968 — “If you had no sins for Allah to forgive, Allah would bring a people who had sins for Him to forgive.”

Muslim (8/94) narrated it through Muhammad ibn Kaʿb al-Qurazi, from Abu Sirmah, from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He also narrated it through another route from Abu Sirmah with the wording: “Were you not to sin.” It will come, Allah willing, under no. 1963. It is also corroborated by a hadith from Abu Hurayrah with the wording: “If you did not err, Allah would bring a people who erred, and forgive them.”

969 — “If you did not err, Allah would bring a people who erred, and forgive them.”

Al-Hakim (4/246) narrated it from ʿAmr ibn al-Harith, who said that Darraj narrated to him from Ibn Hujayrah, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

I say: Darraj has been criticized. In al-Taqrib it states: “Truthful, but weak in his narrations from Abu al-Haytham.”

I say: Thus, it is good, Allah Most High willing, in view of the preceding and forthcoming corroborating reports—especially since it has another route from Abu Hurayrah with the wording: “If you were—or he said: if you remained—in every state as you are when with me, the angels would shake hands with you and visit you in your homes. And if you did not sin, Allah would bring a people who sinned, so that He might forgive them.” Ibn al-Mubarak narrated it in al-Zuhd (Asceticism) (1075), as did al-Tayalisi (p. 337, no.