Sahih Muslim 2749
Sahih Muslim · Book 50: The Book of Repentance · Sins Are Erased By Praying For Forgiveness And Repenting
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said:
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ الْجَزَرِيِّ ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الأَصَمِّ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ " .
By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.