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Ihsan is the price for paradise:
Dear brother, one of the most famous noble Ahadith reported was the one narrated by Umar Ibn Al Khattab, May Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet PBUH said:
((Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) said: Once we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when there appeared a man dressed in very white clothes and having extraordinary black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet (PBUH) leaning his knees against the knees of the Prophet (PBUH) and placing both of his palms over his two thighs and said, "O Muhammad (PBUH)! Tell me about Islam". He (PBUH) replied, "Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe Salat (prayers), pay Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) of Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House, provided you have the resources for the journey to it.'' He replied: "You have spoken the truth". We were surprised to see that he had asked him and confirmed the correctness of the answers. He then enquired: "Tell me about Iman". He (PBUH) said. "It is to believe in Allah, and His Books, and His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in foreordainment, its bad and good consequences.'' He said, "You have spoken the truth.'' He then enquired: "Tell me about Ihsan.'' He (PBUH) said, "It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you". He enquired: "Inform me about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)". He (PBUH) replied, "I have no more knowledge thereof than you". He said, "Inform me about some of its signs". He (PBUH) said, "They are - that a bondswoman gives birth to her own master, and that you will find the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing with one another in the construction of higher buildings". Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while then he said to me, "O `Umar! Do you know who the questioner was?'' I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better". The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He was Jibril (Gabriel); he came to you to teach you your religion". ))
Dear brother, believe me if I say that the entire inhabitants of earth were created only for Ihsan, as it is the price for paradise, and the Muhsen (the one who performs Ihsan) is close to Allah the Almighty, not to mention that he will be in sorrow who missed performing good deeds when death comes.
Ihsan, dear brother, is associated with Islam, Iman (faith), and piousness wherever it is mentioned in Quran, Allah the Almighty said:
((Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). That is the great success))
Ihsan is one of Iman (faith)’s requirements:
Ihsan is one of faith requirements, and it was associated with Islam, Allah says:
((Yes, but whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah (i.e. follows Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin (good-doer i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allah's sake only without any show off or to gain praise or fame, etc., and in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger Muhammad Peace be upon him ) then his reward is with his Lord (Allah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve))
((And whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allah [i.e.(follows Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism), worships Allah (Alone) with sincere Faith in the (1) Oneness of His Lordship,(2) Oneness of His worship, and (3) Oneness of His Names and Qualities], while he is a Muhsin (good-doer i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allah's sake without any show-off or to gain praise or fame etc. and does them in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger Muhammad), then he has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)]. And to Allah return all matters for decision))
((For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah) Neither darkness nor dust nor any humiliating disgrace shall cover their faces. They are the dwellers of Paradise, they will abide therein forever))
It is authenticated in Muslim book that the prophet PBUH explained that “even more” means that Allah will let them look at His noble Face, while “the best” means paradise.
Why is looking at Allah’s face the reward for those who worshiped Allah as if they are seeing Him, though they don’t, yet Allah sees them? It is because he who worshiped Allah with the attendance of his heart and the sight of his vision, will be rewarded of the same he performed his deeds with, hence, his reward should be to look at the noble Face of Allah, for he worshiped Him his entire life though he didn’t look at Him, yet he believes beyond doubt that Allah sees him. Therefore, we will look at the Face of Allah and see Him like when we look at the full moon in the middle of the sky.
The meaning of Ihsan:
Allah says:
((Some faces that Day shall be Nadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah)))
It was mentioned in the relic that people will look at the noble face of Allah to the extent that they will be stoned for more than fifty thousands years out of the ecstasy of that look.
Our lecture for today is about Ihsan, what is Ihsan?
The definition is the following: to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you. It is all about striving, paying efforts, and reflecting, then you abide by the limits (Islamic laws), further more, to be pious, to perform prayers, to spend money on the poor, and to control your body needs in order to sense that you see Allah, and though you don’t see Him, yet He sees you, and unless you reach that level, you are not in Ihsan phase.
In order to imagine how it is going to be to sense that you see Allah, and that you are all exposed to Him and to all people, either in your words or deeds, and you will be held accountable for each one of them, and that people will talk about your deeds (whether they are good or bad) and will size you up, though no one, for real, is seeing you, I will draw this example: if someone is invited to an interview in a TV channel, he will beyond doubt sense that all spectators are watching him, but in fact, he is in a small, silent, and sound proof room where he sit in front of a mere camera, yet he is in great anxiety, why so? It is because he assumes and believes that all people are watching him.
