Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Allah says, ‘I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself. If he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in a better assembly. If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by a cubit. If he draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw near to him by an armspan. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’”

The servant’s remembrance of his Lord within himself is of two kinds. The first is inward remembrance without verbal sounds audible to him. The second is remembrance uttered quietly, which he hears but no one else does. Allah Most High says:

“And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and fear, without raising your voice.” [al-Aʿrāf 205]

The servant’s remembrance within himself encompasses both kinds. Hence the author of the foundational work said: “Remembrance within oneself denotes quiet speech and remembrance concealed within the soul, and this is impossible for Allah.”