Question:
As Salamo alaykum wa rahmat Allahi wa barakatu
My question is in regards to being near or far from Allah Azzawajal
1.) What exactly is the understanding of being close and far from Allah, Azzawajal, knowing that this is not a physical/spatial closeness or distance
2.) Can we say that this “closeness” or “distance” is created?
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Closeness, (Arabic: qurb), in the sense used in the context you refer to is a spiritual meaning of love, intimacy, friendship, and familiarity. It means being aligned to the Divine Will and connected to the Divine Presence. For example, Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) was called Khalil ar-Rahman, the Friend of the Merciful, due to his consistent love to Allah. Even higher, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) was called Habibullah, the Beloved of Allah for his perfect servanthood, love and honor to his Lord, Allah swt. Allah swt described the closeness of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) in the verse:
{And (he) was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;} (an-Najm, 53:9)
Closeness and distance are related to created beings, so yes, in that sense are created. We, with our limited human will, “create” distance (Arabic: bu`d), by our disobedience, disrespect, disbelief or lack of trust in Allah. On the other hand, we “create” closeness by our love, respect, obedience and trust in Allah. And Allah knows best.
Taher Siddiqui