The believer will see Allah on the Day of Judgment:
Hence, those who worship Allah as if they are seeing Him are granted to see Allah’s face, Allah says:
((For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah Ìá ÌáÇáå) Neither darkness nor dust nor any humiliating disgrace shall cover their faces. They are the dwellers of Paradise, they will abide therein forever))
“Even more” here indicates seeing Allah’s face, and that is confirmed in the following Ayah:
((Some faces that Day shall be Nadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah) ))
It is the belief of the followers of Sunnah, the pious ancestors, and the entire Islamic nation, that the believer will look at Allah’s face on the Day of Judgment exactly like one of us looks at the full moon in the middle of the sky.
Whereas those who were blocking their visions, in the worldly life, by their desires, deviation, misleading, lusts, and who were indulged up to their heads in sins, they actually turned away from the truth, and their hearts were covered sins and evil deeds, hence, their punishment on the Day of Judgment will be the same as the acts they committed in worldly life, so what is their punishment? ? Allah says:
((Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.))
I swear by Allah dear brother, it is a severe punishment to be veiled from Allah. Allah might bestow a lot of things on you, yet He won’t let you draw close to Him, and if this was the case, then you are among the losers.
One might relish the entire world yet is veiled from Allah, or one might be deprived from worldly life, yet he is connected with Allah. This Ayah is really overwhelming. .
Those who sacrifices in Allah’s cause will prosper:
If you ask a true believer: what is the reason behind the obedience to Allah, struggling with oneself, fighting his desires, following the Divine method, and staying away from prohibitions? You will get one answer only, that is, he/she is keen on connecting with Allah and is dread of being veiled from Him.
Do you know of any law that restricts feasting your eyes on women beauty? No!! On the contrary, you are labeled as “weird” if you lower your gaze, and people will wonder: what is wrong with you, why are you doing so?
You should pay attention to the fact that Allah, out of mercy, made some of divine laws congruent with worldly laws, like stealing for example, and in this case, you won’t tell if the person who doesn’t steal is doing it out of Allah’s fear or law’s fear? We really can’t tell, but on the other hand, no worldly law punishes the one who feasts his eyes on women beauty, so when someone lowers his gaze, this will be beyond doubt out of Allah’s fear, to seek His connection and to avoid from being veiled from Allah.
If your eyes saw our beauty which they have seen, you would never turn your back on us for other’s sake
If your ears heard our nice speech, you would throw away the arrogance garb and come to us
If you taste an atom like of love, you would excuse him who loved us to death.
If you felt the breeze of our closeness to you, you would die in exauthorment and longing for us.
Attaining our love is not that easy and who pretends otherwise
We say to him you indeed are not aware of us
Easiest of love is to kill the lover out of love
And harder than killing someone is to abandon us
* * *
A companion once fought beside the Prophet PBUH in one of the battles, and when he was entitled for some booty loot he said: “O, Messenger of God, what is this? To which the prophet answered: ”This is your booty”, so the man said: “I didn’t embrace Islam for this, I embraced Islam to be killed” so the prophet PBUH smiled and admired his honesty.The companion meant to say that he embraced Islam to be killed in the cause of Allah, and when the prophet checked on him in another battle he found him among the dead, so he cried and said: Is it him, they said: yes prophet it is him.
Believe me, those who sacrifice their souls in the cause of Allah are indulged in an indescribable felicity which can’t be expressed by any existing language.
Scenes from Prophetic Biography:
In what follows are some scenes from the Prophetic Biography:The prophet PBUH looked out for our Master Sa’d bin ar-Rabee’ after Uhud and he couldn’t find him, so he asked his companions to look for him. Some man from the Ansar went looking for him and he found him breathing his last breath. He came near and said to him, “The messenger of Allah ordered me to see how you are doing?” .”
He said to him faintly, “ Inform the messenger of Allah that Sa’d bin ar-Rabee’ tells you: may Allah reward you with all goodness as ever He has rewarded a prophet on behalf of his nation. And send my greetings to your people and say to them: Sa’d bin ar-Rabee’ tells you: there shall be no excuse for you before Allah if your prophet is harmed while there is an eye blinking among you.”
I imagined the indescribable felicity this companion was experiencing before dying, what did he do?
He sacrificed the dearest thing to a human being, “his soul”, it is the same feeling for everyone who donates money, efforts, time, or expertise, for, he is definite that he offered something worthy, and that is the very reason behind punishing those who disconnected themselves from Allah throughout their life, of a punishment from the same nature of their deeds in the hereafter. Allah says:
((Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.))
