Next he cited the ḥadith of Abū Hurayrah in which Allah, exalted is He, says in a hadith qudsi: “I am as My servant expects of Me, and I am with him whenever he remembers Me.” The words “I am as My servant expects of Me” mean that Allah will treat His servant in accordance with the expectation the servant entertains of Him: if he anticipates good, he will receive good; if he anticipates otherwise, that too will befall him. But when is such good expectation of Allah truly warranted?

It is warranted when a person does the deeds that invite Allah’s grace and nourishes hope in Him—when he performs righteous works and trusts that Allah will accept them. To claim good expectation while doing nothing is mere wishful thinking; whoever follows his whims and then pins idle hopes on Allah is, in reality, incapable.

Genuine good opinion of Allah requires that a person present deeds that justify it. When you pray, assume that Allah will accept your prayer; when you fast, do the same; when you give charity, do the same; whenever you carry out a righteous act, hope confidently that Allah, exalted is He, will accept it. To presume good opinion of Allah while brazenly defying Him with sin is the habit of the helpless who possess no spiritual capital to fall back on.

He then mentioned that Allah is more generous to His servant than the servant is to himself: if a person draws near to Allah by a span, Allah draws near to him by a cubit; if he draws near by a cubit, Allah draws near by a fathom; and if the servant comes to Him walking, He comes to him hastening. Allah is more bountiful and swifter in response than His servant.

These and similar reports are believed in by Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah as being literally and truly attributes of Allah, Most High. We do not, however, know the modality of this “hastening” or this “coming nearer”; its how is relegated to Allah alone, and we refrain from engaging in speculation about it. We affirm the meaning and entrust the how to Allah, exalted is He.