The Hadith
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah said that Allah said:
“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you for what you have done, and I do not mind.
O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you sought My forgiveness, I would forgive you.
O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then meet Me not associating anything with Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”
Reference
Reported by at-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith.
Explanation (From Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan)
This hadith is a hadith qudsi, meaning that the Prophet relates words from his Lord.
In it, Allah addresses the children of Adam and clarifies the vastness of His mercy and forgiveness.
Allah explains that when a servant calls upon Him and places hope in His mercy, Allah forgives the servant’s sins.
Allah also states that even if a person’s sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, He would forgive him if he seeks forgiveness.
Finally, Allah explains that if a servant comes with sins as great as the earth but meets Allah without associating partners with Him, Allah will grant forgiveness equal to those sins.
This shows the greatness of Allah’s forgiveness for the one who turns to Him while maintaining tawhid.
References
The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith: Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan. Dar Makkah International.
Verified on 2026-10-21 against: The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith (Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan), Hadith 42.