((…Tell me about Ihsan.'' He (PBUH) said, "It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you…))
Our lecture today will tackle this paragraph of this Hadith.
If you realize that Allah sees you, you should be in fear, dread, reverence, and exaltation, and in some narrations it was reported that the prophet said: to fear Allah as if you are seeing him.
Some people fear what they see only, but fearing by reasoning is a higher level of piousness. If anyone was held at gunpoint for example, will he disobey in this situation? our fear from Allah should be the same, as if we are seeing Him.
For that, it was narrated in some supplications: O, Lord let us fear you as if we see you, grant us the bliss of meeting you and don’t make us miserable because of being distant from you, and choose for us and choose us so that we won’t hasten what you delayed for us, and we won’t ask You to postpone what you hastened.
Befriending someone who is not alike is a source of misery:
Moreover, what enjoins bringing our acts of worship to perfection and pay the efforts to enhance them is when we worship Allah as if we see Him, but although we don’t, He sees us.
Abu Dhar, May Allah be pleased with him narrated: “The prophet PBUH advised me of fearing Allah as if I see Him, and though I don’t, but He sees me.”
One might hold his brother’s hand or tap on his shoulder out of affection. Ibn Umar loved the prophet PBUH so much he said:
((The prophet PBUH held me by the shoulder and said: Be in this Life as if you were a Stranger or a Traveler on a Path))
A man asked the prophet PBUH: “Give me a brief Advice ” to which the prophet PBUH said:
To which the prophet said: “When you stand to pray, pray as if this is your farewell prayer, don’t say that which you would apologize for tomorrow, and be hopeless for that which is in the hands of the people.”))
One might be overwhelmed to know that he/she is close to the people of paradise when he/she is sick, and that will make him/her pray entirely with all his/her heart, feelings, submissiveness, humbleness, and with his/her approach to Allah.
Hence, we were advised by the prophet PBUH to make every prayer of ours as our farewell prayer. He also said PBUH:
((Allah has chosen me, and He has chosen my Companions for me.))
[AL Suyootee]
That is because he is honored by Allah, and He is the Master of mankind.
You will be in great bliss when the people around you sublime like yourself, because you will be of the same league, but you will be in misery when you sublime yet people around you have low esteem, when you glow yet people around you are slothful, and when you are faithful unlike people around you. Hence, befriending those who are not in harmony with you is the ultimate misery.
That is why the prophet PBUH was honored by Allah and he expressed that by saying: Allah has chosen me, and He has chosen my Companions for me.
The true believer is under Allah's Care:
The prophet once asked one of his companions (Al Harithah), “How did you start your morning?” Did you ask someone whom you ran into how he started his morning? Or what is his status with Allah? All people ask one another about health, income, kids, wife, and trading, but not about their status with Allah. The questions that should be asked are: are you approaching Allah? Is your heart full of Allah’s remembrance?
He said:
((“O Haarithah! How did you start into your morning?” He said, “I replied, ‘I started my morning as a true believer.’” He said, “The Prophet PBUH then told me, ‘Watch what you say, for every word has a reality.’” He said, “I then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I keep myself away from the (leisures of this) world, spend my nights in prayer and fast during my days. I am now as if I am looking at the throne of my Lord appearing. I am also as if I am looking at the inhabitants of Paradise as they visit one another. And it seems as if I am looking at the dwellers of hell as
they howl therein!” The Prophet PBUH then said, “You have indeed seen (what you claimed to have seen). Therefore carry on (three times)!”))
I swear by Allah dear brother, you can see with your own eyes the misery of those who have deviated from the right path in this life before the hereafter, while you can see the great future of the person who is pious, and you will be certain that Allah will let him prosper, He will guide, protect him, and grant him triumph.
In fact, some might ask: What is the purpose of laws in science? Why do we study physics and chemistry? Of course the answer is: To know the rules and laws as they define the connection between variable materials and to foretell what is going to happen.
Once the tiles of the innerspace of the mosque were bended outward after the hot wave in summer, and when we asked a specialist he said: they didn’t keep expansion joints between the tiles of marble and the tiles of black hard stone because the marble expands under heat, so we fixed it.
Hence, laws of physics foretell what is going to happen, and that is why they keep expansion joints between metal bars in bridges and the tracks of railway roads, because metals expand under heat and if we neglect that law, we will be surprised to see the tracks bend outward so as the bridges.
