the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “He places His kanaf over him.” He said, “Like this,” gesturing with both hands.

These are hadiths transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concerning kinship and the waist, and His placing His kanaf over His servant. Similar to this is what Abū ʿAlī al-Sāniʿ, one of the companions of Idrīs al-Haddād the Quran reciter, transmitted from him. He said: “I heard ʿImrān al-Najjār say: ‘I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal say, when I asked him about “Then, when He calls you with a single call from the earth” [al-Rūm 25]: “Whoever says that Allah’s call is created has disbelieved.”’”

He said: “In all these matters, our imam’s position is to have faith in them, affirm their truth, and accept them with submission and contentment: Allah places His kanaf over His servant, drawing him near until He places His kanaf over him. This is an attribute of His Essence; neither its modality nor what it is like is known. The same applies to kinship taking hold of the waist of