“…for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
(Surah Al-Rad, 13:28)
To be close to our Creator is a fundamental need of every human being and striving to achieve it can be the healing for our chaotic inner selves which, in turn, leads to:
* Allah’s (glorified and exalted be He) love
* Greater productivity
* Confidence
* Satisfaction and joy
Therefore, it is essential to exert effort in seeking closeness to your Creator. To begin with, the prescription to getting closer to Allah requires a few things from you:
* Strong intention to get closer to Allah (glorified and exalted be He)
* Patience
* Consistency
* Avoid doing nothing
Let’s first consider our worth to Allah (glorified and exalted be He). If you want to know your worth to Allah (glorified and exalted be He), then see what you are doing with your life. Are you pleasing Allah (glorified and exalted be He) or disappointing Him?
Don’t like your answer?
Well, there is good news. The fact that you are seeking closeness to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) means He wants you to remember Him. Being productive is very important as a Muslim. It is a sign of Allah’s (glorified and exalted be He) mercy that you have come to seek beneficial knowledge from websites like this one. A righteous deed is like a pearl necklace – when it breaks, all the pearls follow one another quickly.
Abu Huraira (R.A.) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said that Allah (glorified and exalted be He), the Exalted and Glorious said:
“I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.”
(Sahih Muslim).
We need to struggle to achieve great things. The harder the struggle is, the better the outcome becomes. Getting close to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) takes time. We cannot expect everything to magically fall into place by doing a righteous deed. You need to depend on Allah (glorified and exalted be He) and trust that what He has planned for you is the best you can have, for this life and the hereafter.
Here are some tips to achieve closeness to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) (glorified and exalted be He):
1. Dua’a (Supplication)
We forget that we need Allah’s (glorified and exalted be He) help and strength to guide us. When we get too caught up with dunya (this life) we often think we can do it on our own without His help. We have to know that nothing changes without the strength and power of Allah (glorified and exalted be He). We need to ask Him for His help, even if it is to get closer to Him, or become better at worshiping Him. We need to seek refuge in Allah (glorified and exalted be He) in everything. It could be negative thoughts we have, our lack of productivity or even our lack of faith. We need to ask Allah (glorified and exalted be He)to help us and guide us to the Straight Path.
Allah (glorified and exalted be He) says in the Qur’an:
”And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided”
(2:186).
2. Stay Away from Poisons
You need to get any poisons out of your life. Poison has many forms. Fix your heart, by staying away from anything that Allah(glorified and exalted be He) doesn’t love. If you are around friends that make you sin and make you disappoint Allah(glorified and exalted be He), then you need to get them out of your life.
The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
“A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
3. Get to Know Allah [SWT] Through His 99 Beautiful Names
How can you love Allah (glorified and exalted be He) and want to get closer to Him if you don’t know Him that well? We fall in love with people as we get to know them more and realize that they have a lot of beautiful qualities and characteristics. Of course Allah (glorified and exalted be He) is above any analogy, but you need know Him more. Wanting to get closer alone won’t do you any good without falling in love with your Creator. Start with the name of Al-Wadud, the Ever-Loving. Allah’s (glorified and exalted be He) love for you is unconditional. He does not need or want anything from you in return. He loves you so He keeps giving you even if you disobey Him. Ask Allah (glorified and exalted be He) with His 99 Names.He is the One who is closest to you (Qareeb). So ask Him to bring you closer to Him. Call on Him using the name Al-Wadud and ask Him to love you more and make you love Him more. It’s as simple as that. We tend to overthink stuff and forget that if we seek refuge in Allah (glorified and exalted be He), He will make everything easier on us.”
Abu Huraira (Radiy Allahu Anhu) narrates that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
“If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]
…. Continued…