10 Life-Changing Ways to Build a Strong Relationship with Allah

Introduction:

In the silence of the night, when the entire creation rests and the hearts of humankind long for peace, there is one Name that brings peace — Allah. To establish a close relationship with Allah is not only the basis of our faith but the greatest long term aspiration of the human heart.

There can be no true contentment, strength, and purpose without this bond. Let’s discuss the ways to nurture the closeness of Allah in our life according to the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the spiritual practices of our righteous predecessors.

Blog Summary: How to Build a Strong Relationship with Allah

In this uplifting blog, we will follow the timeless journey of development in closeness with Allah ﷻ through love, Dhikr, Tafakkur, and daily habits. While the journey in the blog comes from the Sunni tradition with its basis in Tasawwuf, it will present the journey in a practical manner.

As we follow the journey, we will look at the means, for example, sincere Tawbah, reading the Qur’an, waking for Tahajjud, and calling upon Allah with his beautiful names, as tools to develop closeness to the divine.

Emotional stories of Sufis, including Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RH), illustrate how true love grows in hearts and changes lives. The blog discusses and prescribes some lovely duas, provides authentic Hadith, and provides advice from spiritual directors that include Imam Al-Ghazali and Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RH) to create an inspiring blog for any seeker wanting connections with their Creator.

Whether you are coming to discourse on faith for school or rediscovering your spiritual roots, this article offers you the means, inspiration, and a heart-based practice in your efforts to fall in love with Allah to find a connection for eternity.

Features of a Strong Relationship with Allah:

1. Deep Connection in Prayer (Salah)
Regular, sincere, focused and consistent Salah is the heart and soul of faith. This is our personally scheduled, daily appointment with our Creator. When we do not recognize this scheduled appointment, our heart and soul goes empty.

2. Constant Remembrance (Dhikr & Duas)
Keep your tongue wet with Dhikr. Say “SubhanAllah”, “Alhamdulillah”, “La ilaha illah Allah” with your heart, not just your tongue.

3. Trust in His Decree (Tawakkul)
Having strong Iman means trusting Allah’s plans, even when life doesn’t make sense.

Deep Dive: The Journey to Build a Strong Relationship with Allah

A Spiritual Awakening 
As for every believer, there comes a time when you will feel far from Allah. But certainly, His doors of mercy are always wide open. The Quran says:

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near…” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186)

This nearness is not one based on geography as though Allah is in a different place than us. Rather, this is an intimacy that must be created with Allah on a spiritual level.

If you really want to Build a Strong Relationship with Allah, you must empty your heart of the dunya, and fill it with dhikr, love and a yearning for the Divine.

A Story That Touches Every Heart

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (رحمه الله) said:
“Whoever is near to Allah, the world will run after him, but he will remember Allah so much, that he will not even notice.”

One night, he was engaged in worship, when he heard a voice saying, “I am your Lord.” He immediately replied, “Be quiet, O accursed one, My Lord would never break my prayer.” This reaction speaks to his Strong Relationship with Allah based on his knowledge and sincerity.

Chishti Example of Divine Love
Once, Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (رحمه الله) did not eat for days. When asked why, he replied, “I have tasted the sweetness of relying on Allah alone. How can I ask for what my Creator provides abundantly from His creation?”

It was compelling to see how these saints taught that the first step towards Allah, and the journey in general, is to cooperate and trust, sacrifice and trust, and love and trust entirely.

Du’as in Arabic for Strengthening your Iman

اللّهُمَّ حَبّبْ إلَيْنَا الإيمانَ وزَيِّنهُ في قُلُوبِنَا
O Allah, make faith beloved to us and beautified in our hearts.
(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:7)

اللّهُمَّ اجعلْنا منَ الَّذينَ إذا ذُكِرَ اللّه اتَّقَت قُلُوبُهُم
O Allah, make us among those when Allah is mentioned their hearts tremble.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي وَأَهْلِي وَالْمَاءِ الْبَارِدِ
“O Allah, make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family, and cold water.”
(Masnud Ahmad)

Repeat this dua after every Salah. Make it a part of your daily spiritual routine.

Tasawwuf-Based Reflections:

The Purification of the Heart (Tazkiyah)
Building a Strong Bond with Allah means to eliminate pride, jealousy, and the love of this life from the heart. Sufi guides teach that love for Allah is a lamp that will only glow when the dust of sin is removed.

The Secret of Muraqabah (Spiritual Watchfulness)
Practicing Muraqabah — the state of always being aware of Allah’s presence — is one of the greatest methods for raising one’s Iman.

