A man who sinned three times and was forgiven three times
The reason given each time is identical.
أَعَلِمَ عَبْدِي أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِهِ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي
A-ʿalima ʿabdī anna lahu rabban yaghfiru-dh-dhanba wa yaʾkhudhu bih, ghafartu li-ʿabdī
“My servant knew that he has a Lord who forgives sin and who holds people to account for it. I have forgiven My servant.”
Where this comes from
A servant sinned and said: my Lord, I have sinned, forgive me. And was forgiven. Then he stayed as long as Allah willed and sinned again, and said the same, and was forgiven. Then a third time. What is named as the qualifying thing is not the remorse. It is that he knew both halves: that He forgives, and that He takes account.
The full narration
Narrated Abu Huraira:I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "If somebody commits a sin and then says, 'O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!' and his Lord says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).' Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without Committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 7507
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)