ذر

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Aḥmad's Zuhd
ahmad:21487Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shimr b. ʿAṭiyyah > Ashyākhihiʿan Abū Dhar

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, advise me." He said, "If you commit a sin, follow it with a good deed to erase it." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, are good deeds sufficient to enter Paradise?" He said, "They are the best of deeds."  

أحمد:٢١٤٨٧حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شِمْرِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنِ أَشْيَاخِهِعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ إِذَا عَمِلْتَ سَيِّئَةً فَأَتْبِعْهَا حَسَنَةً تَمْحُهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَمِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ؟ قَالَ هِيَ أَفْضَلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ  

ahmad-zuhd:143ʿAbdullāh from my father > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shimr b. ʿAṭiyyah > Ashyākhih > Abū Dhar

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, advise me." He said, "If you do a bad deed, follow it with a good deed which will erase it." He said, I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what about good deeds?" He said, "There is no god but Allah, it is the best of good deeds."  

الزهد لأحمد:١٤٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شِمْرِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَشْيَاخِهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ ؓ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ «إِذَا عَمِلْتَ سَيِّئَةً فَأَتْبِعْهَا حَسَنَةً تَمْحُهَا» قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ» قَالَ «هِيَ أَفْضَلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ»