Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Du'a Closeness: The Nigh Relationship The Holy Qur'an deals with the issue of closeness in different verses. A close look at them will illuminate: The First Stage When the Almighty God invites the servants through different expressions, He uses different techniques.
For instance, sometimes He makes use of the third person pronoun in referring to Himself and asks us to refer to Him in this way: وأدعوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَةَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ الْمُحْسِنِينَ. “And call on Him fearing and hoping; surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to those who do good to others.
7:56” It seems as though there was a big distance between the Creator and the creatures and the earth-dwellers should remember God and then send their hearts towards the sky-dwellers and then, through the close angels, they reach the presence of God the Almighty. Then man should wait for the answer to reach him through certain means. The Second Stage Sometimes Allah would select a closer approach and would send the good news to the earth through his Messenger.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي إِذَا دَعَانِي فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ. “And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.
2:186” Due to much attention, man could feel deep in his heart the true meaning of the verse: إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ. “Most surely Allah is Affectionate, Merciful to the people. 2:143” One can also fill his heart with the generosity of that Great Generous One.
Imam al-Baqir (s) in this concern says: مَكتُوبٌ في التّوراةِ الّتي لَمْ تُغَيَّرْ أنَّ مُوسى سَألَ رَبَّهُ فَقالَ: يا رَبِّ، أقَريبٌ مِنيّ فَأُناجِيكَ أمْ بَعيدٌ فَأُنادِيكَ؟ فَأوْحى اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيهِ: يا مُوسى، أنا جَلِيسُ مَنْ ذَكَرَني.
It is written in Torah which has not been distorted that Moses (s) has asked his God: “O God, are you close to me to talk with You, or You are far so that I may call You?” God revealed to him: “O Moses, I associate with anybody who calls on Me.”[^1] The Great Prophet (s) in Sha'banieh Sermon says: وَارْفَعوا إلَيهِ أيْدِيَكُم بِالدُّعاءِ في أوْقاتِ صَلَواتِكُم فَإنَّها أفْضَلُ السّاعاتِ، يَنْظُرُ اللهُ تَعالى فِيها بِالرَّحْمَةِ إلى عِبادِهِ يُجِيبُهُم إذَا ناجَوهُ وَيُلَبِّيهِمْ إذا نادَوهُ.