As any practising Muslim knows, defining your relationship with Allah is a task that wavers from time to time. Belief may be firm but the fickle human heart loses sight of what is dearest to oneself. Keeping in constant communication with Allah becomes imperative to the relationship and is not just through the five daily prayers but through each conscientious action carried out by the believer.
Allah has defined the ways towards becoming closer to Him through rituals of worship- otherwise known as the five pillars of Islam. The Shahada is taken for granted by many Muslims but do we truly wonder what it entails when we claim belief in One creator and His Messenger? The Shahada signals submission to the greater nature of the Creator and the fact that as a Muslim we have understood not only what that means in terms of our own personal freedom, but to take on the practices and guidance of the chosen seal of the prophets- Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The prayers prescribed by Allah, placed strategically around the waking hours of a human being's day, forces one to regain the link to the Creator. Even when one's mind is still busy on the mundane aspects of life, carrying through the ritual of the prayer proves the believers submission to his Lord. Many feel that a prayer without heart and soul may as well be not performed. However even the fact that a believer clings on to the outward action in times of weak iman is still considered acceptable by Allah. It is only the proud and arrogant who refuse to bow down despite all their misapprehensions. The ultimate belief is one that begs Allah to forgive us in all our weaknesses.
Charity is another prescription for achieving proximity to the Creator, if only humans understood. A Muslim battles against stinginess, greed and selfishness to share whatever rizk Allah has ordained for him. Charity serves to encourage love between people. The joy of giving is incomparable and Allah gives pleasure to both the giver and the receiver of the charity.
While other obligatory acts are seen to be in the best interests of the believer, fasting is mentioned as an action purely for the sake of Allah. Although the benefits of fasting are many, Allah promises the reward of the fast as one that is special. The relationship with Allah is the most powerful during the month of Ramadan for many, as this month sees the physical detox of the inside as well as the spiritual recharging for the whole year.
Although not always in every believer's reach, Hajj is seen as a physical reaching towards Allah. The Kaaba, is the house of Allah and the place where the great prophets bowed in reverence for their Creator. To be given the privilege to do the same is seen as one of the ultimate blessings upon the believer, a chance to become reborn, free of sins.
These are the rituals defined by Islam as a means to achieving closeness to Allah. However the relationship to Allah can become even more intensified if one looks into the habits of the Prophet and the Sahaba. Each moment of their life, they questioned whether their Creator was pleased with them. They constantly accounted themselves and remembered their wrongdoings. Many of them, even when told they had been granted paradise, would cry in fear of Allah's displeasure.
Allah loves us to remember Him, and in Dhikrallah one can define one's relationship with Him. If you speak your loved one's name, He becomes closer and dearer yet. In this form of meditation one can feel the burdens of life removed from oneself as a higher form of reliance upon the Creator is forged.
If you truly seek to define your relationship with Allah, then you need complete and go beyond the basics, and study in depth the ways of the Anbiya and Awwliya - the chosen and loved ones of the Creator. Remember always that we are created as humans and making mistakes are the greatest path to learning. Remember, Allah is Oft - Forgiving.