Same example goes for you as a Muslim, for upon knowing Allah very well, you can tell that the pious righteous young man will be protected and supported by Allah despite the housing shortage, lack in employment, and the scarcity of resources, because Allah says:
((Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).))
(("But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."))
If you don’t feel rich you will be poor:
On the other hand, you will be certain that Allah will destroy the person who has deviated, earns ill-gotten money, scams people, violates laws, oppresses sh3er, and tyrannizes them.((“O Haarithah! How did you start your morning?” He said, “I replied, ‘I entered into the morning as a true believer.’” He said, “The Prophet PBUH then told me, ‘Watch what you say, for every word has a reality.’” He said, “I then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I keep myself away from the (leisures of this) world, spend my nights in prayer and fast during my days. I am now as if I am looking at the throne of my Lord appearing. I am also as if I am looking at the inhabitants of Paradise as they visit one another. And it seems as if I am looking at the dwellers of hell as they howl therein!” The Prophet PBUH then said, “You have indeed seen (what you claimed to have seen). Therefore carry on (three times)!”))
You might see a rich yet deviated man and envy him for what he has, well, if you feel that way, then you are ignorant of your own religion, Allah says:
((So he went forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world, said: "Ah, would that we had the like of what Qarun (Korah) has been given? Verily! He is the owner of a great fortune." But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you! The Reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are patient (in following the truth)."))
If you don’t feel rich then you are poor and if you don’t feel excellence when you are in a low social position, there will be a problem. A student, who is keen on obeying Allah, attending religious session, and reciting Quran, is significant in Allah’s measures.
The prophet set up measures to level up to, he said: be ashamed from Allah the same way you are ashamed of two persons of the best of your tribe who are not apart from you.
Fearing Allah in privacy and public:
When you walk with an important person, you are always alert to watch your mouth, to walk straight, to be polite, and to listen carefully to him.
If you visit an important person, you will sit politely, you won’t cross your legs, nor will you play with a rosary, or read a newspaper in his attendance, because you are aware of his important position, how about the king of kings (Allah)?
The prophet PBUH sent Muad Bin Jabal to Yemen and he advised him: “Be shy of Allah, as you would be shy in the presence of a lofty man from your tribe.”
And the prophet PBUH was asked about being naked in private to which he said: “Allah is more entitled to your shyness”
In another story, a man hired a person for a job, and when he bathed naked in public he said to him: “take your money; we are in no need for you today”
Some of the prophet’s companions said: “We would have sworn we felt Allah’s presence among us while we were circumambulating”
Aisha, May Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the prophet PBUH used to chit chat with us, but when we enter prayer Salah’s time, he used to devote himself entirely to the prayer (Salah)
I swear to Allah, I saw people on Arafat Mountain exchanging silly talk, and some were entertaining one another as if they are at home; you are on the oldest most sacred land on earth, it is Arafat, you see people circumambulate around Kabaa and are totally distracted, hence:
((…It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you…))
You are entitled to see Allah in paradise if you do the above.
Some pious religious people say: Fear Allah as much as his potency on you.
People, sometimes, respect, dread, glorify, and honor someone out of fear because of his potency upon them, though he might be the least among them in terms of knowledge, morals, and comprehension.
Hadiths about Ihsan:
Allah is Omnipotent and close, therefore, fear Allah as much as He is omnipotent upon you, and be shyful of Him as much as He is close to you.
Some pious religious figues said: He is an Aref (pious and learnt) who worships Allah as if he is seeing Allah, and he is Mukhles (sincere) who worships Allah as if Allah is seeing him, and this is the difference between the Aref and Mukhles.
It was narrated that the prophet PBUH said:
((The best in faith is to know that Allah is with you wherever you might be))
Is a woman who wears a Hijab (head cover) in her country and takes it off the minute she leaves on a plane, a worshiper? No!! That is because she fears traditions and conventions instead of Allah.
((The best in faith is to know that Allah is with you wherever you might be))
The prophet PBUH was asked in another Hadith:
((How does anyone purify his soul? The prophet PBUH said: by knowing that Allah is with him wherever he might be))
That is when he is certain of Allah’s presence wherever he might be.
We are still tackling the prophet’s hadith in respect to Ihsan:
((…It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you…))
((Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Thrown on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade, a man who knows that Allah is with him wherever he goes))
You should think of how to meet Allah before committing a sin:
A man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham (a pious scholar), may Allah be pleased with him, and said, "Abu Ishaq, I have desires which I am unable to control . Please tell me how to overcome them."
