In the hadith: "Whoever draws near to Me a hand's breadth, I draw near to him an arm's length; whoever draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a cubit; and whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running." How does one draw near?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. In the hadith: Sahih Muslim 2687a.
The Shaykh : And I come to him running.
The questioner : He came to Me.
The Shaykh : Walking.
The questioner : I come to him running.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. This refers to the actions of Allah, the Exalted, which are attributed to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified. We said that this is to be taken at its apparent meaning. As for what is attributed to the servant, how does the servant draw near by running or by a hand's breadth or...?
The Shaykh : There is no mention of running in the hadith.
The questioner : He came to Me walking.
The Shaykh : This is from your own bag, meaning yes, this is from your own bag. The running is for the servant.
The questioner : I think we read it...
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine, good.
The questioner : Walking, and a hand's breadth and an arm's length are from the servant, and the servant only... says or performs deeds. These deeds are not measured by a hand's breadth in deeds. How do we say?
The Shaykh : As we mentioned, we mentioned it.
The questioner : Because we mentioned...
The Shaykh : We said, for example, in worship that one walks for, such as jihad and walking to the mosque and the like.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Does the context require that he drew near to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, by a hand's breadth?
The Shaykh : Yes, and that is the case. For example, if a person leaves his house for a distance of a hand's breadth and he intends to pray, for example, this is a righteous deed that brings him closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
The questioner : Yes, yes. Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Does it bring him closer in a general sense, all acts of worship?
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary for every act of worship; it is not necessary in every act of worship. And therefore and the example, as he said, applies to one example. And who is watching the time now?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, fourteen minutes have passed. Fine, let us return to the book. It says: "Then if someone were to say".
La ilaha illa Allah. Let us return to the words of al-Ash'ari, from the wise and the praiseworthy, in which the knowledge of the former generations was gathered, or was compiled.
he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by the cubit, and he who draws close to Me by the cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him
من تقرب مني شبراً تقربت منه ذراعاً ومن تقرب مني ذراعاً تقربت منه باعاً ومن أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولةThe Shaykh : And I come to him running.
The questioner : He came to Me.
The Shaykh : Walking.
The questioner : I come to him running.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. This refers to the actions of Allah, the Exalted, which are attributed to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified. We said that this is to be taken at its apparent meaning. As for what is attributed to the servant, how does the servant draw near by running or by a hand's breadth or...?
The Shaykh : There is no mention of running in the hadith.
The questioner : He came to Me walking.
The Shaykh : This is from your own bag, meaning yes, this is from your own bag. The running is for the servant.
The questioner : I think we read it...
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine, good.
The questioner : Walking, and a hand's breadth and an arm's length are from the servant, and the servant only... says or performs deeds. These deeds are not measured by a hand's breadth in deeds. How do we say?
The Shaykh : As we mentioned, we mentioned it.
The questioner : Because we mentioned...
The Shaykh : We said, for example, in worship that one walks for, such as jihad and walking to the mosque and the like.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Does the context require that he drew near to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, by a hand's breadth?
The Shaykh : Yes, and that is the case. For example, if a person leaves his house for a distance of a hand's breadth and he intends to pray, for example, this is a righteous deed that brings him closer to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
The questioner : Yes, yes. Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Does it bring him closer in a general sense, all acts of worship?
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary for every act of worship; it is not necessary in every act of worship. And therefore
The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating.
أقرب ما يكون العبد لربه وهو ساجدThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, fourteen minutes have passed. Fine, let us return to the book. It says: "Then if someone were to say".
La ilaha illa Allah. Let us return to the words of al-Ash'ari, from the wise and the praiseworthy, in which the knowledge of the former generations was gathered, or was compiled.