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Al-Rāzī said: “Second: the statement of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), ‘Whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’ No rational person doubts that what is intended here is analogy and imagery.”

He may be answered as follows: In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Hurayrah narrates this hadith from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) with the following wording:

“Allah Most High says: ‘Whoever remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself. Whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than theirs. Whoever draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit. Whoever draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by an armspan. Whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’”

There is no doubt that Allah Most High has made His drawing near to His servant a reward for His servant’s drawing near to Him, for the reward is always of the same kind as the deed. Thus, He says at the beginning: “Whoever remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself. Whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than theirs.” Likewise, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. And show mercy to those on