But this is not comprehended except by the learned ones ( ‘alimun )...

But this is not comprehended except by the learned ones ( ‘alimun ), the lovers ( muhibbun ), the worshippers ( ‘abidun ), the knowers ( ‘arifun ), the chosen ones ( safwah ) of Allah and His special servants.”[^7] Hence, prayer ( du’a’ ) and the response to it ( ijabah ) denote a reciprocal relation between Allah and His servant, the best and the most distinctive of its kind.

Which relation between Allah, the Exalted, and his servant can be better than the one in which the servant turns toward his Lord with a need, request and petition, and Allah turns to His servant with response, singling him out for it.

I believe that the joy and pleasure derived from this kind of relation with Allah, and from this providence ( ‘inayah ) and success ( tawfiq ) granted by Him to His servant -when He singles him out for secret conversation with Him, His remembrance and imploring Him, and that He honours him with meeting ( liqa’ ) with Him, getting closer to Him and answering Him- engrosses man and occupies him from his need which he had presented before Allah. And which pleasure can equal such a pleasure?

Or which joy can be on a par with the joy of being in the presence ( hudur ) of Allah, meeting with Him, whispering to Him, remembering Him and being occupied in gazing at His majesty and beauty. Standing before Allah for supplication is, in itself, a form of being in the presence of Allah, meeting with Him and whispering to Him.