Explaining the degree of authenticity of the hadith: “If you had not committed sins, Allah would have taken you away and brought in a people who would commit sins”

Question:
I heard a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), though I do not remember its exact wording; but its meaning is that if the Muslims did not commit sins and seek forgiveness, Allah would bring in other people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness. If this hadith is authentic and reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then what is it? What is its meaning? And to what does it point and guide?

Answer:
Al-Suyuti mentioned this hadith in *al-Jami' al-Saghir* from Ibn Abbas with the wording: “If you had not committed sins, Allah would have taken you away and brought in a people who would commit sins” [Imam Muslim narrated it in his *Sahih* from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)]. In another narration, it says: “Then they seek forgiveness, and He forgives them.” He attributed his narration to Imam Ahmad in *al-Musnad*. Its commentator, Al-Munawi, said: Al-Haythami said: “It contains Yahya ibn Amr ibn Malik al-Bakri, who is weak, though he has been considered trustworthy, and the rest of its narrators are trustworthy.” This is the end of Al-Haythami’s statement. Al-Munawi said: “Imam Muslim also narrated it in the chapter on Repentance from the hadith of Abu Ayyub with the wording: ‘Were it not that you commit sins, Allah would have created a creation that commits sins, so that He would forgive them’ [See *Sahih al-Imam Muslim* from the hadith of Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him)]. The meaning of the hadith is clear: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) loves for His servants to seek His forgiveness and for Him to forgive them, so that His (Glorified and Exalted is He) favor and the effects of His attributes of *al-Ghafur* (the All-Forgiving) and *al-Ghaffar* (the Oft-Forgiving) may be manifested. This is as in His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): “Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful. And turn to your Lord and submit to Him’” [Surah Az-Zumar: 53-54]. The hadith indicates two great matters. First: The first matter is that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is *Afuww* (Most Pardoning) and loves to pardon, and *Ghafur* (All-Forgiving) and loves to forgive. Second: The second matter is that it contains good news for the repentant that their repentance will be accepted and their sins forgiven, and that they should not despair of the mercy of Allah, nor remain in their sins and persist in them; rather, they must repent and seek the forgiveness of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), because Allah has opened for them the door of seeking forgiveness and the door of repentance. This is the meaning of the hadith. The hadith also serves to break the arrogance of man, so that a person does not become proud of himself and his deeds; for he is a place for error, a place for mistakes, and a place for deficiency. So he should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness for his shortcomings, his errors, and his mistakes, and not think that he has perfected his worship or that he has no need of seeking forgiveness. This contains an exhortation to seek forgiveness, and that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) loves for His servants to seek His forgiveness and repent to Him. In the hadith, it is said: “Every son of Adam is prone to error, and the best of those who err are those who repent” [Imam Ahmad narrated it in his *Musnad* from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)]. It does not mean that Allah loves for His servants to commit sins or that He loves disobedience; for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not love disbelief and is not pleased with it, nor does He love disobedience. But He loves for His servants, when they commit sins and disobey, to repent to Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) and seek His forgiveness. This is the meaning of the hadith.