by My servants about Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”
This shows that they were being directed to address Allah quietly in supplication, rather than call out with raised voices, for that was what they had asked about. They were told that their Lord, glorified is He, is near: there is no need to call out when supplicating to Him or asking of Him. Rather, He is to be petitioned as one addresses someone near in intimate conversation, not as one calls out to someone far away.
This nearness to the supplicant is a special nearness, not a general nearness to everyone. He is near to those who supplicate to Him and near to those who worship Him:
“A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is prostrating.” «1»
This is more specific than the nearness of turning to Allah and the nearness of response, beyond which most speculative theologians affirm no nearness. Rather, it is a special nearness to the supplicant and the worshipper, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, relating from his Lord, glorified is He:
“Whoever draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit; and whoever draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by an armspan.”
This is His nearness to those who worship Him. As for His nearness to those who supplicate to Him and ask of Him, Allah, Most High, says:
“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”
His words, “Call upon your Lord humbly and quietly,” likewise indicate and make known this nearness.
As for His nearness, glorified is He, to those who love Him, that is of another kind, another order, and another nature, as we have discussed in the book al-Tuhfa al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Gift). Words, however, fall short of expressing it and can never convey its true meaning to the heart. Rather, the servant’s conviction in this nearness corresponds to the strength or weakness of his love.
Beware—beware indeed—of expressing it in terms other than this prophetic wording, or of allowing your heart to conceive anything other than its meaning and intent, lest you lose your footing after standing firm. Many people have shown poor discernment in this matter and expressed themselves badly, falling into various outrageous excesses and extravagant utterances. Opposing them were those whose perception was heavily veiled: they denied altogether the servant’s love for his Lord and his nearness to Him, reducing all of this to created reward alone. In their view, that reward alone is what is loved and what is near. In al-Tuhfa, we have presented more than a hundred ways of refuting both groups.
Our purpose here, however, is to discuss this verse.