Al-'Aqida al-Wasitiyya - Ibn Taimiya - (85)

Chapter Six: Included in faith in Allah is the conviction that He is near to His creation

• This comprises the following:

163 – Believing that He is close to His creatures.

164 – As He, Exalted is He, says: “And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller whenever he calls upon Me; so let them respond to Me and believe in Me so that they may be guided aright.” (Quran 2:186)

165 – The Prophet ﷺ said, “The One you invoke is closer to any of you than the neck of his mount.”

166 – Whatever the Quran and the Sunnah mention about His nearness and His accompanying presence does not contradict what we have affirmed of His exaltedness and loftiness; for there is nothing like Him in any of His attributes. He is Most High even when He draws near, and He is near even while He is Most High.

[الفصل السادس: يدخل في الإيمان بالله: أنَّه قريب من خلقه] • وَقَدْ دَخَلَ فِي ذَلِكَ: ١٦٣- الْإِيمَانُ بِأَنَّهُ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ. ١٦٤- كَمَا قالَ ﷾: ﴿وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٦] . ١٦٥- وَقالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «إِنَّ الَّذِي تَدْعُونَهُ، أَقْرَبُ إِلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْ عُنُقِ رَاحِلَتِهِ» . ١٦٦- وَمَا ذُكِرَ فِي الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، مِنْ قُرْبِهِ وَمَعِيَّتِه، لَا يُنَافِي مَا نَذْكُرُ مِنْ عُلُوِّهِ وَفَوْقِيَّتِهِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي جَمِيعِ نُعُوتِهِ، وَهُوَ عَلِيٌّ فِي دُنُوِّهِ، قَرِيبٌ فِي عُلُوِّهِ. * * * *