Nearness to Allah - The Goal of Ramadan | Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed

Nearness to Allah — The Goal of Ramadan

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon the most honored of the prophets and messengers — our master Muhammad, the Prophet of the worlds, whose name is written in the Bible and the Torah.

Allah, the Exalted, has said in His noble Book — I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan, in the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:

Say: By the grace of Allah and by His mercy, so let them rejoice — for it is better than what they accumulate.

The Importance of Having a Clear Objective

Any task in life that we are involved in normally has a pre-set objective. And that objective allows us to trace our steps, it allows us to calculate our movements, it allows us to understand why we are doing what we are doing. And any task that a person is involved in that does not have a defined objective is somewhat worthless. It's a runaround. Because we never really know if we've reached the objective of it. We never really know if we've reached what we were searching for.

And that's what life is for many. It's a continuous circle — we reach one place and we think we've made it. And then we say, no, we haven't made it yet, let's continue.

Allah says:

When a person lives their life in such a manner, it is like the example of a person who is extremely thirsty — like that person who is living in this world and says to themselves: when I finally reach this moment of my life, I will be at ease. I have made it. My efforts were worth it. And they finally get there. And they achieve that milestone of life. And when they finally achieve that milestone of life, they say: ah, it's not what I thought it was. It's not the water that I saw. It was just a mirage.

Every task in life is only worth struggling for if the objective has already been clarified. And if it has not been clarified, there is no point of even struggling for it. Because the struggle is for an unknown. And when the struggle is for an unknown, then it's truly worthless. Even children that play video games — for some, even adults that play video games — even video games have clear objectives and stages. So how could it be that we have been given such a beautiful gift without a clear defined objective?

And if someone invented the headphones — who tells us how to use the headphones? The person that invented them. For example, today I say to you all: let's use those headphones for our nose. Let's put them inside of our nose — because it fits, it looks right, it serves a purpose. Everyone will look at that person and say: what a fool. Because the person who invented the headphones has the right to tell us how to use them. The person who gave us the gift of Ramadan is the one who tells us what the clear objective of this month is.

Ramadan — Mentioned Only Once in the Quran

In the Quran, Allah only mentions Ramadan once. Whereas Salat is mentioned more than 70 times. Hajj is mentioned more than a dozen times. Charity and Zakat is mentioned more than 30 times. Ramadan is only mentioned once. And this is also a form of eloquence — where you only mention something once because it defines the entire purpose of it.

In one verse, Allah tells us the wisdom of this month. In the same passage, Allah defines the law of this month — the how: when we eat, when we stop, when we start, when we don't. The do's and don'ts of the month are defined. And sandwiched right in between, Allah describes to us the objective of the month. Where He says:

That when My servant asks of Me, tell them that I am very near.

This is where Ata ibn Abi Rabah would say that the clear objective of any worship that Allah has ordained upon us is that a slave, at that moment, believes that Allah is near them. The objective of the worship is to remind us that Allah is close to us.

The Effect of Feeling Allah's Nearness

Only when a person realizes that Allah is near them do the difficult situations become easy. Like a child who is a toddler — he or she may be running around, jumping up and down rails, running down the stairs, running across the living room. Because he senses that the mother is near, the mother is close by. So even if I get hurt, my mother will take care of me; my parents have my back. The child feels comfortable in dangerous situations because the mother's presence is there. And if that child is now sitting on a sofa, on a couch comfortably, just enjoying the sitting — but now the mother isn't there — even though the child is in a comfortable state, he will feel anxious, he will feel uneasy, he will feel a sense of tension, though he is just relaxing, because he can't see the mother anymore.

Similarly, when a person lives through life and they're able to internalize that Allah is near them, then any situation — any situation — will be such that that nearness will allow us to mitigate the challenges. That nearness will remove that anxiety.

Abu Bakr in the Cave of Thawr

Abu Bakr during the journey of hijrah camped in a cave — Ghar Thawr — for three days. Dark night, scary, shivering with cold. Where Abu Bakr says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3653; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2381)

If they were to simply look down beneath their feet, they would find us — and they would kill us. Such a scary situation, harsh moments, a challenging situation. And the Prophet looks at him, and he reminds him of the realities that we possess. He says to him in that moment:

Don't be afraid, don't feel anxious. Because anxiety — the sense of feeling anxious or feeling uneasy — is when there's an absence of someone who can take care of you. And when the presence of that person is brought into that equation, that sense of anxiety is removed. Because someone can take care of us.

