Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone says a hundred times in a day, “There is no god but God alone who has no partner, to whom dominion belongs, to whom praise is due, who is omnipotent”, he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred blessings recorded for him, a hundred evil deeds obliterated from him; it will be a protection for him from the devil all that day till evening, and no one will bring anything more excellent than he brings, except a man who has done more than he has. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari said: Once when we accompanied God’s messenger on a journey and the people began to say aloud, “God is most great”, he said, “Restrain yourselves, people; you are not supplicating one who is deaf or absent, but are supplicating One who hears, sees and is with you. He whom you are supplicating is nearer to each of you than the neck of his riding-beast.” Abu Musa said: I was behind him saying within myself, “There is no might and no power except in God,” and he said, “‘Abdallah b. Qais,* would you like me to guide you to one of the treasures of paradise?” On my replying that I certainly would, he said that it was, “There is no might and no power except in God.” *This is Abu Musa’s name and his father's name. He is most commonly known by his kunya. and nisba as given at the beginning of the tradition. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said that along with the Prophet (ﷺ) he once visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify God. The Prophet (ﷺ) suggested that he would tell her something which would be easier (or more excellent)* for her than that, and told her it consisted of saying, “Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He has created in the heaven; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He has created in the earth; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what is between them; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He is creating; God is most great (a similar number of times); Praise be to God (a similar number of times); There is no god but God (a similar number of times); There is no might and no power except in God (a similar number of times).” *The transmitter was not sure whether "easier" or "more excellent" was used. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying: Among the B. Isra’il there was a man who killed ninety-nine people and then went out to make enquiry. He went to a monk and asked him whether repentance would be accepted for what he had done, and when he replied that it would not, he killed him. He then began to make enquiry, and a man told him to go to such and such a village. When he was upon the point of death he arose to go towards it, and the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. God then told the one village to come near and the other to remove to a distance, and told the angels to measure the distance between them. He was found to be the distance of a span nearer to the one towards which he was going, and so he was forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

'A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, "When a servant acknowledges his sin and repents, God forgives him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger told of a man who committed a sin and said, "My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.” His Lord replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant." After remaining such time as God willed he committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.” His Lord replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant.” Then after remaining such time as God willed he committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have committed another sin, so forgive me.” He replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant, so let him do what he likes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a believer sins there is black spot in his heart, and if he repents and asks pardon his heart is polished; but if he does more it increases till it gains the ascendancy over his heart. That is the rust mentioned by God most high, 'Nay, but what they were committing has spread like rust over their hearts'.” 1 1. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 14. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Safwan b. ‘Assal reported God’s messenger as saying, “God most high has placed in the west for repentance a gate with a breadth of seventy years’ journey, and it will not be locked as long the sun does not rise in its direction. That agrees with God’s words, ‘On the day that certain of the signs of your Lord come, a soul which has not believed before will not be benefited by believing in them ’.”* *Qur’an, vi, 158 Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Asma’ daughter of Yazid said she heard God’s messenger reciting, “My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair of God’s mercy, for God pardons all sins,”* “and He does not care.” *Qur’an, xxxix, 53. Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, the latter saying this is a hasan gharib tradition. Sharh as-sunna has “saying” instead of “reciting.”

With reference to God’s words, “Except for slight faults ”* Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's messenger as saying, “If Thou forgivest, O God, Thou wilt forgive much sin, for which of Thy servants has not committed slight faults?” *Qur'an, liii, 32. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.

Abu Dharr reported God’s messenger as stating that God most high says, “My servants, all of you are astray except him whom I have guided, but if you ask me for guidance I will guide you; all of you are poor except him whom I have enriched, but if you ask of me I will give you provision; all of you are sinners except him whom I have preserved , but if any of you knows that I have power to pardon and ask my pardon I will pardon him, and I do not care; if the first and the last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, 3 had all hearts as pious as the heart of the most pious of my servants, that would not add as much as a gnat’s wing to my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, had all hearts as wretched as the heart of the most wretched of my servants, that would not diminish as much as a gnat’s wing from my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, were gathered in one plain, each one of you asking all he could hope for, and I were to grant the request of each of you who asked, that would cause no more diminution in my dominion than if one of you passed by the sea and, after dipping a needle in it, took it out, that being because I am generous and glorious, doing what I wish. My giving is speech and my punishment is speech. My command to a thing when I want it is just to say to it ‘Be’ and it comes into being.” [cf. Qur’an, xvi, 40; xxxvi, 82.] 3. i.e., young and old. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas reported that after the Prophet (ﷺ) had recited, “He is entitled to be feared and He is entitled to grant pardon,” 2 he stated that their Lord has said, “I am entitled to be feared, and to him who fears me I am entitled to grant pardon.” 2. Qur’an, lxxiv, 56. Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Thauban said that he heard God’s messenger say, "I would not give this verse for the whole world, 'My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair . . .’ ”1 A man asked whether that included those who had associated partners with God, and after remaining silent for a time the Prophet (ﷺ) said three times, “Yes, it includes even those who have associated partners with God.” 1 . Qur'an, xxxix, 53

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin.” In Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it, the latter saying its only transmitter was an-Nahrani who is unknown. In Sharh as-sunna a tradition traced no farther back than him is transmitted in which he said, “Nadam is repentance, and he who repents is like him who has committed no sin.”

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When God completed the creation He wrote the following which is with Him above His Throne, ‘My mercy has taken precedence over my anger’.” A version says, “Has prevailed over my anger.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has a hundred, mercies of which He has sent down one among jinn and men, animals and creeping things. By it they are kind to one another, by it they show mercy to one another, and by it the wild beast is kind to its young. But God has kept back ninety-nine mercies by which He will show mercy to His servants on the day of resurrection.” (Bukhari and Muslim). A version by Muslim from Salman has something similar, at the end of which he said, “When the day of resurrection comes He will complete them with this one.”

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If the believer knew the punishment God has prepared, no one would hope for His paradise; and if the infidel knew the extent of His mercy, no one would despair of attaining His paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that a man declared he had never done any good to his family. (A version says that a man had committed an excessive amount of sin), and when he was about to die gave instruction to his sons to burn him when he died and scatter half his ashes on the land and half in the sea, swearing by God that if God had him in His power He would give him such a punishment as He would give to no other in the universe. When he died they did what he had commanded them, but God gave command to the sea and it gathered what was in it, and He gave command to the land and it gathered what was in it. He then asked him, "Why did you do this?" and he replied, “From fear of Thee, my Lord, but Thou knowest best.” Then He pardoned him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Umar b. al-Khattab said that captives came to the Prophet (ﷺ) among whom was a woman whose breast was oozing with milk. She was running, and when she found a boy among the captives she took him, put him to her breast and suckled him. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to us, “Do you think this woman will cast her child into the fire?” We replied, “No, so long as is she in a position not to do so.” He said, “God is more merciful to His servants than this woman is to her child.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you will be rescued by his works.” He was asked if not even he would, and replied, “Not even I unless God covers me with His mercy; but if you keep to the straight path, are moderate, pray morning and evening and part of the night, and earnestly practise moderation, you will reach .” (Bukhari and Muslim.)