How can I get closer to Allah Ta’ala?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

We are pleased to know you perform your Salah, recite Qur’an and also make zikr.

You enquire how you could get closer to Allah Ta’ala. If you wish to travel to another town, you could either walk by yourself or seek the assistance of a vehicle, in which case you will reach your destination faster and without difficulty. Your present A’maal will make you close to Allah Ta’ala. However, if you adopt the vehicle of a spiritual guide to transport you on your spiritual journey to Allah Ta’ala, you will attain the closeness of Allah Ta’ala sooner and without much difficulty.

A spiritual guide is like a physical doctor. He is an expert in medicine. He understands the temperament and reaction of the body and diagnoses sickness according to his experience. If the patient follows the guidance of the doctor, he recovers faster than treating himself. In fact, if one treats himself, he could err and his health could deteriorate to the point of even being fatal.

A spiritual guide will be able to diagnose your spiritual illness and if you follow his guidance, he will cleanse you internally. Your spiritual performance will increase and you will attain closeness to Allah Ta’ala in a short time. While Salah, tilaawat of Qur’an and zikr are beneficial, they are not sufficient. A high performance of a motor vehicle is dependent on cleansing the engine. A vehicle with a dirty engine does not give one a smooth and comfortable ride.

Our peace and happiness in life depends on cleansing ourselves internally. That is through the assistance of a spiritual guide. This is prescribed by Allah Ta’ala in the Qur’an:

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

“Oh you who believe, Fear Allah and keep in the company of the truthful (righteous).”

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muhammad Yusuf bin Moulana Abdur Rahim Khan

Student Darul Iftaa
Chatsworth, Durban, KZN, South Africa 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.