Qurb means nearness of one thing
to another in time and space. Another common usage of the word “Qurb” means the center of
attention of someone or to hold a special place near them. In the physical
world, when we say that A is near B, but both should be material. In case of
Allah (s.w.t.), He has no material body, and He is unlimited, and we cannot
point out towards Him.
Allah (s.w.t.) says in Holy
Qur’an: “…. I certainly am near; I answer the prayers of those who pray.”
(2:186). “We are closer to him than you, but you cannot see.” (56:85). “We
swear that We have created the human being and We know what his soul whispers
to him. We are closer to him than even his jugular vein.” (50:16) “Believers,
listen to Allah and the Messengers when they call you to that which gives you
life. Know that Allah is between a man and his heart….” (8:24)
This journey of nearness takes
place in the man himself by traveling from material intellect to active
intellect, he communicates with the Names and Attributes of Allah (s.w.t.). The
depth and faculties of his existence are strengthened, and he becomes one of
Allah (s.w.t.)’s great signs and manifestations. This spiritual state can be
called “nearness to Allah (s.w.t.). Let me explain material and active
intellect.
Material Intellect: Is a potential state of
understanding. This is the basic intellect.
Active Intellect: It understands concepts and
judgments needing speculative reasoning through self-evident concepts and
judgments.
Allah (s.w.t.) is Merciful and
loves His creatures, there is no one who loves the human beings more and cares
for his needs than his Creator. One day, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was
walking with his companions when he saw a mother bird with her babies in the
nest. She was feeding her babies with utmost tenderness. The companions were
awe-stricken. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “Let me inform you that
Allah (s.w.t.) loves His human beings 70 times more than this mother bird.”
Allah’s blessings are countless. In His infinite Mercy, Allah (s.w.t.) has
promised to multiply the rewards of good deeds by 10 times, while the
punishment of a sin will only be one time. He has ordered his angels to record
a good deed as soon as the intention is made, while a sin is recorded only
after it is committed. A sin can be erased through seeking forgiveness. When
someone loves us, we are naturally drawn to him and would like to be closer to
him. Knowing that one is loved brings peace and joy to the human heart. What
more could the human being asked for than to be loved by the Supreme
Power of the universe.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “Allah (s.w.t.) is more
Merciful on you than you are to yourselves.”
Man has always been in pursuit of
happiness for which he tries everything. There is a difference between
pleasure and happiness. Pleasure relates to the body while happiness is related
to heart. Happiness could be achieved by serving the servants of Allah
(s.w.t.). So, the true happiness is achieved from faith and love for the
Creator. Allah says in Holy Qur’an: “Surely, by the remembrance of Allah are
hearts set at rest.” (13:28)
Hence, a Muslim should strive to
achieve nearness by performing virtuous deeds and be obedient to Him. This is
also confirmed by Imam Baqir (a.s.). It has been related that prayer and zakaat
are the means of nearness to Allah.
When this nearness is achieved,
man becomes Allah (s.w.t.)’s friend and Allah (s.w.t.) becomes man’s friend.
Holy Qur’an says: “(Muhammad), tell them, “If you love Allah, follow me. Allah
(s.w.t.) will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is All-forgiving and
All-merciful” (3:31).
To get the best results, the
prayer and zakaat must be performed sincerely and with proper intentions.
Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.) said:
“Allah (s.w.t.) revealed to Prophet Dawud saying ‘O Dawud, just a humble people
are the nearest people to Allah, the proud ones are the farthest away from
Allah’.”
Humility and good morals or
kindness are secondary acts in obtaining nearness to Allah (s.w.t.) whereas the
primary principle remains understanding and the worship of Allah (s.w.t.). The
Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “O Abu Dharr, worship Allah as if you see Him,
for if you do not see him, He sees you.”
In reply to a question,
Ayatullah Bahjat said: “If the seeker is truthful, abandoning sins suffices for
one’s lifetime even if it is a thousand years. You must act upon what you learn
and be persistent on it. Obey Allah, His Messenger, and the Imams as well as
abandoning sins, in belief and in action.”
Aayatullah Muhsin Qara’ati defines
nearness to Allah as: “Exaltation of the spirit through the ladder of existence
whose consequence is the acquisition of influence in the creation. That is
proximity to the Fountainhead of Creation and finding Him in one’s heart.”
As per Tradition in
Bihar-ul-Anwar: “Man can always get nearer to Allah (s.w.t.) through
recommended prayers”
Intention is very important. Let us examine the following
Ayaats of the Holy Qur’an:
“Fight for the cause of
Allah, those who fight you, but do not transgress, for Allah does not
love transgressors.” (2:190). “There are those among people who give their
lives to seek Allah’s pleasure. Allah is Affectionate to His
servants.” (2:207) “We only feed you for the sake of Allah and we do
not want any reward or thanks from you.” (76:9)
The phrases in bold letters are an
indication of how much importance Allah attaches to the intention for nearness
to Him. Bilal-e-Habashi, the “Muezzin” (caller of prayers) of the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.) had a defect in pronunciation. He would call “sheen” as “seen”.
People criticized him, but the Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “The ‘seen’ of Bilal
is ‘sheen’ for Allah.” Although outwardly his work was defective, since he had
motive for nearness and good intentions, hence he got the status and reward.
To attain nearness to Allah
(s.w.t.), any act must be done for the sake of Allah (s.w.t.) regardless of its
resultant joy or pain.
The servant of Allah is nearest to
Him during prostration. If one weeps in prostration, it is even better.
The Commander of the Faithful,
Imam Ali (a.s.) says in Sermon 108 of Nahjul Balagha: “The best means by which
the seekers of nearness to Allah, The Glorified, The Exalted, seek nearness, is
belief in Him, and His Prophet, fighting in His cause, for it is the high
pinnacle of Islam, and to believe in Kalimatul Ikhlas (the expression
of Divine Purification) for it is just nature and the establishment of prayer
for it is (the basis of) community, payment of zakaat (Islamic tax) for it is a
compulsory obligation, fasting for the month of Ramazaan for it is the shield
against chastisements, the performance of Hajj of the House of Allah (s.w.t.)
and its Umrah (other than annual visit) for these two acts banish poverty and
wash away sins, regard for kinship for it increases wealth and length of life,
to giving alms secretly for it covers shortcomings, giving alms openly for it
protects against a bad death and extending benefits (to people) for it saves
from position of disgrace.”
To seek nearness to Allah
(s.w.t.), we should: Recite and understand the Holy Qur’an and practice its
commands.
- Remember Allah (s.w.t.) through
supplications and prayers.
- Seek His forgiveness for our sins.
(Revised
the original publication of March 12, 2013)
