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Sahih al-Bukhari

كتاب بدء الخلق

Beginning of Creation

Chapter 59Hadith 3235

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ بْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ الأَشْوَعِ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ فَأَيْنَ قَوْلُهُ ‏ {‏ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى * فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى‏} ‏ قَالَتْ ذَاكَ جِبْرِيلُ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ فِي صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ، وَإِنَّهُ أَتَاهُ هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ فِي صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي هِيَ صُورَتُهُ، فَسَدَّ الأُفُقَ‏.‏

I asked Aisha "What about His Statement:-- "Then he (Gabriel) approached And came closer, And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer?" (53.8-9) She replied, "It was Gabriel who used to come to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the figure of a man, but on that occasion, he came in his actual and real figure and (he was so huge) that he covered the whole horizon."

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When Allah wants two hearts to meet, what is the hadith?
A widely quoted teaching states that when Allah wants two people to meet, He makes their paths converge — often summarized as when He wants two hearts to meet, they will meet. Muslims frequently reflect on this narration as a reminder of divine decree (qadar), trust in Allah's plan, and patience regarding relationships and life events. Always verify wording and grading with qualified scholars and authentic sources.