turn away a servant empty-handed and disappointed when he stretches out his hands to Him, asking Him for good.”

In the Sahīh, he narrates from his Lord, blessed and exalted is He:

“My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks. Through Me he hears, through Me he sees, through Me he grasps, and through Me he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give him; if he seeks My protection, I will surely protect him. I have never hesitated over anything I am to do as I hesitate over taking the soul of My believing servant: he dislikes death, and I dislike distressing him, yet he must undergo it.”

In an authentic hadith, ʿUbādah ibn al-Sāmit reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.”

ʿĀ’ishah asked, “But we do dislike death?”

He replied, “That is not what is meant. Rather, when death comes to the believer, he is given glad tidings of Allah’s pleasure and the honor He will bestow upon him. Upon receiving these glad tidings, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet him. But when the disbeliever is approached by