1. Home
  2. Sahih Muslim
  3. The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness
  4. Sahih Muslim 2675 b
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِقُتَيْبَةَ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حِينَ يَذْكُرُنِي إِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلإٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلإٍ هُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُمْ وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Translation
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters, but there is no mention of these words

" He draws near Me by the space of a hand, I draw near him by the space (covered) by two hands."

Comment

The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness

Sahih Muslim - Hadith 2675b

Hadith Text

"He draws near Me by the space of a hand, I draw near him by the space (covered) by two hands."

Commentary

This sacred tradition (hadith qudsi) reveals the boundless mercy and generosity of Allah towards His servants. When a believer takes a single step toward Allah through obedience, worship, and remembrance, Allah responds with overwhelming closeness and acceptance.

The "space of a hand" represents the limited effort of the servant, while "the space covered by two hands" symbolizes Allah's abundant and magnanimous response. This demonstrates that divine reward far exceeds human effort, as Allah's capacity for giving is infinitely greater than our capacity for receiving.

Scholars explain this as an allegory illustrating that when the servant sincerely turns to Allah, Allah draws nearer with multiplied grace, mercy, and spiritual proximity. This should inspire hope and encourage persistent devotion, knowing that even our smallest acts of worship are met with divine generosity beyond measure.

Spiritual Significance

This teaching emphasizes the reciprocal nature of the divine-human relationship and serves as profound encouragement for spiritual seekers to consistently engage in remembrance and worship.