Answer
Short Answer:
- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) tells us that God promises to reach out to us many times as much as we try to reach out to Him, as long as our effort is sincere and our intention is genuine.
- You can get closer to God through a series of simple steps, but the trick is to be persistent, because Prophet Muhammad tells us that God loves persistent, regular and consistent good deeds and acts of worship, even if they’re not too elaborate, what matters is that they become a habit, so that they would have a life-changing effect. Follow these 5 beautiful steps to get closer to Allah.
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Being a New Muslim, How Can I Get Closer to Allah?
Salam Dear Ann and welcome to Islam,
Thank you for this good question. Getting closer to God is something all of us should strive to do all the time, regardless of our level of faith. And the good news is: it’s not too difficult.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) tells us that God promises to reach out to us many times as much as we try to reach out to Him, as long as our effort is sincere and our intention is genuine.
You can get closer to God through a series of simple steps, but the trick is to be persistent, because Prophet Muhammad tells us that God loves persistent, regular and consistent good deeds and acts of worship, even if they’re not too elaborate, what matters is that they become a habit, so that they would have a life-changing effect. You will need to:
1- Get to Know God
Start a life-long interactive relationship with God. God is not just a concept, He’s really there, and He knows you and listens to you, so talk to Him and listen to Him talk to you through His words in the Quran.
Learn about Him, get to know Him through his 99 names and attributes, read His book, follow His messenger, and learn and apply His commands and prohibitions. This is easier said than done. You need to dedicate time and effort to learn and apply a little everyday and accumulate knowledge over time. And remember that the best way to retain knowledge is to practice it and to teach it to others.
2- Get to Know Yourself
Dedicate some time daily to focus inwards to really know the true you and create peace with yourself. Learn how your body and mind function, and how your emotions work, this is how the Quran instructs us to start; by looking at the amazing miracles we call our bodies.
Love yourself and appreciate how you were created in order for you to love your magnificent Creator. Think of why you’re here in this life and set a goal for yourself to achieve as a mission. Give your life purpose and direction, because when you’re working to meet God’s expectations of you it will inevitably get you closer to Him.
3- Get to Know Your Environment
The Quran also instructs us to look around us at God’s amazing creation and contemplate. Contemplation is a highly rewarded worship in Islam.
Think of yourself as part of an intricate structure, the circle of life, and start giving back as much as you’re taking from it, without expecting reciprocation, just give because it feels good to give. Use the powerful energy you gained from knowing yourself and your God to relate to your surroundings and interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures, both Muslim & non-Muslim, as well as with nature, resources and time.
Attuning to God, yourself and your surroundings bring about a new level of heightened awareness that gives everything a much deeper meaning, and gives you a totally new perspective on life.
Strive to be proactive, effective, successful, caring, giving, humble, honest, strong and loving, not just because these are good manners, but because these are good deeds rewarded highly in Islam. And remember you have a great practical example for exemplary manners in Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The Quran names him as our leader to God.
4- Balance Your Life
All of us have 3 spheres in our lives: self, work and relationships. Most people focus on one and neglect the other two, which result in a strained and unfulfilled life.
Focusing only on self makes us selfish and arrogant, focusing only on work makes us materialistic machines, and focusing only on relationships makes us worthless pleasure seekers.
Islam teaches that all three are interconnected and interrelated, they’re one unit, and we have to put a good amount of effort into all of them in order to lead a balanced, healthy life. You’ll notice that in the Quran, when faith is mentioned, it is always coupled with doing good deeds, and in the tradition of the Prophet, good manners is defined a mark of true faith.
In other words, rearranging your priorities according to Islamic teachings, and applying the Islamic principles in every aspect of your life is your shortest way to God.
5- Pray On Time
You’re closest to God when your forehead is on the ground in prostration, and God loves prayer on time as the best deed from a believer. Making the basic worships He mandated on you is the shortest way to Him according to Prophet Muhammad. So make those simple worships a daily habit with your heart and mind totally cleared, opened and receptive to God’s love. It’s a life-changing experience.
I hope this answers your question, please keep in touch and update us with your progress.
And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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