When there's no pilot on the airplane, everyone is scared. I don't care who gets sick — the pilot can't get sick. Because he gives us a sense of peace. Imagine living through life — which has the most roadways and the most challenges — and not having the nearness of Allah.

So when the Prophet says this to him, he doesn't explain it, he doesn't add commentary. He just says that Allah is here, Allah is near us. And in that moment, it gave him an effect. And the effect was:

Right then and there, Abu Bakr felt a sense of peace. Felt a sense of relaxation and fulfillment. Because he was told that Allah is near him. The situation didn't change. It was still dark, it was still cold, it was still scary. But the effect changed. Because now they realized — and he was made to realize, and he was reminded — that إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا.

The Transformation of Yathrib into Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

When the Prophet entered Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, the name of this city was called Yathrib, which is defined as sickness. Abdullah, the Prophet's father, passed away in this city. Aminah, the Prophet's mother, passed away on the return from the city of Yathrib. People used to avoid the route of Yathrib just because they were afraid that they would fall sick. Such a city that people knew was somewhere that you wanted to miss. You wanted to avoid it.

When the Prophet entered the city, the moment he entered the city, the name changed. The name was now Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Al-Madinah Al-Tayyibah. The name change had nothing to do with the economic opportunities that the Prophet brought to the city. It had nothing to do with the landscape changing. It had nothing to do with the infrastructure changing. It had nothing to do with lights being added to the city and street lamps. Rather, for seven years, Tamim al-Dari was the first one who brought light into the masjid of the Prophet. For seven years there was no light there.

The name change was simply because of the presence of the Prophet. It was a source of illumination. It was a source of peace. It was a source of tranquility.

The Four Effects of Gathering Around the Book of Allah

This is why the Prophet says in a beautiful narration that whenever people in a home gather together to engage with the Book of Allah, they are given four beautiful effects.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2699)

Number one: نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ — that this same Sakinah enters upon that home, enters within that family. The house remains the same, the children are the same, but now there is Sakinah. Sakinah doesn't come from children. Sakinah does not come from a spouse. Sakinah does not come from a home. Sakinah comes from those same people when Allah's presence is there.

Everything we do in life is to feel Sakinah. But even when we get that thing, we don't feel it. Because in that equation, the common denominator has to always be consistent. And that is the presence of Allah.

Number two: وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ — that Allah enshrouds that home in His mercy. Ghashiyah — everywhere they look, Allah's mercy is coming towards them. هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْغَاشِيَةِ — ghashiyah means a person who is overwhelmed because he is covered. Ghashiyat al-rahmah is where the Prophet is telling us that any turn that this person takes, any move that he or she makes, they will be met with the mercy of Allah.

Number three: وَحَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ — they are given the divine protection of angels.

Number four: وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ — and Allah makes mention of this person's name. Allah speaks about this person.

Two Levels of Knowing Allah is Near

So going back to how we started — the objective of the month was defined by this verse: إِنِّي قَرِيبٌ — I am close to you.

Sometimes a person thinks that someone is so far from them that they actually start believing that this person doesn't like them. And when we think of that way with Allah — that is the scariest feeling a person can have. That Allah doesn't love me. But Allah loves everyone.

Ibn Rajab rahimullah would say: how does someone know that Allah is qareeb — إِنِّي قَرِيبٌ — that Allah is near them? How can they internalize that sensation and know that they actually feel that? He says there are two levels of this.

The first level of feeling that Allah is close to us is that a person understands that Allah controls their life — that Allah is in control. And now when they realize that, they have understood that Allah is near them.

The second, which is the higher level, is when a person understands that Allah is not only near them because He controls everything, but that His controlling everything is what is best for that person. This is the highest station of a person who understands that Allah is qareeb.

Whenever miracles took place, it was because those individuals understood that Allah was close to them.

That the mercy of Allah and the help of Allah was close to those that were believers.

Allah is Already There — The Poet's Reflection

A great poet used to say — expressing the irony of searching for someone who is already present:

I search for these people. And people around me ask me about this person — they know how much I love this person. And this entire time that I'm searching for them and looking for them, they are with me. My eyes are crying because I miss this person — but they are present right before my eyes. The heart is yearning for this person — but that individual already lives in the heart.

And he says: this is the example of a person who is searching for Allah. Allah is already there. إِنِّي قَرِيبٌ — looking everywhere and searching for Allah, and Allah is already present within the hearts.

