The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "
Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)
Sahih al-Bukhari - Hadith 7536
Hadith Text
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'"
Commentary on Divine Generosity
This sacred tradition (Hadith Qudsi) reveals Allah's boundless generosity and eagerness to accept His servants. The progression from span to cubit to outstretched arms demonstrates that Allah's response always exceeds human effort. A span (about 9 inches) is met with a cubit (about 18 inches), showing Allah doubles the reward. When the servant advances a cubit, Allah responds with the span of outstretched arms (approximately 6 feet), indicating exponential increase in divine acceptance.
Theology of Divine Response
The walking versus running imagery conveys that while humans approach Allah through gradual obedience, Allah's mercy arrives swiftly and abundantly. This refutes any notion of divine distance or reluctance. Rather, Allah emphasizes His readiness to forgive and draw near to those who seek Him through obligatory and supererogatory acts of worship.
Practical Implications
Scholars explain this hadith encourages consistent devotion, no matter how small. Even minor good deeds, when performed with sincerity, attract magnified divine grace. The initial "span" represents basic obligations (farā'id), while subsequent measures indicate voluntary acts (nawāfil) that bring extraordinary proximity to the Divine.