"If you accept five conditions," said Ibrahim, "and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem ."
"Just tell me what they are, Abu Ishaq!" the man said. "The first is that when you want to disobey Allah, do not eat anything He provides." "Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!" "So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?" replied Ibrahim.
"No, it is not. What is the second condition?" "When you want to disobey him, move off His land."
"That is even more difficult! Exclaimed the man. "In that case where will I live?"
"Is it right to eat of His provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?" asked Ibrahim. "No, it is not."
"What is the third condition?" "When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating from His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there."
"What do you mean, Ibrahim? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!" "So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?" "It certainly is not!" the man replied.
"Tell me the fourth condition." " when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, 'Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allah.'"
"But he won't listen to me!" "Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?"
"What is the fifth?" "That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them." "They will take me whether I like it or not!" exclaimed the man.
"So how can you hope to be saved?"
"Enough, enough, Ibrahim! I ask Allah's forgiveness and I turn to Him!"
Therefore, anyone who is about to sin, should think twice and ask him/her self, How am I going to meet Allah with this sin? How am I going to apologize to Allah? Allah says:
((And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do.))
((And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.))
((Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa (secret counsel) of three, but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), nor of five but He is their sixth (with His Knowledge), not of less than that or more, but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be; and afterwards on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.))
Quranic Ayahs indicate that Allah is the All-Knower:
Allah says:
((Whatever you (O Muhammad) may be doing, and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur'an, - and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record.))
((And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).))
((They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from Allah, for He is with them (by His Knowledge), when they plot by night in words that He does not approve, And Allah ever encompasses what they do.))
Hadiths that indicate that Allah is the All-Knower:
The prophet PBUH said:
((Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) noticed spittle in the mosque in the direction of the Qiblah. The signs of disgust were perceived on his face. Then, he stood up and scraped it away with his own hand and said, "When you stand in Salat, you hold communion with your Rubb and He is between you and the Qiblah. Let no one therefore cast out his spittle in that direction, but only to his left or under his foot.'' Then he caught hold a corner of his sheet, spat into it and folded it up and said, "Or he should do like this.'' ))
((Abdullah b. Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw spittle on the wall towards Qibla, and scratched it away and then turning to the people said: When any one of you prays, he must not spit in front of him, for Allah is in front of him when he is engaged in prayer.))
When you perform a congregational prayer and say “Samea’a Allaho Liman Hamidah” (Allah is All-Hearing to those who praise him), then Allah is listening to your praising.
((Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet PBUH said: three are (the persons) among those whom Allah will give Shade of His Thrown on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne's Shade: a man believed that Allah is with him wherever he goes))
((…Verily, Allah orders you to pray, and when you pray, do not turn, for Allah looks to the face of His slave in salah as long as he does not turn…))
The prophet PBUH overheard some people shouting in their supplication, so He said to them:
((Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We accompanied the Prophet (PBUH) on a journey, and when we climbed up a height, we proclaimed aloud: "La ilaha illallah (There is no true god except Allah)'' and "Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest).'' The Prophet (PBUH) admonished us saying, " Give yourselves a respite, you are not calling upon someone deaf or absent. Surely He Whom you are calling upon is near you and He listens to all. He is nearer to you than the neck of your mount'' ))
In a divine Hadith (Qudsi), the prophet narrates that Allah the Almighty says:
(( Abu Huraira said: The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi vasallam) said: Allah (sw) says: I am in accordance with the thoughts of My slave about Me; and I am with him, when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart. If he remembers Me in a group, I remember him in a better group (i.e. angels). If he draws near Me by the p of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit. If he draws near Me by a cubit, I draw near him by the space covered by two hands. If he walks towards Me, I go to him running.))
Every believer should sense this hadith, when you draw one step only, you will realize the difference, as your matters will become easier, you heart at ease, people love you more, and serve you more. This one step might be your intention to repent, or donation you give.
Your efforts to draw closer to Allah will be exponentially rewarded:
Allah the Almighty nurtures the handful of good deeds, and you will notice the changes after a mere step you draw closer to Allah.
You should believe beyond doubt that when you draw close to Allah (either by performing voluntary acts of worship, or by serving His creations) there will be a reaction from His mighty in return, that reaction is manifested by honor, serenity, and prosperity.
