—to the end of the hadith. Thus, the angels know what good or evil a person intends, and “intention” occurs within the soul before action. More striking still, Satan flows through the son of Adam as blood flows, whispering to him about what he desires, and thus knows what his soul desires.
His statement:
“We are closer to him than his jugular vein”
refers to the nearness of the angels themselves and the nearness of Allah’s knowledge to him. He is the Lord of the angels and the Spirit, and they know nothing except by His command. The angels themselves are therefore closer to the servant’s heart than his jugular vein, and some of them may be closer to him than others. Hence He says in the continuation of the passage:
“When the two recording angels record, one seated on the right and the other on the left.”
“Not a word does he utter but with him is an observer, ready.”
This resembles His statement:
“Or do they think that We do not hear their secrets and their private conversations? Yes indeed, and Our messengers are with them, recording.”
The word “when” is an adverb of time. He thus states that they are “closer to him than his jugular vein” when the two recording angels record what he says: “on the right” sits one, “and on the left sits one.” Then He says:
“Not a word does he utter but with him is an observer, ready”—that is, a witness who is never absent.
All of this concerns the angels. As for His words:
“Indeed, I am near,”
and:
“He is closer to any one of you than the neck of his mount,”
these occur specifically in the context of supplication. He did not state that He is near to His servants in every circumstance; rather, He mentioned this only in certain circumstances. The hadith also states:
“The closest a servant is to his Lord is while he is prostrating.”
And He Most High says:
“Prostrate and draw near.”
What is meant is nearness to the supplicant during his prostration, as he said:
“As for prostration, make abundant supplication during it, for then your supplications are likely to be answered.”
He therefore commanded