The servant must avoid two dangers in this matter:
The first danger is despair and hopelessness of Allah’s mercy.
The second danger is feeling safe from the plan of Allah.
One should not rely only on hope and good expectation of Allah without righteous deeds, for this is foolishness and from feeling secure from Allah’s plan. On the other hand, he should not let fear dominate him to the point that he ends up having evil thoughts about his Lord, falling into despair and hopelessness of His mercy. Both extremes are blameworthy.
Rather, it is obligatory upon him to have good expectations of Allah along with righteous deeds. One of the early scholars said:
“رجاؤك لرحمة من لا تطيعه من الخذلان والحمق”
(Your hope for the mercy of the One you do not obey is delusion and foolishness.)
The Reward of Those Who Remember Allah
Then comes the explanation of the virtue of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the reward of those who remember Him. Allah, the Most High, has mentioned that He is with His servant when he remembers Him.
This is a special type of “ma’iyyah” (companionship/presence), meaning protection, support, and guidance — as in His saying to Musa and Harun:
{ إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى } (طه: 46)
The best dhikr is that which the heart and tongue are in agreement upon, and when the one remembering contemplates its meanings. The greatest form of dhikr is remembering Allah at the time of commands and prohibitions — that is, by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
The Reward of Drawing Near to Allah
Then Allah explained His vast bounty, His immense generosity, and His closeness to His servant. The closer a servant draws to his Lord, the more Allah draws near to him.
Allah has informed us in His Book:
{ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ } (البقرة: 186)
And the Prophet ﷺ informed us:
“أقرب ما يكون العبد من ربه وهو ساجد فأكثروا الدعاء”
(The closest a servant is to his Lord is while he is in prostration, so increase in supplication.) [Muslim]
And in the hadith:
“وإن تقرب إلي بشبر تقربت إليه ذراعا، وإن تقرب إلي ذراعا تقربت إليه باعا، وإن أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولة”
This indicates the great meaning: that Allah’s giving and reward are greater than the servant’s deeds and efforts. Allah grants His servant more than what the servant does for His sake.
Glory be to Him — how great is His generosity and how vast His kindness!