Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
The Book of Repentance - Sahih Muslim 2747a
This profound hadith from Sahih Muslim illustrates the immense divine pleasure in human repentance through a powerful desert analogy that resonates with the Arabian context.
The Desert Analogy Explained
The lost traveler represents a sinner separated from spiritual sustenance, wandering in the desert of disobedience. His provisions symbolize the spiritual nourishment lost through sin.
The moment of despair signifies complete recognition of one's helplessness without divine mercy - a crucial precondition for sincere repentance (tawbah).
Divine Joy in Repentance
Allah's pleasure at the servant's return exceeds even the overwhelming joy of the traveler finding his lost camel with all provisions intact - demonstrating the infinite divine capacity for forgiveness.
The Joyful Mistake
The traveler's ecstatic exclamation "You are my servant and I am your Lord" - while theologically incorrect - is excused due to overwhelming joy, showing Allah's understanding of human emotional states during spiritual transformation.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars note this hadith emphasizes that Allah's mercy precedes His wrath, and that sincere repentance erases prior sins completely, restoring the servant to a state of divine favor greater than the joy of material recovery.