and exalted, who is near and answers the supplicant’s call—not the angels. Likewise, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in the hadith agreed to be authentic:

“You are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent. You are calling upon One who is All-Hearing and near. Indeed, the One upon whom you call is nearer to each of you than the neck of his mount.”

This is because Allah, glorified be He, is near to the supplicant’s heart, and thus nearer to him than the neck of his mount.

His nearness to the supplicant’s heart has one meaning agreed upon among those who affirm Allah’s attributes and hold that Allah is above the Throne, and another meaning over which there is disagreement. The meaning they agree upon consists in His drawing the supplicant’s heart near to Himself, just as He draws near to Himself the heart of the one prostrating. As is established in the Sahīh:

“The servant is nearest to his Lord while prostrating.”

Thus, the Lord becomes near to the one prostrating, and his heart draws close to his Lord, even though his body is on the earth. Whenever either of two things draws near to the other, the other necessarily becomes near to it, even if we suppose that the other has itself made no movement—just as, when someone draws near to Mecca, Mecca becomes near to him.

Allah has described how those angels and human beings whom He brings near draw near to Him. He said:

“The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels brought near.”

And He said:

“And the foremost—the foremost! They are those brought near.”

And He, exalted be He, said:

“If he is one of those brought near, then there will be rest, bounty, and a Garden of Bliss.”

And He, exalted be He, said:

“A spring from which those brought near drink.”

And He said:

“Those whom they invoke themselves seek a means of approach to their Lord, each striving to be nearest.”

And He said:

“We called him from the right side of the Mount and brought him near in intimate converse.”