´Abu Sirmah narrated from Abu Ayyub, that:` when death reached him, he said: “I have concealed something I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: ‘If you did not sin, Allah would create a creation that would sin, so He will forgive them.’”
‘Muhammad bin Ka’b Qurazi, and Muhammad narrated from Abu Ayyub, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), narrated a hadith in a similar manner.’
Hadith Referenceسنن ترمذي / كتاب الدعوات عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / 3539
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح، الصحيحة (967 - 970 و 1963)
´Abu Sirmah narrated from Abu Ayyub, that:` when death reached him, he said: “I have concealed something I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: ‘If you did not sin, Allah would create a creation that would sin, so He will forgive them.’”
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation: 1: In the narration of Sahih Muslim, it is stated: (فَیَسْتَغْفِرُوْنَفَیَغْفِرُلَہُمْ) — that is, they commit sins, then repent and seek forgiveness, so Allah forgives them. This is to indicate the virtue of seeking forgiveness (istighfar) and repentance (tawbah).
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 3539