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 Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 6642 in the Book of The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness.

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#6641

#6642

Sahih Muslim

#6643

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Sahih Muslim #6642

Q: What is Sahih Muslim 6642 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness), narrated by Hammam b. Munabbih reported so many ahadith from Abu Huraira and one out of them is this that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that Allah thus stated:, states: "When My servant draws close to me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the space of a cubit, and when he draws close to Me by the space of a cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered)…"

The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ إِذَا تَلَقَّانِي عَبْدِي بِشِبْرٍ تَلَقَّيْتُهُ بِذِرَاعٍ وَإِذَا تَلَقَّانِي بِذِرَاعٍ تَلَقَّيْتُهُ بِبَاعٍ وَإِذَا تَلَقَّانِي بِبَاعٍ أَتَيْتُهُ بِأَسْرَعَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

When My servant draws close to me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the space of a cubit, and when he draws close to Me by the space of a cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and when he draws close to Me by the space (covered by) two hands, I go in hurry towards him.

Narrated by Hammam b. Munabbih reported so many ahadith from Abu Huraira and one out of them is this that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that Allah thus stated:

Context

In this hadith, Allah's Messenger ﷺ conveys a profound message about the relationship between Allah and His servants. It illustrates how Allah responds to the efforts of His servants to draw closer to Him. The imagery of increasing proximity emphasizes Allah's mercy and willingness to accept even the smallest gestures of devotion, encouraging believers to strive for a deeper connection with their Creator.

Modern Application

This principle encourages individuals to engage in acts of worship, such as making dua, with the understanding that even small efforts are met with greater divine responses. In daily life, this can inspire people to take small steps towards spiritual growth, knowing that their sincere intentions will be rewarded.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Mercy and Spiritual Growth because it highlights Allah's readiness to respond generously to the efforts of His servants in seeking closeness to Him.

Divine Mercy Spiritual Growth