To be Close to Allah - التقرب الی اللہ

اعوذ باللہ من الشیطن الرجیم
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

الحمد للہ رب العلمین ، والصلوۃ والسلام علی رسولہ کریم

In the the name of Allah, the most beneneficient, the most merciful and salutations be upon Prophet Mohammad SAW, the last messenger and guide to this humanity.

Assalam o allaikum My dear respected Brothers, Sisters and elders in Islam,

Many of us have determined the goals in our lives to be to bring comfortability to us and to live this live in the luxury and complete aloofness from the existance of Allah SWT. Sometimes we hear people telling us to correct our course of actions, to correct our goals in order that we maybe able to channel ourselves according to the plan that was set by our Creator. In the midst of all this hustle bustle, we forget that our true purpose was to worship our Sustainer and to earn His Maarifaa, to earn his Qurb and closeness.

Rasulallah SAW says in in one of the hadeeth Qudsi that Allah SWT says:
“…There is nothing liked by me more than what I have prescribed for my servant. And my servant will continue to come close to me by his superrogatory performances till I like him. Whenever I like him, I shall be his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hand that he strikes with, and his leg that he walks with; when he asks me, I will give him and when he seeks refuge in me, I will protect him.”

Rasulallah SAW has relayed through this Hadeeth Qudsi that if one channels his life to be close to Allah SWT, then Allah SWT will grant favours that none of us can imagine. Such favours, that will help us in this dunya to be successful, as well as one that will protect us from the hellfire on the day of Qayyamah.

In order to be close to Allah SWT one can engage in many physical activities that are the starting point of this journey towards our creator. These include, our Fard Salaah and their offering at correct times, our sunan and naafila, dhikr of Allah at all times, our muamlat, our ikhlaq towards His creations and so on and so forth.

Obedience to Allah SWT in its physical form is the most important of the acts. This obedience in return earns us the pleasure of Allah SWT. Allah SWT says in Quran:

وَأَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

And obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) that you may obtain mercy.[]

Obedience of Rasulallah SAW teaches us how to be obedient towards Allah SWT. His actions, his words, his methods of inviting, greeting, and bridging bonds of brotherhood is all a perfect form of interaction with the society which if followed will help us earn our goal; the closeness to Allah SWT. Allah SWT says in the Quran:


مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّى فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), has indeed obeyed Allâh, but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad SAW) as a watcher over them (4:80)

Apart from doing all that is commanded one has to be mindful of the things that are forbidden. One has to refrain and abstain from the unlawful and illegal activities. This abstenance will make us a morally upright person not only in the eyes of this dunya but also in the eyes of our creator.

Allah SWT says in Quran:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُواْ بِاللّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al­Fawâhish (great evil sins) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners with Allâh for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allâh of which you have no knowledge."

When a servant of Allah, who has submitted his will completely, focuses on obeying the commandments of Allah and carry out the supererogatory actions and keeps himself away from the evils and sins, then that servant of Allah gets closer to the creator.

Rasulallah SAW says in a Hadeeth by Anas RA:

“When the servant comes close to Me as far as a spand of a hand, I come to him as far as a forearm; and when he comes to Me as far as a forearm, I come to him as a far as the spand of the outspread arm; and when he comes to Me walking, I come him rushing.” (Bukhari)

My dear respected brothers and sisters,

Any deed that we do knowingly that it is against the teachings of Islam and that it is against the commandment of Allah SWT, then we should know that it makes us go farther away from our Creator.

Our Creator that knows everything about our inner self says in Quran:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein [50:16].

This verse of Quran beautifully explains to us our relationship with Allah SWT that must be realized by each one of us for our guidance and transformation.

To be close to Allah SWT means that first we should know who our Creator is and in order to know that one should know about the ourselves, who we are.

Rasulallah SAW says in a hadeeth:

“Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord.”
“man 'arafa nafsahu faqad 'arafa Rabbahu”

One must look deep inside and make an analysis of the self as well as the world around us and we will see that there is no other conclusion but to accept the bounties and mercy of Allah SWT.

Each one of us have some spiritual feelings and these spritual feelings if guided by the teachings of Quran and Sunnah, can become the means of giving us an understanding of our Creator and his creation.

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

Verily! Allâh will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (13:11)

So, this change has to come from within us. The first step of this journey has to be taken by us. May Allah give us the taufeeq and Istiqama to be obedient servants of Allah SWT.

Wa akhiruhu Dawaana Anilhamdulillahi Rabil Aalimeen.

Delivered at Fredericton Islamic Association, Masjid on May 18, 2007