Outline
- Introduction
- Close to God: Two Types of Closeness
- What Does it Mean to Be Close to God?
- How Do I Get Close to God?
- Once Loved By God
- Conclusion
Introduction
Alhamdulillah… infinite praise and thanks are due to the Almighty Allah who has brought Himself down closer to good doers among His servants. Complete peace and blessings be upon our master of all time, Sayyidinā Muhḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path.
As humans, many things keep us motivated for doing good and righteousness. The same way that many things that keep us happy. However, no matter what motivates you and no matter what keeps you happy, there’s one thing most of us, if not all of us, ask constantly. That is: how do I know I’m close to God? If I am close to God, how close am I?
This article shares a few tips that will enhance your effort towards getting closer to God. It hopes that once your efforts are enhanced, you can be more hopeful to be close to God. The good news is, you can achieve this within your natural capacity. In other words, it doesn’t require you to do anything impossible to get there. All it requires is that you’re aware about them. So let’s get started.
Close to God: Two Types of Closeness
Being close to God can be categorised into two types. They’re being close in proximity and being close by the virtue of love and fondness.
By the virtue of proximity, everyone is close to God. The believer and the disbeliever. Likewise the kind and the unkind. As well as the grateful and the ungrateful. No effort is required from your part. As long as you’ve been brought into existence.
This is because He is with each of us at all times. Thus, He knows what you’re thinking about, let alone what you’re doing. This is understood from Sūrah Qāf, when the Almighty God says:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ ﴿١٦﴾ـ
“We created man, and We know the promptings of his soul, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein” (Sūrah Qāf, 50:16).
The other type of being close to God, which is the point of this discussion, is when every single effort from your side counts. Every single thought, desire, intention, hope, wish, hate and action counts. In other words, your performance in achieving or fulfilling the purpose of your existence in this part of life determines your success in achieving this part. When you achieve that, you get close to Him by the virtue of love and fondness.
Thus, it doesn’t come naturally. It doesn’t happen by chance nor by luck. You definitely have to work on it in many ways. For instance, as much as you have to be practical, you have to be spiritual.
Practically, you have to put God’s commands into practice. Spiritually, you have to constantly, through prayers–du‘ā, seek divine intervention, guidance and protection.
What Does it Mean to Be Close to God?
This section aims to briefly highlight what it means to be close to God. It also clears some misconceptions regarding being close to God. So feel free to reread it, if you think you really need to. But I’m sure, from now on in this article, you’re informed that “being close to God” refers to the context of the second category. Aren’t you? Great!
Being close to God is a reward for which you must upfront pay a price. That price is prioritizing Allah and His commands over our desires. This means being submissive to His commands, observing what He likes and abstaining from all that He dislikes. This means you should be actively proactive. For you can’t pay this price while you’re in suspense.
In other words, when you’re close to God, you do what He has prescribed upon you as a servant and a chosen creature of His. When you’re close to God, you’re conscious of Him and mindful of His boundaries.
Additionally, when you’re close to God, you are quick to repentance, whenever you fall to your weakness, as a human being. This is because as much as you’re hopeful in His Mercy, you’re equally fearful of His wrath. Aren’t you?
Once that is achieved, you attain His love, care and protection. Moreover, those who are close to Him become His allies, upon whom there’s no fear and in whose hearts worry does not exist.
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّـهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٦٢﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿٦٣﴾ لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿٦٤﴾ـ
“Those who are close to God shall certainly have no fear, nor shall they grieve. For those who believe and are mindful of God, there is good news in this life and in the Hereafter: the Word of God shall never change. That is the supreme triumph” (Sūrah Yūnus, 10:62-64).
I pray that He grants you and me the willpower to work towards that. Āmīn!
Here, it’s really worth emphasizing that even when you’re close to God, you will continue to be tested and trialed. In fact, more than what any ordinary Joe will experience. And certainly less than the chosen Prophets and Messengers have ever experienced. First, because life on earth is meant to be for tests only, after which you will be awarded according to your performance. And second, it’s these tests that determine who deserves closeness to Him and who doesn’t.
تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿١﴾ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ ﴿٢﴾
“Blessed is He in whose hand is the Kingdom: He has power over all things; (1) He created death and life so that He might test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct. He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving One” (Sūrah al-Mulk, 67:1-2).
How Do I Get Close to God?
How we get close to Allah is determined by how we impress Him. Here, I use the word impress, rather than doing things sincerely, because in the end they both imply the same. But let me briefly explain.
