He heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting from the pulpit, "And for him who fears standing before his Lord are two gardens" [Rahman 55:46].I asked, "Even if he commits adultery and even if he steals, Messenger of Allah?"The Prophet ﷺ recited a second time, "And for him who fears standing before his Lord are two gardens" [Rahman 55:46].I asked again, "Even if he commits adultery and even if he steals, Messenger of Allah?"The Prophet ﷺ recited a third time, "And for him who fears standing before his Lord are two gardens" [Rahman 55:46].I asked the third time, "Even if he commits adultery and even if he steals, Messenger of Allah?"He replied, "Yes, even if it displeases Abu Darda."
أنه سمع النبي ﷺ وهو يقص على المنبر: {ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان} فقلت: وإن زنى وإن سرق يا رسول الله؟ فقال النبي ﷺ الثانية: {ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان} فقلت في الثانية، وإن زنى وإن سرق يا رسول الله؟ فقال النبي ﷺ الثالثة: {ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان} فقلت: الثالثة: وإن زنى وإن سرق يا رسول الله؟ قال: نعم، وإن رغم أنف أبي الدرداء.
Narrated by Ahmad (8683), Nasai in Kubra (11496), and Baghawi in his Tafsir (4/292), all of them through Ismail bin Jafar, who said, Muhammad bin Abu Harmala narrated to us, from Ata bin Yasar, from Abu Darda, and he related it.Its isnad is sahih. His statement, "even if he commits adultery and even if he steals," means, then he feared and repented.