Said by: Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as)
Status: ✅ Verified reference
Reference: Al-Kafi (Shaykh al-Kulayni), Volume 2, Kitab al-Iman wa al-Kufr, Chapter 188 (Bab al-Iqrar bi al-Dhunub — Confessing Sins and Regret for It), Hadith 3.
Arabic — core saying (excerpt):
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللهُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ… إِنَّهُ لَيُذْنِبُ فَلَا يَزَالُ مِنْهُ خَائِفاً مَاقِتاً لِنَفْسِهِ فَيَرْحَمُهُ اللهُ فَيُدْخِلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ
English translation:
"A man commits a sin, and because of it Allah admits him to Paradise." When the narrator asked, "Does Allah admit him to Paradise because of his sin?" the Imam (as) said: "Yes. He commits a sin and keeps on fearing (its consequence) and hating himself for it, so Allah has mercy on him and admits him to Paradise."
Explanation: The sin itself is not good — but what it wakes up in the heart can be. A sin that leaves a person humble, afraid of Allah, and angry with his own mistake can bring him closer to Allah than a good deed that leaves him proud. The lesson is never "sin is fine"; it is "never let a sin make you give up — let it make you turn back."
The sin itself is not good — but what it wakes up in the heart can be.