When we carry out acts (especially acts of worship) to impress fellow human, we lose any rewards that are supposed to be granted by Allah. But if we ignore our fellow humans’ perceptions and thoughts about us, and then aim only for His pleasure, that’s when we impress Him.
For instance, when one of us wants to impress his parents, spouse, boss, or someone else, whom he loves dearly or holds in a high esteem, he does everything that pleases him. He also shows excitement in responding to his demands (calls to action). Think of how a mother grants an unconditional response to the needs of her little one. Think of the person you can’t spend a whole day without setting an eye on him or her.
Now, when that person calls you, it could be for anything. It could be for a chit-chat. It could also be to advice you. In fact, it could be to reward you. It could also be to correct some mistakes he’s observed you doing. In any case, he will call you with the name that undoubtedly implies closeness between you both.
Amazingly, that’s exactly how God deal with us. In other words, that’s how God gets us close to Him. Really? Yes! Follows is how.
You can notice that Allah uses that same analogy to bring His loved ones closer to Him. He uses it to call them to action. When calling them to action, He describes them with ‘Believers’. This is to re-ensure and reaffirm the bond and trust, and the love between Him and them. Let’s take a read at (some examples of) what He asks of them when He addresses them with ‘Believers':
O Believers…
- “Believe in Allah, and His, and the Scripture that He has sent down to His Messenger, as well as the Scripture that He sent down before…” (al-Nisā’, 4: 136).
- “Be strict in upholding justice and bear witness for the sake of Allah, even though it be against yourselves, your parents or kindred” (al-Nisā’, 4:135).
- “Seek help through patience and prayer; verily Allah is with the steadfast” (al-Baqarah, 2:135).
- “Spend out of what We have given you, before the Day comes when there will be neither trading, friendship nor intercession” (al-Baqarah, 2:254).
- “Do not wrongfully consume each other’s wealth” (al-Nisā’, 4:29).
- “Do not cancel your charities with reminders and hurtful words” (al-Baqarah , 4:264).
- “Fulfill your contracts” (al-Mā’idah, 5:1).
- “Fear Allah and give up what still due to you from usury” (al-Baqarah, 2:278).
- “Fear Allah and be among the trustworthy” (al-Taubah, 9:119).
- “Fear Allah and say the right word” (al-Aḥzāb, 33:70).
- “Safeguard yourselves and your family from Fire fuelled by people and stones “ (al-Taḥrīm, 66:8).
- “Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet” (al-Ḥujurāt, 49:1).
- “O Prophet, tell your wives, and your daughters, and the wives of the believers to bring down over themselves parts of their outer garments (al-Aḥzāb, 33:59).
- “Tell the believing men to reduce some of their vision” (lower their gaze) (al-Nūr, 24:30).
- “Tell the believing women to reduce some of their vision… they shouldn’t walk in the way that will expose the beauty they are hiding!” (al-Nūr, 24:31).
These are 15 examples of the actions Allah has called you (and me) to observe or be mindful of.
No doubt, you are a believer. But how much time we make to commit to them are really the determinant of whether one is a believer or not. And thus, it likely determines how close or far we can be to or from Him, subḥāhū wa ta‘ālā.
All this goes without the need to emphasize, that impressing God is by good deeds and righteous actions. It’s not achieved by remaining theoretical and philosophical.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِلَّـهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ـ
“Believers… Respond to Allah (obey Him) and to His Messenger, when he calls you to that which gives you life. Know that God stands between man and his heart, and you shall all be gathered in His presence” (Sūrah al-Anfāl, 8:24).
Once Loved By God
As indicated above, one becomes close to God by default if he succeeds in getting to be loved by Him. In my article, Winning Allah’s Love: 9 Righteous Deeds that Earn You the Virtue of Being Loved By Allah, I outlined some nine deeds which Allah loves from you. Click here to take a look.
Conclusion
No one can tell you how close or far you are to or from God. Nor is there anyone who can predict the extent of the gap between Him and you. But there’re some boundaries which He has set, that if you observe them with sincerity, you’re hoped to be close to Him. Likewise, when you undermine those boundaries or abuse them, it will then be feared that you are deviating from getting close to Him.
O Allah, include us among those whom You’ve guided. Keep us among those You’ve kept close to You. Grant us the strength we need to remain steadfast. And always bestow Your complete mercy upon us and our loved ones. Amin!
I hope this article has succeeded in reminding you and the writer about the importance of getting close to Him and the deeds that serve as parameters in your journey towards that.
Whether it has succeeded in doing that or otherwise, please do let me. Also, I’ll very much appreciate it, if you will share it with your loved ones on the various social media platforms. Let’s get close to God together.
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Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
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