The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "What would you say about the joy of a man whose riding-camel has slipped away from him, dragging its reins behind it, in a barren land where there is no food or drink, while his food," (Affan added, "and drink") "is loaded upon it. He searches for it until he is utterly exhausted. Then it passes by the stump of a tree," (Affan said, "by a stump") "and its reins catch on it, and he finds it caught there." (Affan said, "hanging from it.")We said, "His joy would be immense, Messenger of Allah."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By Allah, Allah's joy at the repentance of His servant is greater than that man's joy at recovering his camel."Abu Abdul-Rahman said, Jafar bin Humayd narrated it to us, saying, Ubaydullah bin Iyad narrated to us the like of it.
قال أبو عبد الرحمن حدثناه جعفر بن حميد حدثنا عبيد الله بن إياد قال حدثنا إياد
قال رسول الله ﷺ كيف تقولون بفرح رجل انفلتت منه راحلته تجر زمامها بأرض قفر ليس فيها طعام ولا شراب وعليها طعام قال عفان وشراب فطلبها حتى شق عليه ثم مرت بجذل شجرة قال عفان بجذل فتعلق زمامها فوجدها معلقة به قال عفان متعلقة به قال قلنا شديد يا رسول الله فقال رسول الله ﷺ أما والله لله أشد فرحا بتوبة عبده من الرجل براحلته قال أبو عبد الرحمن وحدثناه جعفر بن حميد قال حدثنا عبيد الله بن إياد مثله