The Prophet ﷺ reported, narrating from his Lord , that He said:A servant committed a sin and said, "O Allah, forgive me my sin."Allah
said, "My servant has committed a sin and has come to know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds people accountable for them."Then he returned and sinned again, and said, "My Lord, forgive me my sin."Allah
said, "My servant has committed a sin and has come to know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds people accountable for them."Then he returned and sinned again, and said, "My Lord, forgive me my sin."Allah
said, "My servant has committed a sin and has come to know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds people accountable for them. Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you."Abdul-Ala, one of the narrators of the hadith, said, "I do not know whether He said on the third or the fourth occasion, 'Do as you wish.'"
عن النبي ﷺ، فيما يحكي عن ربه عز وجل، قال: أذنب عبد ذنبا، فقال: اللهم اغفر لي ذنبي، فقال تبارك وتعالى: أذنب عبدي ذنبا، فعلم أن له ربا يغفر الذنب، ويأخذ بالذنب، ثم عاد فأذنب، فقال: أي رب اغفر لي ذنبي، فقال تبارك وتعالى: عبدي أذنب ذنبا، فعلم أن له ربا يغفر الذنب، ويأخذ بالذنب، ثم عاد فأذنب فقال: أي رب اغفر لي ذنبي، فقال تبارك وتعالى: أذنب عبدي ذنبا، فعلم أن له ربا يغفر الذنب، ويأخذ بالذنب، اعمل ما شئت فقد غفرت لك قال عبد الأعلى (أحد رواة الحديث): لا أدري أقال في الثالثة أو الرابعة: اعمل ما شئت.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of Repentance (2758), from Abdul-Ala bin Hammad, who said, Hammad bin Salama narrated to us, from Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abu Talha, from Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Amra, from Abu Hurairah, who said, and then he related it.Bukhari also narrated it in the Book of Monotheism (7507), and Muslim in the Book of Repentance (2758:30), both of them through Hammam, who said, Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abu Talha narrated to us, saying, I heard Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Amra say, I heard Abu Hurairah say, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "A servant committed a sin," with the same meaning as the hadith of Hammad bin Salama, mentioning "committed a sin" three times, and in the third instance, "I have forgiven My servant, so let him do as he wishes."