Who is this attributed to and please mention the reference?
سعيد الجريري، قال: قلت للحسن: يا أبا سعيد الرجل يذنب ثم يتوب، ثم يذنب ثم يتوب، ثم يذنب ثم يتوب حتى متى؟ قال: ما أعلم هذا إلا أخلاق المؤمنين
Answer
Imam Abu Nu’aym (rahimahullah) has recorded this statement of Hasan Al Basri (rahimahullah).
(Hilyatul Awliya, vol. 6 pg. 201)
Translation
Sa’id ibn Iyas Al Jurayri (rahimahullah) asked Hasan Al Basri, O Abu Sa’id, [Tell me about] a person who sins and repents, sins again and repents, sins again and then repents, [for how long is he going to continue doing this]. Hasan Al Basri (rahimahullah) replied, ‘This is the character/trait of a Believer.’
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar