Seeking Closeness To Allah (Waseelah To Him)

[SAFAH]

Bismillah.

 

 

Seeking Closeness to Allah (Waseelah to Him)

 

We all wish to seek Waseelah to Allah, i.e. to approach Him and to get closer to Him. Obviously, if we are closer to Allah, we will enjoy numerous benefits in this life and the hereafter. If Allah is happy with us, our Duas can be responded to faster, He will protect us from the challenges of this life, and in general we can enjoy a better life.

 

In this article based on the sermon by Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al-Saadi mentioned in Fawakih Ash-Shahiyyah (p. 36), we see that getting close to Allah is not that difficult.

Consider this verse of Surah Al-Maeda (Chapter 5):

O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him. And seek the Waseela (means of approach to Him), and strive hard in His Cause (as much as you can), so that you may be successful. (

Quran

, 5:35)

 

In the above verse, “seek the Wasilah to Him”, pertains to drawing close to Allah by adhering to the pillars of Faith, the laws of Islam and acts of Ihsan (excellence in the religion).

Let’s remember that many have been misguided to seek Wasilah to Him through other people and illegal means. As for he who seeks the means of approach to Allah by mentioning the grade and status that some of His creation have with Him, he is an innovator in the religion and an unjust person. Also, he who invokes the creation for help and relief, claiming that he is seeking a means of approach to Allah through them, then he is a Mushrik (polytheist) and a disbeliever.

Seeking closeness to Allah comes through our own actions and not through other people. In his sermon, Sheikh Saadi states the following as some of the ways we can get close to Allah.

• Invoke Allah by His names and attributes: He who worships Allah and invokes Him by His Names and Attributes, has sought the best means of approach to Him.
  
• Recognize Allah’s favors and bounties on you: He who invokes Allah on account of His favors, bounties, generosity and kindness, will have sought the path of the chosen righteous believers.
  
• Avoid what Allah has disallowed: He who seeks the means of approach to Allah by avoiding what He has disallowed and working for His pleasure, will no doubt earn all that is good and righteous. He, who seeks the means of approach to Allah by mentioning his need and meekness to Him, will have used the best way of drawing closer to Him.
  
• Be dutiful to parents and keep your relations: Seek the means of approach to Allah by being dutiful to parents and keeping relations with your kith and kin, for Allah keeps relations wíth those who do so and severs relations with those who shun their relatives.
  
• Be kind to His creation: Seek the means of approach to Allah by being kind to His creation, for He likes the good-doers.
  
• Trust in Allah for all your matters: Seek the Wasilah to Allah by fearing Him and hoping and trusting in Him, for Allah loves those who trust in Him.
  
• Dhikr and Forgiveness: Remember Allah always by your words and seek His forgiveness, for truly, those who remember Allah in Dhikr will acquire ultimate happiness. In general, we should invoke Allah by praying often, reciting His Speech with humbleness and humility.
  
• Love your prophet: Seek the means of approach to Allah by loving your Prophet and reciting the Salát (blessings upon him) for his benefit. Surely, he who often recites the Salát on the Prophet, then Allah will suffice for him concerning all his needs. When one says Salát once on the Prophet (S.A.W.S.), Allah will give him ten times that Salát, and he will earn the Prophet’s love and Shafá’ (right to intercede with Allah on his behalf on the Day of Judgement) by Allahs Leave.
  
• Be kind to the orphans: Seek Allahs pleasure by being kind to the orphans, the weak and even with animals. Surely, Allah gives merey to those among His slaves who are merciful.
  
• Clean your heart: Seek Allah by riddíng your hearts from all types of sin, envy and rage on Muslims, and by offering sincere advice and being compassionate with all creation.
  
• Abandon the evil inner self commands: Seek the Wasilah to Allah by abandoning whatever evil and sin the inner-self commands one to do, lusts and desires; protect your sight from illegal things, preserve your tongue from uttering evíl and stay away from all types of beliefs, actions and statements that Allah has disallowed.
  
• Develop perfect sincerity in your actions: Seek the Wasilah to Allah by developing perfect sincerity in your actions. and obeying Allah’s Messenger. Allah willing, if you do this, you will earn all that you seek, that is good and beneficial.
  

Source: Based on the sermon by Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al-Saadi mentioned in Fawakih Ash-Shahiyyah (p. 36).

 

Let’s remember that for those of us who feel the need to get closer to Him, let’s be sincere and focused in the above and we will feel that closeness.

Finally, let’s review this hadith by the prophet where he tells us about what Allah mentions about us getting closer to Him:

Narrated by Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle (Peace be Upon Him) Said,

Allah SWT Said,

I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of mine. and the most beloved things with which my slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him;

And my slave keeps on coming closer to me through performing Nawafil (Prayer or Doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks;

And if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks my protection, I will protect him; and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” [bukhari Sharif Volume 8, Book 76, Number 509]