Easiest ways to get close to Allah (S.W.T)
It is an inherent desire of Muslims either practicing or non-practicing, sinner or non-sinner to get close to Allah (S.W.T). But the question is how to get close to Allah, and more particularly the easiest way to get nearer to the Almighty Lord of the Universe. Please bear with use, because it is this is going to be a long read where we will discuss the rituals, prayers, duas, and deeds which are commanded in the Quran, performed and prescribed by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and strictly followed by Auliya Kara’am, Sufi saints and preached by renowned scholars of Islam, and these people were and are amongst those closest to Allah (S.W.T), who got love and affection of Allah through their Ibadat (Prayers), Duas, good deeds, thankfulness, humility, patience, and perseverance. These were also the traits of all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (S.W.T).
How to get close to Allah
First, let’s have a look at this Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that: “Allah says: ‘Whoever takes a close friend of Mine as an enemy, I declare war on him. My slave does not draw closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than that which I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave continues to draw closer to Me by doing nafl (supererogatory) deeds until I love him, and if I love him I will be his hearing with which he hears, his vision with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. If he were to ask of Me, I would surely give to him; if he were to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge. I do not hesitate about anything that I want to do as I hesitate to take the soul of a believer, for he hates death and I hate to hurt him.” (Al Bukhari)
That in view, the foremost condition to get close to Allah (S.W.T) is to have a firm belief in “Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and in the Taqdir, that all good and bad is from Allah the Most High and I believe in the resurrection after death”. This is Im’aan-e-Mufassal.
After having a firm and unwavering belief on the above and abstaining from major & minor sins, the second condition is performing the following obligatory acts / prayers. Which are also the five pillars of Islam. These five pillars are the core beliefs in Islam. Through performing these practices one can establish a firm belief in “Iman-e-Mufassal”.
The 5 Pillars of Islam:
- Profession of Faith, i.e. “There is no God, but Allah (S.W.T) and Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessings be upon him) is the last Messenger of Allah”.
- Prayers (Salah): is performing the five (5) daily fardh (Obligatory) prayers.
- Alms (Zakat): is paying a fixed amount from their income to the needy & poor.
- Fasting (Saum): is observing the month of Ramadan by abstaining from food & drinks for on month.
- Pilgrimage (Hajj): is visiting the Holy Ka’aba at least once in our lifetime, if we are financially well off.
The above acts are fardh (obligatory) and must be performed at all cost. The regular performance of the above acts can get us closer to Allah (S.W.T). The servant can only approach Allah (S.W.T) with these obligatory prayers.
Since the above act are obligatory and must be performed at all cost, there are certain practices/prayers which are called “supererogatory prayers”. These are the prayers which can really get you closer to Allah (S.W.T) and one can get the blessings and barakah of the Lord Almighty. The following are some of the Supererogatory Prayers that one can perform.
Supererogatory prayers:
- Tahajjud (Night prayers):
Tahajjud Prayers are minimum 2 rakahs prayers which can be performed in the last third of the night, before the Fajr Prayers. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) has greatly emphasized the performance of Tahajjud prayers because of its enormous benefits for Muslims and a sure way to please our Lord Almighty, Allah (S.W.T). The following are few hadith regarding the night prayers (Tahajjud).
