Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, which contains 7,277 hadiths across 97 books. It is hadith number 7250 in the Book of Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

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#7249

#7250

Sahih al-Bukhari

#7251

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Sahih al-Bukhari #7250

Q: What is Sahih al-Bukhari 7250 about?

This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)), narrated by Narrated Anas:, states: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretc…"

Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زَيْدٍ، سَعِيدُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ الْهَرَوِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَرْوِيهِ عَنْ رَبِّهِ، قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا تَقَرَّبَ الْعَبْدُ إِلَىَّ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِذَا تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا، وَإِذَا أَتَانِي مَشْيًا أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ‏"‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

Narrated by Narrated Anas:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ conveys a profound message about the closeness of Allah to His servants. He describes how Allah responds to the efforts of His servants by drawing nearer to them in proportion to their efforts. This illustrates the concept of divine mercy and the importance of striving towards Allah.

Modern Application

In everyday life, this hadith encourages individuals to actively seek a closer relationship with Allah through prayer, supplication, and good deeds. It serves as a motivational reminder that efforts toward spirituality will be met with divine response.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Supplication because it highlights the reciprocal nature of seeking closeness to Allah through sincere efforts and devotion.

Supplication