When our prophet PBUH was in Ta’ef (a city in Arabic peninsula), and when its people mocked and accused him of lying, not to mention hurting him, he said (supplicating to Allah): My Lord! if what has come upon me is other than Your wrath over me for a deserved punishment, I am not disheartened, But the field of well-being is wider for me, I am pleased with that which has come upon me, so that You may be pleased with me” What do you think the response was? It was in Israa 
and Miraaj (the journey to Jerusalem and Ascension to the Seven Heavens during the Night Journey).
Hence, every effort paid by you to draw closer to Allah the Almighty, would be rewarded exponentially by Allah. This is the meaning of this Hadith.
((…If he draws near Me by the p of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit. If he draws near Me by a cubit, I draw near him an arm’s length covered If he walks towards Me, I go to him running.))
It was narrated in some transcripts that Jesus (Iesa) PBUH said to the disciples: “speak with Allah more than you speak to people”. To which they said: “How do we speak more to Allah? He said: “supplicate and perform secret talk to Him”.
Hence, if you want to speak with Allah, supplicate to Him, and if you want Him to speak to you, reauthor Quran.
There are people who continuously talk meaninglessly, and when they perform Salah they do that briefly.
O, Moses, do you want Me to be your companion? Moses said how and you are the Lord of worlds? Allah says to him: “Do you not know that I am the companion of he who remembers Me, and who finds Me wherever he seeks Me”
Privacy is the ultimate joy in worldly life for those who are obedient to Allah
Some pious scholars said: I wonder, how some people feel comfort by someone else than You?
How could people laugh and be entertained when they do not perform prayers (Salah) and are distracted from Allah,
Abu Usama said: I stepped in the room of Muhammad bin Nuzar Al Harithee, I saw him agonizing so I said: “Do you hate to be visited (by people)? He answered: “Yes”, so I asked: “Don’t you feel lonely (without people around you)?, he said: “How do I feel lonely and Allah says I am the companion of he who remembers Me?”
Feeling warmth among people is a sign of bankruptcy.
Malek Bin Mukfel was home alone so he was asked: “Don’t you feel lonely?” to which he answered: “Who will ever feel lonely when he is with Allah?”
I supplicate sometimes by saying: “O, Allah, as people of the worldly life are gladdened by it, make us happy by Your content.
The one who is not happy with you (Allah) shall never be happy, and who does not feel affability with you, shall not feel affability with anyone else.
And one of the people who are knowledgeable in Allah says: “My heart is at ease in the presence of he who owns my needs (i.e. Allah)”
A Caliph once asked one of the remarkable scholars while they were in the sacred house in Mecca: “ask me anything that I can do for you?” to which the scholar said: “I shy away from asking other than Allah in His House” so when they met again out of the sanctuary, the Caliph repeated the same question, to which the scholar said: “I didn’t ask the One who owns my need, how do you expect me to ask the one who doesn’t”, so the Caliph asked him for the third time the same question, to which he answered this time: “Then grant me paradise and save me from hell” so the Caliph said: “I can’t grant you that”, the scholar said: “Then I don’t have any need to seek from you”
Some said: Secret talk to Allah is what put those who do it in ecstasy.
Some also said: “I swear to Allah, if not for congregational prayer, I would never step out of my house till I die, as the obedient finds his ecstasy in the secret talk with Allah”
Quotes on Ihsan:
Ibraheem Bin Adham (who is one of the remarkable (Arefeen) knowledgeable people about Allah, and was buried in Jabla in Syria) said: “The highest of levels is to be devoted to Allah, light-hearted in His presence, to plead Him only, to fear none but your sins, and to deep-root His love in your heart so you won’t love anything else, so if this was your status, whether you were on land or in sea, on plain land or on a mountain, you will be protected, but your eagerness to meet Him should be like the eagerness of the thirsty one towards the cold water, the eagerness of the hungry towards food, and the remembrance of Allah should be sweeter than honey and dearer to you than cold water is to the thirsty one on his fasting day.”
Al Fadeel said: blessed is he whose companion is Allah not people.
Abu Sulaiman Al Darani said: “I never forget to remember Allah”
Ma’roof said: “Put your confidence in Allah till He becomes your companion, friend, and your complain embracer.”
Ya’koob (Jacob) said in Quran:
((He said: "I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you know not.))
It is a shame to complain about the merciful to the merciless.
Thal Noon said: “The sign of believers is not to feel affable with people and not to feel lonely with Allah.”
Dear brother, this is the status of Ihsan:
((…To worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you…))
And all your efforts in order to level up to that hadith will pay off in the hereafter by looking at Allah’s face, Allah says:
((Some faces that Day shall be Nadirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allah) ))
