Prophet Muhammad (saw) said in the Hadith Qudsi:” There is nothing liked by Me (Allah) more than what I have prescribed to My servant. And My servant will continue to come closer to Me with the supererogatory performances till I like him. Whenever I like him, I shall be his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hand that he strikes with, and his leg that he walks with; when he asks Me, I will give him, and when he seeks refuge in Me, I will protect him.”

The above hadith is very important in our private and public life. It encourages us to do the obligatory, the sunnah and the nafilah. It encourages us also to take the initiative to do the good things for us and for others.

The obligatory (fard) activities for our private and public life are considered to be top priority so that Allah will be pleased. The five pillars of Islam and the six articles of faith are considered among the utmost precursors to believe in and to be practiced so that a person is called a Muslim and/or Mu’min.

Our beloved Prophet (saw) informed us of the following:” Islam is built on five: witnessing that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; performing prayer (salah), giving alms (zakat); performing pilgrimage to the House of Allah; and fasting of Ramadhan.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

In another hadith the Prophet (saw) inform us about believe (iman). The Prophet (saw) said:” Faith (Iman) is some seventy branches: the best is the statement of,’There is no worthy lord to be worshipped except Allah’, the lowest of which is the removal of the harm things from the street; and shyness is a branch of Iman.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

To make sure that Allah is pleased with you, try to follow His instructions, His injunctions and His teachings in the Qur’an. Allah says the following in Surah Al-Imran:” And obey God and the apostle; that you may obtain mercy.” (3: 132). 

In order to please Allah you have to try to refrain and to abstain from the lawful (haram), from the illegal, from immoral and even from disdained (makruh), or the suspected (mashbuh). Allah says the following in Surah Al-Maidah:” O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you but commit no excess: for God loves not those given to excess.” (5: 9).

To be close to Allah, we have to do the sunnah and nafilah too. These could be related to salat, zakat, sowm or hajj. The other activities could be related to charity, giving our time, energy, and knowledge to those who are in need of it. To follow the teachings and the instructions of the Prophet (saw) in eating, sleeping, walking, seeing, hearing and doing business, are among the very many activities that bring us close to Allah. To read the Qur’an or to listen to its recitation brings us close to Allah too.

It should be mentioned here that any time we do good or refrain from the bad Allah will be pleased with us. Any time we try to come close to Allah, He will be closer to us too. In one Hadith Qudsi the following was reported:” When the servant comes close to Me (Allah) as far as span of hand, I come to him as far as a forearm; and when he comes to Me as far as a forearm, I come to him as far as the span of the outspread arms; and when he comes to walking, I come to him rushing.” (Bukhari).

Let all of us pray and ask Allah (swt) to help us to abstain from all haram things; let us pray to Allah requesting Him to help us to follow His laws and His orders. Let us pray to Allah pleading our cases to guide us and to help us in taking the initiatives in doing all the obligatories (fard), the sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet) and the extras (nafilah). 

In so doing, we will, Inshaa Allah, be close to Allah (swt). Accordingly, Allah will be pleased with us. Hence, we will be happy in this world and in the hereafter.

We hope and pray to be close to Allah so as to be among His awliya’. These awliya’ are the friends of Allah, and they are not to fear or to grieve. Allah says the following about them in Surah Yunus:” Behold! Verily on the friends of God there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; those who believe and constantly guard against evil; for them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the hereafter: no change can there be in the words of God. This is indeed the supreme felicity.” (10: 62-64).

Let us ask Allah (swt) for His guidance, His mercy and His forgiveness. Allahumma Ameen.

by Dr. Ahmad Hussain Sakr