“When the Prophet (ﷺ) got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer, he used to say: Allahumma lakal-hamd. Anta qaiyyimus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd, Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd, anta nurus-samawati wal-ard. Wa lakal-hamd, anta-l-haq wa wa’duka-lhaq, wa liqa’uka Haq, wa qauluka Haq, wal-jannatu Han wan-naru Haq wannabiyuna Haq. Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu’alaihi wasallam, Haq, was-sa’atu Haq. Allahumma aslamtu Laka wabika amantu, wa ‘Alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khasamtu, wa ilaika hakamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama’a lantu, anta-l-muqaddim wa anta-l-mu akh-khir, la ilaha illa anta (or la ilaha ghairuka). (O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth And all the praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth; And all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth And Paradise is true And Hell is true And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad is true, And the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah ! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, And with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) And I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous And future sins; And whatever I concealed or revealed And You are the One who make (some people) forward And (some) backward. There is none to be worshipped but you . Sufyan said that `Abdul Karim Abu Umaiya added to the above, ‘Wala haula Wala quwata illa billah’ (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Chapter Tahajjud bil Layl)
In another Hadith:
In the lifetime of the Prophet (Muhammad S.A.W) whosoever saw a dream would narrate it to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). I had a wish of seeing a dream to narrate it to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) I was a grown up boy and used to sleep in the Mosque in the lifetime of the Prophet. I saw in the dream that two angels caught hold of me and took me to the Fire which was built all round like a built well and had two poles in it and the people in it were known to me. I started saying, “I seek refuge with Allah from the Fire.” Then I met another angel who told me not to be afraid. I narrated the dream to Hafsa who told it to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). The Prophet said, “Abdullah is a good man. I wish he prayed Tahajjud.” After that `Abdullah (i.e. Salim’s father) used to sleep but a little at night. (Sahih Al-Bukhari Chapter Fadle Qiya’am Al Layl)
Besides the above, there are a number of ahadith that signifies the importance of Tahajjud prayers. Thajjud prayer is a sure way to get closer to Allah and get His blessings. As reported by Abu Hurairah that Messenger of Allah says that: Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the first part of the night is over and says: I am the Lord; I am the Lord: who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to beg of Me so that I grant him? Who is there to beg forgiveness from Me so that I forgive him? He continues like this till the day breaks.
Therefore, we must strive to perform Tahajjud Prayers as it is the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet and a prayer that Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala loves the most.
- 2. Nafal Prayers:
Nafal Prayers (Nimaz) are 2 rakat (units) optional (non-obligatory) prayers that can be performed along with Fardh (Obligatory Prayers). Nafal prayers can get you extra rewards whereas not performing them is not considered sinful. Tahajjud Prayers are also Nafal Prayers. It is recommended that on daily basis, at least 2 Ra’kah of Nafal Prayers be offered to get maximum rewards from Allah (S.W.T) and get nearer to the Lord Almighty.
- Salat-e-Tauba:
Salat-e-Tauba is also Nafal Prayers, which are 2 rakat. It is recommended to offer Salat-e-Tauba (Prayers for repentance) whenever one commits a sin and thereafter makes a sincere dua and do “Astaghfa’ar”. However, one must have a firm conviction not repeat that sin. Allah (S.W.T) accepts the Salat-e-Tauba of a person who sincerely repent for his sins and who vows not to repeat it again. Performing the prayer for repentance is also one such act that Allah (S.W.T) loves the most, and loves watching his servant repent for his sins and come back on track to the righteous path.
- Astaghfar (Repentance):
Another supererogatory act that Allah (S.W.T) loves is watching His servant repent for his sins and constantly seek pardon for his wrong doings. Therefore, we must always seek forgiveness for our known, unknown, voluntarily or involuntarily sins. We must repent and seek forgiveness for our first and our last sin. Besides that, we must also seek forgiveness for the sins or wrong doings of our parents, our siblings and our children. Truly, through our constant repentance we may get closer to Allah (S.W.T).
At HeejIslam we have an article about Astaghfar (repentance), please go and have a read.
- Dhikr (Remembrance):
Keep in mind that the highest form of Dhikr (Remembrance) is offering Salah (prayers) on time. Then, is the recitation of the Holy Quran and recommended Duas of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). After regularly performing all the obligatory acts of prayers, we must strive to reach the higher ranks through constant Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah (S.W.T). The Lord Almighty loves his servant who is busy in His remembrance day and night. Whether he eats, he starts with the greatest name of Allah. Whether he goes out of home, or driving his car, even going to the restroom the servant remembers Allah (S.W.T). Ibn Al-Qayyim says that “If you could hear the sound of the pens of the Angels writing your name amongst those who remember Allah, you’d die out of joy”.
Therefore, to reach the highest ranks and closer to Allah, we must always remember him through Dhikr of Allah’s glorious names.
- Making Dua:
Dua means to ask everything from the One who is the Creator of the Universe and the mankind. He, the Almighty becomes happy when his servants ask from him. Surah Fatiha is dua, and we affirm in this Chapter that “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.” Therefore, we must always ask from Allah (S.W.T) whatever we desires or require, we must only ask from Him, and He surely will provide because He is Ar-Raza’aq (The Provider).