Practicing Muraqabah was a critical part of the life of saints such as Hazrat Bandanawaz (رحمه الله), who were always aware of Allah with every breath they took.

How to Strengthen the Connection with Allah Through Dhikr and Reflection (Tafakkur)

The Sufi masters teach us, especially from the Chishti and Qadiri orders, that initiating a strong relationship with Allah revolves around Tafakkur, or deep reflection, and Dhikr, or constant remembrance.

In his writings, Imam al-Ghazali (RA) describes how the heart is like a mirror that rusts with sins, distractions and desires. This is also why Dhikr is considered the polish to facilitate one’s way back to divine love.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RH) once told his followers that:
“When the servant makes Dhikr of Allah, then his soul becomes enlightened, and his heart becomes tranquil. This is the state of being in which divine secrets are discovered.”

Practically speaking this means:

• Create quiet time each day to do personal Dhikr, even if just 15 minutes after Fajr or before sleeping.
• Reflect on, meditate and develop your understanding of Allah’s Names (Asma Al-Husna) and find examples of the names within your life. For example, saying Ya Wadud (O Most Loving) while thinking about Allah’s love in your life.
• Use a Tasbeeh counter, or a digital app to help remain focused during your daily litanies of Dhikr.

5 Practical Steps to Build a Strong Relationship with Allah

Let’s make this spiritual journey simpler with real gettable steps:

1. Make Tawbah Daily: Honestly, even a small sin creates a little distance between us and Allah. Daily ask Allah for forgiveness from the bottom of your heart even when you think you have not sinned that much.
2. Learn One New Name of Allah Each Week: Learn the meaning, how to apply it, reflect on this name in relation to your life, and consistently invoke Allah in our Duas.
3. Read One Page of Quran With Tafsir: Try to connect with the meaning of the Quran and look for how it relates to the struggles in your life. More than recite it, try to understand and apply it.
4. Get up For Tahajjud Once a Week: If you cannot do more than two rakats it’s still beneficial. Now you are worshipping in your last third of the night when Allah is the closest to His servants and eager to accept dua.
5. Serve Others For The Sake of Allah: As taught by the Chishti saints, Khidmah (serving to creation) is one of the highest types of worship and a greater form of dependency to earn nearness to our Creator.

The Spiritual Story of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RH): Love That Transforms Hearts

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (R.H.), popularly known as Gharib Nawaz, was as much an educator as he was a spirit guide for thousands of people towards Allah. One day, a wealthy merchant — who was an enemy of Muslims — came to his khanqah with rage in his heart.

However, Khwaja Sahib, with his merciful, forgiving demeanor and warmth to even the poor animals outside his door melted the merchant’s heart.

In time, that same man became a loyal disciple. Why? True love for Allah through their actions shows among those close to Him.

Gharib Nawaz used to say: “If you want to win hearts, then eat and feed the hungry, take care of the sick, and love everyone — for the sake of Allah.”

Deep Tasawwuf Insight: Knowing Allah Through the Path of Love

Imam al-Junayd al-Baghdadi (RA) once said :

“Tasawwuf is to die to oneself and live in Allah.”

Fana (the annihilation of self) is a key element in Tasawwuf. This does not mean we turn into literal nothingness, but that our egos, pride, arrogance, and desires are no more, and Allah abides in our hearts in our sincerity and love for Him.

• When we fast not merely with our bellies, but with our eyes, tongues, and hearts…
• When we give in charity not merely to show-off, but because we have seen Allah in the eyes of the needy…
• When we pray not merely because we must, but because we want to talk to our Beloved…

That is when we begin to develop a true and meaningful relationship with Allah.

Bullet Points to Remember:

• Pray in time with presence of heart
• Do dhikr every day along with Qur’an recitation
• Have always trust on Allah’s qadr (decree) in all matters
• Have akhlaq and join people of knowledge
• Practice muraqabah and tawbah regularly
• Love the Sunnah
• Loving Allah = Loving creation
• Learn from the righteous

Conclusion: Come Closer Today

You don’t have to be excellent to start. You just need to be genuine. Developing a Strong Relationship with Allah is a lifelong journey — yet every step brings peace, light, and gifts from Allah signified by barakah.

No matter how far you think you are, Allah is closer to you than your jugular vein. Just take that one step — and you will find that His mercy runs toward you.

Read More Inspirational Islamic Blogs:

• 7 Life-Changing Blessings of Reciting the Quran

• Powerful Morning Duas for Barakah and Peace