Source: HadeethEnc.com, English v1.25.0
Arabic text
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».
Translation
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."
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
- 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.
- 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.}
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Ibn Abi Jamrah said: Whoever remembers Him while feeling fear, He secures him; or, feeling desolate, He provides him with serenity.
- "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.
Explanation: العربية
أَخْبَرَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنَّ اللهَ تعالى يقول: أنا عند ظن عبدي بي، فأُعَامِلُ عبدي على حسب ظَنِّهِ بي وذلك بالرجاء وتأميل العفو، وأَفْعَل به ما يَتَوَقَّعَه مني من خير أو غير ذلك؛ وأنا معه بالرحمة والتوفيق والهداية والرعاية والتأييد إذا ذكرني. فإنْ ذَكَرَني في نفسه مُنفردًا خاليًا بالتسبيح والتهليل أو غيرها؛ ذَكرتُه في نفسي. وإنْ ذَكَرَني في جماعة؛ ذكرتُه في جماعة أكثر منهم وأطيب. ومَن تَقَرّب إلى الله مقدار شِبْر زاده الله فتقرب إليه بذراع. وإن تقرب إليه مقدار ذراع تقرب إليه مقدار باع. وإن جاء إلى الله يمشي جاءه هَرولة. فالعبد إذا تقرب إلى ربه بطاعته والإقبال عليه، فإن الرب تعالى يَزِيده قُرْبًا إليه جزاءً مِن جنس عمله. فكلما كَمُلَتْ عبودية المؤمن لربه قَرُبَ إليه تعالى، فعطاء الله وثوابه أكثر من عمل العبد وكدحه، والحاصل أنّ ثواب الله راجِحٌ على العمل بطريق الكيف والكم. فالمؤمن يُحسِنُ الظن، ويعمل، ويسارع ويزداد حتى يلقى الله.
- هذا الحديث مما يرويه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عن ربه، ويسمّى بالحديث القدسي أو الإلهي، وهو الذي لفظه ومعناه من الله، غير أنه ليست فيه خصائص القرآن التي امتاز بها عما سواه، من التعبد بتلاوته والطهارة له والتحدي والإعجاز وغير ذلك.
- قال الآجُرِّي: إنّ أهل الحق يَصِفُون الله عز وجل بما وصف به نفسه عز وجل، وبما وصفه به رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وبما وصفه به الصحابة رضي الله عنهم، وهذا مذهب العلماء ممن اتبع ولم يبتدع. انتهى. فأهل السنة يُثْبِتُون لله ما أثبته لنفسه من الأسماء والصفات من غير تحريف ولا تعطيل ولا تكييف ولا تمثيل، ويُنْفُون عن الله ما نفاه عن نفسه، ويَسْكُتُون عما لم يرد به نفي ولا إثبات، قال الله تعالى: (لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ).
- إحسان الظن بالله لا بد معه من العمل، قال الحسن البصري: إنَّ المؤمن أَحْسَنَ الظنَّ بربه فأحسن العمل، وإنّ الفاجر أساء الظن بربه فأساء العمل.
- قال القرطبي: قيل: معنى "ظن عبدي بي" ظن الإجابة عند الدعاء، وظن القبول عند التوبة، وظن المغفرة عند الاستغفار، وظن المجازاة عند فعل العبادة بشروطها تَمَسُّكًا بصادق وعْدِه، ولذلك ينبغي للمرء أن يَجْتَهِدَ في القيام بما عليه موقِنًا بأنَّ الله يقبله ويغفر له؛ لأنه وَعَدَ بذلك وهو لا يُخْلِف الميعاد، فإن اعتقد أو ظن أن الله لا يقبلها وأنها لا تنفعه فهذا هو اليأس من رحمة الله وهو من الكبائر، ومن مات على ذلك وُكِلَ إلى ما ظَنّ كما في بعض طرق الحديث المذكور " فليظن بي عبدي ما شاء"، قال: وأما ظن المغفرة مع الإصرار فذلك مَحْضُ الجهل والغِرّة.
- الحث على الإكثار من ذكر الله في نفسك وبلسانك جميعًا، في نفسه وقلبه يخاف الله ويتذكَّر عظمته وحقه ويرجوه ويعظّمه ويحبه ويحسن به الظن ويخلص له العمل، وينطق باللسان: سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله.
- قال ابن أبي جمرة: فمن ذَكَرَه وهو خائف آمَنَه، أو مُسْتَوْحِش آنَسَه.
- الشِّبْر: مسافة ما بين طرف الخِنْصَر إلى طرف الإبهام عند مَدِّ الكَفّ، والذراع: مسافة ما بين طرف الأصبع الوسطى إلى عظم المرفق، والباع: طول ذِرَاعَي الإنسان وعَضُدَيه وعَرْضِ صدره؛ وذلك قدر أربعة أذرع.