Performing the obligatory rituals is our duty which we must perform at all cost for which we are subjected to an audit in the hereafter. The above five were some of the supererogatory acts/prayers through which we must strive to perform regularly but if we missed them at times we won’t be questioned about that but we will miss out on achieving the highest rewards from Allah and getting closer to Him. Therefore, along with the obligatory prayers, we must try to perform at least the above supererogatory acts.
We have mentioned the bare minimum acts that we have to perform to get the love of Allah and get nearer to him. In our endeavor to get the highest ranks, we must also adopt good manners and perform the good deeds. Some of which are mentioned as under:
Manners and good deeds to get close to Allah (S.W.T)
- Good Manners & Character:
Good manners holds utmost importance in Islam because all the Prophets (may Allah be pleased with them) had good manners and all of them were of good character. Ibn Al-Qayyim highlights the importance of good manners in the following words.
“Deen itself is manners. Anyone surpassing you in manners is better than you in deen”
Allah loves a man having good manners, good character and morally sound. Therefore, a Muslim must strive to adopt good manners.
- Always telling the truth:
The servant striving to get nearer to Allah never tells a lie no matter what nor does he deceive others. The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) has taught us to “speak the truth even if it’s bitter”. It is also mentioned in the Quran in Surah A’sr “to stand by the truth”.
- Being respectful:
The servant seeking the love of Allah (S.W.T) must always remain kind and respectful towards everyone he’s dealing with, especially the elderly and the children. He/she must also be respectful towards his spouse. As an example, the Prophet Muhammad was always respectful towards his wives, the beloved Prophet use to consult with his wives various matters in a very cordial and respectful manner. He was respectful towards kids, he loved his daughters, he loved his grandsons Imam Hassan & Hussain (May Allah be pleased with them).
Therefore, we need to adopt these traits of the Prophet Muhammad, if we really want to get close to Allah (S.W.T).
- Observe cleanliness:
We all know that “cleanliness is half of the faith” therefore we must remain clean and not only take care of our body but also our clothes, the place we live in, the place where we work. Not to litter the streets, the roads, the markets, our city and our country. We need to take care of it as we are the creation of the Lord Almighty, and need to be thankful for his creation and look after it.
- Helping the poor and the needy:
Allah (S.W.T) loves the act of helping a deserving person. If the Lord Almighty has been kind to us with his provisions then it’s our duty to look after the poor and needy folks. Not only that we must also look for in our relatives, in our neighborhood if someone needs any monetary help or need food, etc. By becoming a helping hand, Allah (S.W.T) will bestow us with His blessings, and provide for us from where we can’t even imagine. Moreover, He will help us in testing times and take us out of problems and calamities just because we had been helpful to someone who really needed our help.
- Earn Halal refrain from Haram:
Earning haram is a major sin, there is no doubt about that. Haram rizk mostly becomes major problems in our lives, but we don’t realize it. It takes barakah from our lives, our lives becomes miserable, We become prone to diseases, our kids will be sick more often. Moreover, the mostly cursed act forbidden in Islam is dealing with Interest (Riba). It has been mentioned very elaborately in Surah Baqarah. Therefore, we must also refrain from Riba (called “Sood” in Urdu). Therefore, we must refrain from Haram and strive to earn halal rizk through our hard work even if it is less. Allah loves a man who earn halal livelihood through his hard work.
Well, volumes of books have been written on good manners, morally sound character and performing good deeds. We haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg regarding this topic but besides the above we must also keep in mind to talk less, eat moderately, don’t gossip, abstain from back biting, waste our time, be lazy. We should be mindful to strictly adhere to these traits in order to be a better person, a better Muslim and become one of the closest servants of Allah (S.W.T).
Conclusion
If you have reached this far reading this article, the summary of what we have mentioned here is mentioned in Quran in Surah Asr and its translation is: By the ˹passage of˺ time! Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance.
The above four commandments of Surah Asr encompasses everything that we have discussed, and by strictly adhering to these only then one can attain the love of Allah (S.W.T) and get close to Him, the Almighty.
May Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala help us in our endeavors, and make this path of getting closer to Him easy for all of us who are willing to stride on the righteous path. A’ameen.
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