The Albaani Site

From al-Haartih ibn ’Ubaid: from Thaabit: from Anas, who said, “Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said to a man, ‘O so and so! Did you do that?’ He replied, ‘No, by the One besides whom none has the right to be worshipped!’—and the Prophet عليه السلام knew that he had [in fact] done it—so he said to him, ‘Verily, Allaah has forgiven you your lie due to your attestation to, ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.’’”

Al-Albaani said, “Al-Baihaqi said, ‘… what is intended is to show that even if a sin is great it does not mean that it necessitates the Fire as long as the [person’s] ’aqeedah is correct and he is someone for whom forgiveness has preceded [from Allaah]—and singling out a person in such a way [i.e., to say that a person has been forgiven as the Prophet did with that Companion] is not [allowed] for anyone [to do] after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.’”

As-Saheehah, 3064.