The Highest Station — In This World and the Next

Ibn Izzuddin rahimullah says that the highest station of a believer in this world is to understand that Allah is near him. Because the highest station of a believer in the Akhirah is that that person is physically close to Allah:

The highest station in this world is that a person believes that Allah is near them. And then he adds: how does a person know that Allah is near them? The fact that Allah allows us to pray is a sign that Allah is near us. The fact that He allows us to fast is a sign that Allah is near us.

And the highest station in the Akhirah is:

A person who is actually close to Allah. And a person can only experience that physical closeness and proximity if they're able to feel the nearness of Allah's help within their hearts in this life.

Empowerment Must Come with Guidance

And then Allah defines for us: how do we gain that nearness? It is setting someone up for failure if you empower them but you don't guide them. Empowering someone without guiding them is setting them up for failure. It's like the boss says to the employee: go ahead and do this, you are empowered — but I won't tell you how to do it. That boss wants to see that person fired. Empowerment is only beneficial if it comes with guidance.

This is why Allah said: there is empowerment but there is guidance. So Allah empowers us by saying that we are close to Him. But then He guides us on how to continue experiencing that nearness. And the experience of that nearness comes from the beautiful words of Allah:

Where Ibn Rajab rahimullah says that this nearness is felt through the two Qafs — قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ and قِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ — a person who recites the Quran and a person who stands at night in front of Allah.

The Command to Stand in the Night Prayer

Hence when the Prophet of Allah felt that he was far away from Allah, and there were challenges in how he felt while experiencing a distance from Allah, Allah says:

You want to experience that nearness again — you stand for the night prayer. With the highest station that any creation can be given being Maqaman Mahmuda. And the Prophet is told: if you want to experience this station:

The only way to experience this station is that you continue standing for Qiyam al-Layl — then you will be able to get to the level of the highest and loftiest of positions.

When the Prophet of Allah felt a distance, he was told to once again connect with Allah through the night:

It is through that sajdah that a person experiences that nearness.

A Moment of Reflection — And Iqbal's Words

Iqbal — he says, in the words of a poet reflecting on the one who is given the gift of prayer yet squanders it:

He says: you want to pray and you want to fulfill all these obligations, and when Allah finally gives you the opportunity to do it and you make sajdah — you have everything else on your mind except for Allah. It's like you're finally waiting to marry this person, and on your wedding night you're on your phone. What are you doing?

Allah finally gave this person the ability of fasting, and when we're fasting we say: no, no, we have more important things to do. إِنِّي قَرِيبٌ.

Allah Has Not Left You

When the Prophet felt a distance, he was informed:

Your Lord has not left you. Because the moment he felt distance from Allah, he felt the void — life isn't going to move as smoothly as I want because I feel like Allah has forsaken me. So the first thing that Allah reminded him, before telling him about all the favors, is: hey — مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ — your Lord has not left you. And the moment he felt that Allah has not left him:

He felt at ease. His chest was opened. He felt comfortable. Because now he knows: Allah is still with me.

The True Objective of Ramadan

So as we live through this entire month that is dawning upon us, the objective of it is not to merely fulfill the obligations of worship and go through a checklist. Rather, all of us should experience, through that beautiful feeling of fasting and worshipping, that Allah is close to us.

As Sulayman al-Darani would say:

He would say: the people of virtue and the people of piety enjoy the worship of the night more than the sinners enjoy the sinning of the night. They enjoy it more than anything. Because they feel that Allah is near them.

And that is a default measure that everyone already has. We don't need to do anything to breathe — the body just naturally breathes. We don't need to do anything unique to feel Allah's nearness. It's already there. Allah's default state is that He is close to us. And we are people who can benefit from it only when we realize it.

It's like a person who found a diamond but doesn't understand that it is actually a diamond. So he takes it to a diamond dealer and sells it for such a cheap, paltry price. And later on someone comes to him and says: that diamond that you found — it was worth so much more. He says: well, I didn't know it was worth that much.

When a person understands — Hasan al-Basri rahimullah would say — a person's du'a is as powerful as his internalizing that Allah is near him. When he is able to feel that, that means every du'a that he makes is accepted. As Allah says:

I am near that person. So through this worship of the month of Ramadan — regardless of whether we feel that enjoyment, or we feel that sensation, or we're able to do what we need to do — regardless of what happens, every single person is to leave this month and to engage in this month knowing that Allah is already close to us. And the fact that Allah has given us an opportunity to once again enjoy this month is a sign of approval — a seal of approval — that Allah is so close to us. And all we need to do now is ask, and He shall give.