What is the meaning of the hadith in which Allah the Exalted said, "If you had returned to Me, you would have found Me with him"?
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The questioner : "You would have found Me with him," O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : The last one, meaning, what does it mean?
The Shaykh : It means that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is with those whose hearts are broken and with the weak. So when this patient was weak, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) was with him, meaning with tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, and the like. Yes?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : It is known that Allah cannot be with this man in His essence... and nothing of the created things surrounds Him (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, we say, "First of all, do you believe that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is greater than everything, can be in this room?"
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : It does not contradict; in our way, we say He is with him, but it does not imply that He is in the room; rather, it is necessary that He is not in the room. Yes.
The questioner : ... in every place ...
The Shaykh : No, no, Allah is in the sky, not in every place, and it is not possible for Him to be in every place, but He knows what is in every place, He knows what is in every place.
The questioner : ... found Me with him?
The Shaykh : It means you found Him with him while He is in the sky. The meaning is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is with these sick people with more mercy than with others, and whoever is more in need of Allah, the closer Allah is to him. Yes, he says, his speech has ended.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : The last one, meaning, what does it mean?
The Shaykh : It means that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is with those whose hearts are broken and with the weak. So when this patient was weak, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) was with him, meaning with tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, and the like. Yes?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : It is known that Allah cannot be with this man in His essence... and nothing of the created things surrounds Him (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, we say, "First of all, do you believe that Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who is greater than everything, can be in this room?"
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : It does not contradict; in our way, we say He is with him, but it does not imply that He is in the room; rather, it is necessary that He is not in the room. Yes.
The questioner : ... in every place ...
The Shaykh : No, no, Allah is in the sky, not in every place, and it is not possible for Him to be in every place, but He knows what is in every place, He knows what is in every place.
The questioner : ... found Me with him?
The Shaykh : It means you found Him with him while He is in the sky. The meaning is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is with these sick people with more mercy than with others, and whoever is more in need of Allah, the closer Allah is to him. Yes, he says, his speech has ended.