I said, “Abū Hurayra, there are times when I am praying behind the imam.” He replied, “Recite it to yourself, O Persian, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

‘Allah, Mighty and Sublime, has declared: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant in two equal parts—half is for Me and half for My servant—and My servant shall have whatever he asks for.

When the servant says, “Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds” (al-Fātiḥa 1:2), Allah says, “My servant has praised Me.”

When he says, “The All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful” (1:3), Allah says, “My servant has extolled Me.”

When he says, “Master of the Day of Recompense” (1:4), Allah says, “My servant has glorified Me.”

When he says, “You alone we worship and You alone we seek for help” (1:5), Allah says, “This verse is between Me and My servant.”

When he says, “Guide us to the straight path” (1:6), Allah says, “This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.”’

Abū ʿAbd Allah commented: “Ink, parchment, and the like are created things. When you write the word ‘Allah,’ Allah in His very essence is the Creator, whereas your handwriting and the act you acquire through it are your own deed—and they are created. Everything other than Allah that He brings into existence is part of creation. He says: ‘He created everything and measured it with precise determination’ (al-Furqān 25:2); and He says: ‘Indeed, it is, in the Mother of the Book with Us, exalted and full of wisdom’ (az-Zukhruf 43:4); and He says: ‘But it is a glorious Qur’an on a guarded tablet’ (al-Burūj 85:22).”