“Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you.”
This part of the hadith further explains the benefits of being mindful of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala). Here we find that when we are mindful of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), by meeting our obligations to Him (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), we will find Him ‘in front’ of us.
What does it mean to find Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) in front of us? It means that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) will be with us in all of our affairs. That is, He (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) will support us, protect us, guide us and strengthen us in our actions. He (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) is in front of us, guiding us. This is the type of closeness that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) refers to in the Qur’an, describing when the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) and Abu Bakr (RadhiAllahu Anhu) were pursued by the disbelievers and had to hide in a cave. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) says:
“… when they were in the cave and he [the Prophet] said, ‘Do not be afraid for, certainly, Allah is with us.’ Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and strengthened him with forces which you did not see…”
(Surah al-Taubah:40)
SubhanAllah isn’t this the type of relationship that we all desire to have with Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala)? This type of closeness is reserved for those who have taqwa or fear of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), in other words, those who are mindful of Him (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala).
When the believer is able to reach this state of mindfulness, they become relaxed and at ease. Tranquility descends and they realise that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) will protect them. With Allah’s protection, no one can possibly harm them. This is the point at which the believer truly realises that they are not in need of anyone other than Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala).
Let’s ask ourselves firstly, if we are meeting our obligations to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala)? Are we remembering Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), thanking Him (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala), praising Him (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) and worshipping Him as He should be worshipped? Are we fearing Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) and His anger and punishment and seeking to avoid them? If we are able to be mindful of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) in these ways, then He promises to bless us with tranquility, security, guidance and protection. What more could we ask for?