His perception is directed towards it, just as His knowledge is? Or should it be said that this too is subject to His will and power, so that He can refrain from looking at some created beings?

There are two views on this. The first is held by those who do not regard this as subject to His will and power. As for those who do regard it as subject to His will and power, they may nevertheless say that whenever something visible or audible exists, His perception must encompass it.

The second view is that hearing and seeing as such are subject to His will and power, so that He can refrain from looking at any created thing. This is what has been transmitted from a group of the early generations, as Ibn Abī Hātim narrated from Abū ʿImrān al-Jawnī, who said: “Allah has never looked upon anything in His creation without showing it mercy, but He has decreed not to look upon them.”

It may be said that this is like remembering and forgetting. Allah Most High says:

“Remember Me; I will remember you.”

In the two Sahīh collections, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said:

“Allah Most High says: ‘I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself. If he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly better than theirs. 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 at a run.’”

This remembrance is reserved for those who remember Him; those who do not remember Him do not receive this remembrance. Whoever believes in Him and obeys Him, He remembers with His mercy. Whoever turns away from the Reminder He has sent down, He turns away from him, as He says:

“But whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a life of hardship, and We will raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.”

“He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You raised me up blind when I used to see?’”

“He will say: