The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah rejoices more at the repentance of His servant who has gone to excess against himself than a man who travels through a desolate, perilous wasteland. When he reaches its midst, his mount wanders off. He searches for it right and left until he is exhausted, or has given up hope of finding it, and is certain he is going to perish. Then he looks and finds it in a place where he had no hope of finding it. Allah rejoices more at the repentance of His wayward servant than that man rejoices over his mount when he finds it."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: الله أفرح بتوبة عبده الذي قد أسرف على نفسه من رجل سافر في أرض فلاة معطبة مهلكة، فلما توسط أضل راحلته، فسعى في بغائها يمينا وشمالا حتى أعيي، أو أيس- منها، وظن أن قد هلك، نظر فوجدها في مكان لم يكن يرجو أن يجدها، فالله عز وجل أفرح بتوبة عبده المسرف من ذلك الرجل براحلته حين وجدها.
Abu Yaala (6285) narrated it from Ibrahim bin Saeed, who said, Abu Usama narrated to us, Burayd bin Abdullah narrated to us, from Abu Burda, from Abu Musa, and he related it. Its chain is sahih. Haythami said in Majma (10/196), "Abu Yaala narrated it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih."With a similar meaning is what was narrated from Abu Saeed, who said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah is more joyful at the repentance of His servant than a man who lost his mount in a barren land and searched for it until, exhausted, he lay down and covered himself with his garment. While he was in that state, he suddenly heard the sound of the mount where he had lost it, so he uncovered his face, and there it was, his mount."Ibn Majah (4249) and Ahmad (11791) both narrated it through the route of Fudayl bin Marzuk, from Atiya, from Abu Saeed, and he related it. Its chain contains Atiya, who is Ibn Saad Awfi, and he is daif when he narrates alone.