Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his people that Allah (SWT) promised to be closer when His servant tried to be close to Him, as long as his servant’s efforts were sincere.
Reported in aboutislam.net, a Muslim can be closer to Allah through a simple variety, but the most important thing is persistence. Since the Prophet Muhammad tells us that God loves good deeds and persistent, regular and consistent worship, even if it is not too complicated, what is important is that they become a habit. Here are five ways to get closer to God:
First, know God SWT. Allah is not just a concept, He really exists, and He knows the servant and listens to what a servant says, so talk to Him and listen to Him speak through His word in the Qur’an.
Learn about Him, know Him through asmaul husna or His 99 names and attributes, read His book, follow His messenger, and learn and apply His commandments and prohibitions.
Second, know yourself. Take time each day to focus in an in-within to truly know the true self and create peace with yourself. Learn how the body and mind function, and how emotions work, as the Qur’an mentions by looking at the amazing miracles called the body.
Third, recognize the surroundings. The Qur’an also commands us to look around especially at God’s amazing creation and reflect on it. Contemplation is a highly valued worship in Islam. And remember Muslims have a good practical example for exemplary behavior in the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an calls him our leader to God.
Fourth, balance your life. We all have three areas of our lives, ourselves, work, and relationships. Islam teaches that the three are interconnected and interrelated, they are one, and we must make good efforts into all three to live a balanced and healthy life. Resetting the priorities of life in accordance with the teachings of Islam, and applying Islamic principles in every aspect of life is the shortest path to be close to Allah SWT.
Fifth, pray on time. A Muslim is closest to Allah when the forehead is on the ground in a state of prostration, and Allah likes timely prayer as the best deed of a believer.