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

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Hadith
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Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, says: I am as My slave thinks of Me and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself; and if he remembers me in an assembly, I remember him in a better assembly. If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit; and if he draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by a fathom, and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him jogging."
Authentic hadith - Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

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.

Benefits from the Hadith

  1. This Hadīth is part of what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) narrates from his Lord and is called a Qudsi or Divine Hadīth. Its wording and meaning are from Allah, yet it does not have the unique characteristics of the Qur’an that include reciting it as a form of worship, getting purified for it, presenting it as a challenge, its miraculousness, etc.
  2. Al-Ājurri said: People of the truth describe Allah Almighty with what He has described Himself and with what His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described Him, and with what the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) described Him, and this is the methodology of the scholars who have complied and did not innovate. End quote. So, Ahl-us-Sunnah establish for Allah what He has established for Himself of the names and attributes without Tahrīf (distortion), Ta‘tīl (negation), Takyīf (asking how), or Tamthīl (likening). They negate from Allah what He has negated from Himself and keep silent regarding what has neither been negated nor established. Allah Almighty says: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.}
  3. Having good expectations of Allah must be coupled with action. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The believer thinks well of his Lord and, thus, performs good deeds, whereas the wrongdoer thinks ill of his Lord and, thus, performs evil deeds.
  4. Al-Qurtubi said: It is said: The meaning of "what My slave thinks of Me" is expecting fulfillment when supplicating, acceptance when repenting, forgiveness when seeking forgiveness, and recompense when fulfilling worship according to its conditions out of firm belief in His true promise. Hence, one must be diligent in carrying out his duties while being certain that Allah accepts and forgives him because He has promised this and He never breaks His promise. However, if one thinks or has doubts that Allah does not accept it and that it will be of no benefit to him, then this is the despair of Allah's mercy, which is from the major sins, and whoever dies on such a belief will be entrusted to his thoughts, as in some narrations of the mentioned Hadīth: "Let My slave think of Me as he wishes." He said: As for expecting forgiveness along with insistence on sins, this is nothing but absolute ignorance and heedlessness.
  5. Encouraging the act of remembering Allah frequently both within yourself and with your tongue. One should fear Allah within himself and in his heart and should remember His greatness and His right. He should also invoke Him, glorify Him, love Him, think well of Him, and sincerely devote his deeds to Him. He should utter with his tongue: "Subhānallāh" (Glorified is Allah), "Al-hamdulillāh" (praise be to Allah), "La ilāha illallāh" (there is no god but Allah), "Allāhu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest), and "La hawla wala quwwata illa billāh" (there is no power and no strength except with Allah).
  6. Ibn Abi Jamrah said: Whoever remembers Him while feeling fear, He secures him; or, feeling desolate, He provides him with serenity.
  7. "Shibr" (handspan): the distance between the tip of the little finger and the thumb when the hand is outstretched. "Dhirā‘" (cubit): the distance between the tip of the middle finger and the elbow bones. "Bā‘" (fathom): the length of man's both arms, upper arms, and the width of his chest, which is four cubits.

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