How to Be Closer to Allah

Read Qu'ran. Read it in reverence and reflect: try to understand every word it says because it will help you a lot in your life and of course in the afterlife. The Qur'an has the solutions to all problems.

Pray five times a day. Always pray on time. Never ignore a prayer or delay it. When you hear the adhan (call to pray), go pray as soon as possible. Try to relax in your prayer and forget everything that could bother you in life. And remember, you're with Allah now and He deserves your full attention.

Maintain good manners. Never lie or steal, be nice to the people around you, be gracious towards your parents, keep your promises, always forgive and be nice. Even be kind to your enemies; the Qur'an tells us to "repel evil with good".^[1]

Avoid sins generally. Don't insult others, don't delay or ignore duties and remember that Islam forbids all sexual activity outside marriage.

Stay modest. Women should not expose their body or wear tight, revealing clothing. Men and women should respect the Islamic dress code by covering their awrah. For men, this is from the navel to the knees, and for women, any part of the body where adornments may be found, e.g anklets, henna, bracelets, earrings, etc. Generally awrah refers to the entire body except for the face; however in certain sects, the face is part of awrah as well. Modesty also applies to your behaviour. Muslim men should not stay close with unrelated women, and vice versa. Muslims are told to "lower their gaze".^[2]