The way to draw closer to Allah has been explained to us in the clearest terms by Him, may He be glorified and exalted, in His Book, and He sent to us His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who did not omit anything good but he told us about it and he did not omit anything bad but he warned us against it.
Narrated that Abu Hurayrah r.a said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah says:
‘Whoever takes a close friend of Mine as an enemy, I declare war on him. My slave does not draw closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than that which I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave continues to draw closer to Me by doing naafil (supererogatory) deeds until I love him, and if I love him I will be his hearing with which he hears, his vision with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. If he were to ask of Me, I would surely give to him; if he were to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge. I do not hesitate about anything that I want to do as I hesitate to take the soul of a believer, for he hates death and I hate to hurt him.”
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said in Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hikam (2/335): This hadith mentions that which will bring us closer to Him. The basic meaning of wilaayah (close friendship) is nearness or closeness, and the basic meaning of ‘adaawah (enmity) is distance or being far away.
All the believer has to do is reflect deeply upon this hadith and understand it properly. Get connected with Allah by doing what He made obligatory upon us and avoiding things which He prohibited.
