#15

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a cubit, and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed. (1) Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: "I am as My servant expects Me to be". The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty. It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah)

عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : يقول الله تعالى: انا عند ظن عبدي بي، وانا معه اذا ذكرني، فان ذكرني في نفسه، ذكرته في نفسي، وان ذكرني في ملا، ذكرته في ملا خير منهم، وان تقرب الي بشبر، تقربت اليه ذراعا، وان تقرب الي ذراعا، تقربت اليه باعا(1) وان اتاني يمشي، اتيته هرولة رواه البخاري (وكذلك مسلم والترمذي وابن ماجه)