And when My servants question you concerning Me I am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls to Me; so let them respond to Me and let them believe in Me that they might go aright. The question of each one indicates his state. They did not ask about any decree created thing this world or what comes next but rather they asked [Muḥammad] about Him so God most high said “And when My servants question you concerning Me...” [These questioners] were not among the group about whom He said “They will question you concerning the mountains” [20:105] nor among the group about whom He said “They will ask you about orphans” [2:220] nor among the group about whom He said “They will ask you about the monthly period” [2:222] nor among the group about whom He said “And they will question you concerning the spirit” [17:85] nor among the group about whom He said “They ask you about wine and divinatory arrows” [2:219] or “They ask you about the sacred month and fighting in it” [2:217]. These were a select group of people. “And when My servants question you concerning Me how could you answer themḍ This answer is not by your tongue O Muḥammad. Even though you are the ambassador between Us and created beings I assume responsibility for this answer: I am near.” In regard to nearness He took away the act of mediating from anyone other than Himself. He did not say “Say to them I am near” but rather He said may His affair be exalted “I am near.” Then He explained what this nearness is. Inasmuch as the Real سبحانه is too holy for drawing near or moving away in terms of direction or speci- fication in any spot buqʿa He said I answer the call of the caller. Verily the Real سبحانه is near wholly and entirely by means of knowledge power hearing and vision. He is near the believers with respect to caretaking help and answering supplications but He is too exalted and holy to be near anyone in essence dhāt or spot buqʿa for He is uniquely without direc- tion in any region aqṬār mighty without being described by substance or measure miqdār. I answer the call of the caller when he calls to Me; so let them respond to Me and let them believe in Me that they might go aright: He did not promise to answer the one who might be considered worthy because of asceticism or [to answer] at the time of worship.
