Almighty Allah, in Surah Qaf, says that He is closer to us than our jugular vein. Whether we fulfill all our obligations or not, He watches over us and knows what is in our hearts. Thus, a believer’s ultimate goal should be to seek closeness to Allah (SWT). Fulfilling all obligatory duties like prayers, zakat, Hajj, and fasting with utmost sincerity can be the first step towards drawing closeness to Allah.
We must also understand and implement the Holy Quran’s teachings to build a close relationship with Him.
The remembrance of Allah is the best form of remembrance. Besides performing obligatory prayers and reciting the Quran, a Muslim’s most powerful weapon is supplication. Thus, we must engage in daily Zikr of Allah the Exalted.
“When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed near (to them): I listen to the invocations of every supplicant when he calls on Me” (Surah Baqarah: 186)
What are Islamic Duas to Get Close to Allah (SWT)?
When you love someone, you seek to be closer to them to enjoy a fulfilling relationship. Feeling loved brings immense peace and joy to the heart. Imagine how a person would feel to be loved by the most Supreme One. True happiness can only be derived from the love for our Lord, who created us.
To achieve closeness to Allah (SWT), we must first practice Zikr – Remembrance of Allah. According to several narrations, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to make remembrance of Allah throughout the day. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) once narrated, “Let your tongue be always busy with the remembrance of Allah.” (Ahmad)
Zikr is indeed among the best of deeds. Making dua is the best and most powerful way to be nearer to Almighty Allah.
“Call on Me, I will respond to your prayer. But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves humiliated in Hell” (Surah Ghafir, 60)
Thus, we must first try and built a close relationship with our Lord by making dua to Him. Through this Quranic Verse, we know that He loves it when His slaves call upon Him.
↓9. Short and easy Zikr
“The uttering of “Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), La Ilaha Illallah (there is no true god except Allah) and Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great)’ is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.” (Imam Muslim)
↓8. Surah Ar-Ra’d
↓7. Astaghfar
Astaghfar is the Arabic word for seeking Allah’s (SWT) forgiveness. The guilt after sinning can keep a believer from establishing a close and sincere relationship with the Lord. Thus, we must seek forgiveness to release the burden of our misconduct.
Moreover, repentance is a virtue that is loved by Almighty Allah. It is seen as humbly returning to Allah.
↓6. Duas for Protection from Shaitaan
In addition to fulfilling the five key obligations, we must also strive to protect ourselves from harm and evil. Thus, we must seek Allah’s (SWT) protection and safety from Shaitaan’s evil whisperings. We recommend including this dua in our daily supplication to seek Allah’s help in abstaining from that which is forbidden.
↓5. Quranic Verses
As our Lord loves His beings, He has bestowed upon us several favors. He has sent us a book of rules for our guidance, promising to grant rewards for the obeyers and punishment for those who disobey. The Holy Quran serves as a reminder about our purpose and moral duties and provides us solutions regarding our social and individual problems. By reciting verses every day, we will build a close relationship with the Quran, a building block of establishing a close connection with Allah.
↓4. Calling upon Allah
Allah (SWT), As-Samee (The All-Hearing), loves it when His people call onto Him. He listens to all His servants who pray to Him, regardless of their languages. We must utilize the power of Dua to call onto Allah (SWT) to attain His Companionship. We often feel abandoned when things don’t go according to plan and believe that He doesn’t respond to our prayers. However, we must remember that Allah (SWT) always acknowledges and responds. When making supplication, we must always pray with the hope that our prayers will be answered.
↓3. Prayers for strengthening Imaan
Material wealth and success are among the top reasons straying Muslims from the true path of happiness. Besides praying for a deep connection with Almighty Allah, we must also pray to Him to guard our Imaan (Faith).
↓2. Shahadah
The above Ayah from Surah Fateha is a dua for gaining the righteous path. It shows that the only way a Muslim can receive the Almighty’s guidance is through Tawheed. It is simply putting one’s complete faith in considering Allah (SWT) as the Sole Creator of the universe and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as the Last Prophet. This Ayah is also recited after each obligatory prayer and serves to get nearer to the Creator.
↓1. Salah
To establish nearness to Allah, the Exalted, we must fulfill our daily obligations, including the five Salahs. Additionally, we must make Nawafil Salah (voluntary prayer). Prayer has been granted to us as a gift by Allah (SWT) to turn to him with utmost sincerity, to be connected with Him.
It is recommended to recite these Ayahs during and after performing Salahs; when one is most engrossed in prayers.
Things to remember when seeking Allah’s (SWT) Companionship
“..bow down in prostration and bring yourself closer (to Allah).” (Quran, 96:19). We must indulge in more prayers, particularly Nafl and Tahajjud, to gain nearness to Him.
However, you must also note that being connected to Allah (SWT) doesn’t mean being away or disconnected from others. Instead, to find nearness to Him, we must first look after people, especially sick or oppressed people.
Allah (SWT) says, “He who comes closer to Me one span, I come closer to him a cubit; and he who comes closer to Me a cubit, I come closer to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). We must remember to continue making sincere efforts by simply calling onto Him.
One may seek help from obligatory and non-obligatory duties; however, we should also remember to work on our characters. Those who are arrogant or possess bad character may never get close to Allah (SWT).
One good idea is to isolate oneself from bad company, particularly those that backbite, slander others, miss Salah, and commit other sins.
