Allah Sees You, Is With You Every Moment, You Are Under Supervision

“He is the one who sees you when you rise for night prayer and when you pray with the believers, bowing and prostrating.” Surah Shu’ara (26), 218-219 This verse addresses the Prophet (peace be upon him), stating that Allah sees him in every state – standing, bowing, and prostrating. This same oversight and supervision applies equally to every Muslim. 2. “Wherever you may be, Allah is with you.” Surah Hadid (57), 4 While the previous verse informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Allah sees him in every state, this verse addresses all believers and reminds them that Allah’s oversight and supervision are inescapable regardless of location. It clearly states that there is no place where one can be “out of bounds” or have a “private life.” Abu al-Maali eloquently expressed it: “On the Night Journey (Mi’raj), Muhammad (peace be upon him) was closer to Allah than he was to Prophet Yunus in the belly of the whale.” (see Qurtubi, Jami, XVII, 237). 3. “Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Allah.” Surah Al-Imran (3), 5 This verse further clarifies the concept of location, stating definitively that nothing – neither on earth nor in the heavens, meaning throughout the universe – is ever concealed from Allah. 4. “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.” Surah Fajr (89), 14 This verse emphasizes the continuous and unwavering nature of divine oversight and supervision. It highlights that there is no possibility of escaping this oversight, either in time or location. 5. “Allah knows what your eyes conceal and what your hearts withhold.” Surah Mu’min (40), 19 This verse announces that divine oversight and observation extend even to the hearts, as Allah is aware of what people conceal from others. It affirms that every action, down to the most furtive glances, is known to Allah. Hadis 61. Omar Ibn al-Khattaab radiallahu anhu said: One day, while I was in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), a man appeared, with white clothes, black hair, without any dust on him, and whom none of us recognized. He entered near the Prophet (peace be upon him), sat down facing him, leaning his knees against the Prophet’s knees, placing his hands on his own knees, and said: “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam!” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied: “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayer perfectly, to pay the zakat (in full), to fast during Ramadan (completely), and to make pilgrimage to the Ka’bah if you have the means.” The man said: “You have spoken truthfully.” We found his asking and confirming to be strange. The man said: “Now tell me about faith.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied: “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and also to believe in predestination, good and evil.” The man again said: “You have spoken truthfully,” and then said: “What about ihsan? Tell me about it.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied: “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him. And if you do not see Him, know that He sees you.” The man again said: “You have spoken truthfully,” and then asked: “What about the Hour? When will it be?” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied: “He who is questioned about something, when he does not know, is more ignorant than the questioner.” The man said: “Then tell me about its signs.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied: “That mothers will treat their children as servants; barefoot shepherds racing each other in tall, magnificent buildings.” The man silently departed. I remained there for a while. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “O Omar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: “Allah and His Messenger know.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “It was Jibril, who came to teach you your religion.” Muslim, Iman 1, 5. See also Bukhari, Iman 37; Tirmizi, Iman 4; Abu Narrator Dawud, Sunnah 16; Nasa’i, Iman 5, 6; Ibn Maja, Muqaddima 9 Explanation According to Qurtubi, the most essential part of the sunnah and the hadith known as “The Jibril Hadith,” which is directly relevant to our topic, is the sentence: “If you do not see Him, know that He sees you.” This is an affirmation and acknowledgement of divine oversight and supervision as mentioned in the verses above. The quality of worship can only be achieved by being aware of this point. We pause for a while on the hadith containing important definitions of fundamental concepts of our religion, without deviating from the subject but to satisfy curiosity. Firstly, Jibril (peace be upon him) appearing in a different form, entering and approaching the Prophet (peace be upon him), asking questions like a student and confirming answers like a teacher, is intended to draw the full attention of the Muslims present and facilitate their learning. Despite his very civil appearance, addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him) by name, as if he were one of them, indicates that angels carry special obligations that believers do not. This may also be due to a special friendship between them. The sequence in which Jibril (peace be upon him) asks about Islam, faith, ihsan, and the Hour signifies that the questions posed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) should relate to fundamental issues. The complete enumeration of the five pillars of Islam and the six principles of faith, along with the emphasis on belief in predestination, indicates the wholeness of religion and points to the point that will be most debated. The definition of “ihsan” as “worshipping Allah as if you see Him” clearly reveals the quality that a Muslim’s faith and Islam should possess. Being seen by Allah is sufficient for acting as if one sees Him, which will develop a continuous self-monitoring (murakaba) awareness in the believer. A faith, Islam, and life centered on ihsan would be an ideal life. When asked about “when will the Hour come?” the Prophet (peace be upon him), giving the sweet answer that no one but Allah knows, also documents that there are things that even prophets do not know. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has thus taught his ummah that it is not shameful to say “I don’t know.” Prophets can only know as much of the unseen as Allah reveals. It is also clear that, like the question of when the Hour will come, its signs are also a matter of curiosity. Therefore, it is natural for Jibril (peace be upon him) to request, “Then tell me about its signs.” In response to this question, the Prophet (peace be upon him) only reported two negative developments in the moral and economic structure of society. Mothers treating their children as servants, which should be understood as