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Allah Almighty says: {When My slaves ask you concerning Me, I am indeed near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me; so they should respond to Me and believe in Me, so that they may be guided.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 186]
This is a question that Allah Almighty Himself answers in a verse that pours feelings of joy, intimacy, contentment, tranquility, reassurance, and certitude in the heart of every believer.
In the atmosphere of this intimacy, affection, and closeness, let us get acquainted with Allah’s name “Al-Qarīb”.
Allah Almighty says: {...He is indeed All-Hearing, Near.} [Surat Saba’: 50]
This is a name that abounds with amiability and many remarkable meanings and indications.
As a word, this name already says enough about its meaning, just as a clear glass shows the water therein.
Our Lord, Exalted be He, Who is Near His servants and is established over His Throne, which is above His creation. He is All-Knowing of all secrets and innermost thoughts and feelings. His companionship encompasses all.
First: General nearness: He is Near everyone as He knows, watches over, observes, and encompasses all things. He is above all creatures and is closer to humans than their jugular veins.
This is general nearness. {...And We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.} [Surat Qāf: 16]
Second: Special nearness: He is Near those who worship Him, implore Him, and love Him. This kind of nearness entails that He loves and supports them in their movements and actions, answers their supplications, accepts and rewards those who worship Him.
We cannot realize this nearness in concrete terms, yet we see its effects, as they manifest in the form of kindness, care, help, success, and guidance from our Lord. {When My slaves ask you concerning Me, I am indeed near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me...} [Surat al-Baqarah: 186]
Indeed, He is Near and particularly Near His devoted servants who supplicate Him.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “The One you supplicate is nearer to you than the neck of the riding camel of one of you.” [Narrated by Muslim]
He hears the creeping of a black ant on a hard rock in a dark night.
Allah Almighty is Near His pious servants. He encompasses them with His care and protection. He sends His mercy down to them and does not leave them to their own devices even for the blink of an eye. Also, He does not make their enemies dominant over them, nor does He give the devil a way against them.
They paid the price of special nearness and in return they got nearness, support, help, and protection. {...Allah said: “I am with you. If you establish prayer, give Zakah, believe in My messengers and support them, and give Allah a goodly loan...} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 12]
They felt secure with their Lord and trusted Him, and so He was with them at all times.
Consider Nūh (Noah) (peace be upon him), after 950 years of calling people to Allah, facing adversities, and suffering, he supplicated his Lord, Who responded and saved him and destroyed his foes.
Another example is Abraham (peace be upon him), he sought refuge in his Lord and so He saved him from the fire.
And He saved Yūnus (Jonah) (peace be upon him) from severe distress, brought Yūsuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him) back to his father Ya‘qūb (Jacob) (peace be upon him) and reunited them and amended the relation between him and his siblings. Moreover, he restored to Jacob his sight.
And our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)! He has gone through tough situations that would make people gray-haired due to great horrors and cause their hearts to jump into their mouths, to the extent that some of his Companions began to have doubts regarding Allah Almighty. At that point, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated his Lord, Exalted be He, Who fulfilled the promise, achieved the objective, and elevated the word of the truth.
Allah Almighty is Near all His believing servants. He sees and protects them.
A woman came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) arguing about her husband. ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was in another area of the house, said that she could hear some words but not others. After this argument, Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended to Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) with this verse: {Indeed, Allah has heard the words of the woman who was arguing with you [O Prophet] concerning her husband, and was complaining to Allah. Allah has heard the discussion between the two of you, for Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Mujādilah: 1] Glory be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices and sounds!
Do not raise your voice as you supplicate Him, for He is Near, hearing you.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) heard the Companions supplicating Allah Almighty loudly. He said to them: “O people, do not trouble yourselves too much. He Whom you are invoking is not deaf or absent. But you are invoking an All-Hearing and All-Seeing (Lord).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Allah knows our innermost thoughts and what lies within our hearts and souls. We supplicate Him within our hearts, and He answers our supplications. He is Near. {When he called upon his Lord in private.} [Surat Maryam: 3]
We remember Him within ourselves, and He hears us and mentions us. Indeed, He is the Near Lord.
In a Qudsi Hadīth, He said: “If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself, and if he remembers Me within a group, I mention him within a better group.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Every person does necessarily receive blessings from Allah Almighty, the Near Lord. He removes our distress, saves us from harms and dangers, and helps us obtain what we love and achieve our goals.
The door of our Near Lord is always open, and He continues to give generously. How often He fulfills our needs, accepts our supplications, and sends down His blessings and mercy!
As you know that Allah is Near you, and He watches over your secrets and innermost thoughts, hears your supplication, sees your condition and place, and knows what is in your heart, then be a doer of good. {...Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 56]
Draw near to your Lord, for when you get closer to Him by a handspan, He gets closer to you by an arm’s length. In a Qudsi Hadīth, He said: “If a servant draws closer to Me by a handspan, I shall draw closer to him by a cubit; and if he draws closer to Me by a cubit, I shall draw closer to him by the span of two outstretched arms. If he comes to Me walking, I shall come to him running.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, and this is his wording]
We can draw closer to our Lord by performing the obligations first and then by offering the supererogatory acts. “My servant does not draw close to Me through anything dearer to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him; and My servant continues to draw close to Me through supererogatory acts until I love him.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
The more perfect one’s servitude to Allah is, the closer he is to his Lord. As he shows more humble submission to the Creator and stands in humiliation before Him, he gets closer and closer to Him and becomes more elevated in His sight. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “The nearest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so increase (your) supplications (while in this state).” [Narrated by Muslim]
Prostration shows the highest level of extolling Allah and servitude and submission to Him, and it contains the clearest signs of love, humility, and need.
The more frequent and perfect your prostration to your Lord is, the more elevated you will be in His sight. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Make frequent prostration to Allah, for by every prostration that you make to Allah, He will raise your position a degree and will remit one of your sins.” [Narrated by Muslim]
Thus, you will obtain the everlasting bliss: {Those are the ones brought near [to Allah].} [Surat al-Wāqi‘ah: 11] {A spring from which those near [to Allah] will drink.} [Surat al-Mutaffifīn: 28]
How blissful you are as you turn to your Lord and draw near to Him!
Even if the heaven seems to be far away, the One above the heaven is Near.
So, raise your hands and supplicate to Him; indeed, all pains will go away with your supplication.
O Lord, as long as You are Near, then we do not care if the heaven is far away.
O Allah, You said as Your speech is all true: {When My slaves ask you concerning Me, I am indeed near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me; so they should respond to Me and believe in Me, so that they may be guided.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 186]
O Allah, the Near, the Responsive, answer our supplications, strengthen us, remove our distress, give us a good outcome in all our affairs, save us from disgrace in this world and punishment in the Hereafter, and forgive us, our parents, and all Muslims; indeed, You are Hearer of the supplication!