Allah Almighty says, "I deal with My servant according to his thoughts."

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Allah Almighty says, I deal with My servant according to his thoughts."

(Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

This hadith reveals an inner secret that directly affects the faith, attitude and spiritual state of a person in the fabric of his relationship with Allah. In this statement, Allah Himself is declaring that He determines His behavior towards His servant according to that servant's own 'thoughts'. This is not a general principle, but a miraculous spiritual law that turns the believer's hopes, fears, love, trust - everything into results.

Thoughts - that is, thinking, believing, expecting. If someone believes that Allah is merciful, forgiving, compassionate and helpful, Allah will also treat him in the same way. But if someone thinks that Allah is harsh, vindictive, and merciless, Allah can treat him in the same way. This is a kind of justice from Allah—the servant will receive only the one he believes in.

The nature of his faith is hidden deep within the heart of a person. Many people worship outwardly, but in their hearts they harbor negative ideas about Allah. Some think—Allah will not forgive my sins; some think—no matter what I do, my life will never be good; and some believe—even if I pray, Allah will not accept it. However, these ideas actually determine our destiny. This hadith clearly tells us—what kind of things we want to receive at the door of Allah depends on what kind of ideas we have about Him.

Allah Himself says in the Quran—“You expect from Me, I will fulfill it.” That is, if the servant believes—Allah will help him, Allah will forgive him, Allah will remove his suffering—then Allah can fulfill it. In the same way, if someone despairs, thinks that Allah is hostile to him, does not listen to anything he says—then he himself makes his destiny worse.

This hadith should permanently light a light of hope in the life of a believer. Because, in this hadith, the door of such an invisible mercy has been opened, which is not grasped by anyone—that is, ‘As you think, so will Allah be for you.’ If someone always lives with this belief—‘My Lord is merciful, He will hear my prayers, He will understand my suffering, He will forgive my sins,’ then this faith will one day lead him to Paradise.

This hadith is not only for a believer on an individual level, but also for the entire Ummah. Today, despair seems to have spread in our society. Many have lost faith in Allah. Some have prayed for a long time and are breaking down without receiving an answer, some have repeatedly fallen into sin and feel destroyed, some are thinking about the pain of the world—I guess Allah is not happy with them. However, this hadith says—no, do not have such an idea. Rather, firmly believe—Allah exists, He sees everything, and His mercy towards you is still endless.

This ‘concept’ relationship with Allah Ta’ala also changes the world of our prayers. The person who believes—“My prayer will be accepted,” has an inner firmness, an unbreakable trust in his prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When you pray, do it with firm faith, because Allah does not accept the prayer that comes from an uncertain, doubtful heart.”

This hadith is not only a religious teaching, it is a mental therapy, a source of spiritual peace. When everything in this world is lost, when no one is by one’s side, a believer can survive only by relying on the concept of his Lord. If that concept is—“My Lord will not abandon me,” then even the hardships as heavy as mountains become lighter.

This hadith also gives us a responsibility on ourselves—so that we never have a wrong idea about Allah. After committing a sin, we should not think—Allah will not forgive; Let us not think in sorrow—God is not even looking back at me; let us not think in failure—God is punishing me in this world. Rather, we need a faith that says in every difficult moment—“My Lord loves me; I may not understand, but He has the best plan for me.”

This hadith builds our confidence, because Allah Himself says—I will be to you as you think of Me. That is, if you think of Me as forgiving, I will forgive you; if you think of Me as merciful, I will be merciful to you; if you believe—I will remove your danger, I will. This confidence is the strength of a Muslim’s life, his nightly cries, the intensity of his worship, the depth of his supplication.

Therefore, we should constantly keep this idea in our minds—my Lord is better than everyone, my Lord has not forgotten me, my Lord loves me. Because this idea will one day take us to that place where there will be no suffering, no sin, no fear—only eternal peace and the eternal mercy of Allah.