Authentic hadithNarrated by Bukhari & Muslim

I am as My slave thinks of Me and I am with him when he remembers Me

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَقُولُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حِينَ يَذْكُرُنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُ، وَإِنِ اقْتَرَبَ إِلَيَّ شِبْرًا، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنِ اقْتَرَبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا، اقْتَرَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً».

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah Almighty says: I am as My slave thinks of Me, so I treat My slave according to his thoughts about Me when hoping for and expecting pardon, and I do to him what He expects of Me either good or other than that; and I am with him through mercy, success, guidance, care, and support when he remembers Me.

If he remembers Me inwardly while being alone and in seclusion through Tasbīh (exalting Allah), Tahlīl (proclaiming Allah's oneness), or others, I remember him within Myself. And if he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in a larger and better assembly. And whoever draws near to Allah by a handspan, Allah will add to this and draw near to him by a cubit, and if he draws near to Him by a cubit, Allah draws near to him by a fathom.

And if he comes walking to Allah, Allah will come to him jogging. When the slave seeks to get closer to his Lord by obeying Him and focusing on Him, the Almighty Lord brings him even closer to Him as a recompense that suits his deed. The more perfect the believer's worship of his Lord is, the closer Allah Almighty brings him, as the bestowal and reward of Allah exceed the slave's deeds and toil. In fact, Allah's reward outweighs the slave's deeds in terms of quality and quantity.

The believer, thus, entertains good expectations of Allah, acts, hastens, and increases his good deeds until he meets Allah.

Source

صحيح البخاري (9/ 121) (7405). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2067) (2675). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (17/ 151). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 516). منار القاري شرح مختصر صحيح البخاري، حمزة محمد (5/ 372). الجواب الكافي لمن سأل عن الدواء الشافي أو الداء والدواء (ص25). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 510). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 983).
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I am as My slave thinks of Me and I am with him when he reme | The Creed | Al Muslim Plus