fa-innī qarīb

Size: 14×24
Calligraphy: “فَإِنِّي قَرِيب”
Transliteration: “fa-innī qarīb”
Meaning: “I am near.”
From: Quran 2: 186

Story:

He is near. He responds to the caller whenever they call.

There are many texts in the Qur’an and Sunna urging Muslims to make Du’aa (supplication) and confirming Allah’s promise to respond. This verse from Surah Al-Baqarah is one of them, and one which is very close to my heart because, in the Quran, Allah (SWT) usually speaks to us in third person. However, in this verse, emphasizing Allah’s closeness, He talks to us in first person, which is rare.

Allah (SWT) says: “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, I am indeed Near. I respond to the supplication of the supplicant when he calls to Me” [Qur’an 2:186].

Allah the Exalted invites us to converse and have a direct relationship with Him. When I was alone and scared in the hospital, this verse brought me comfort because when the doctors themselves were not able to give me any answers, my body didn’t seem to respond to the countless treatments, and there was no guarantee that my eyesight will come back again, hope felt distant, but the One who controls it all was and is always near. That was my comfort and refuge.

He is near, listening, and all-knowing. His plans and wisdom are far beyond our comprehension. In His closeness, we can find immense peace.