Title: Developing a Close Relationship with the Almighty Question: Can a person play a convincing role in improving another person's faith? Or is it just a matter of every individual's relationship with the Almighty? Also, in what ways can one effectively develop a closer relationship with Allah, given that the intentions are clear and pure? Allah Hafiz Saadia Malik Pakistan Answer: Humans are social beings. The very fiber of human burgeoning and development is due to the relationships that we have cultivated. Clearly, we are dependent on one another. Hence, we should recognize the importance of the role other people play in our religious lives. Any pious person, most certainly, can help in another's faith. Obviously, I don't mean that one person has control over another's "switch" to increase or decrease faith. However, the way people assist, religiously speaking, is by teaching and learning from one another. A person who has knowledge about religion would share it with a person who doesn't know as much and, in some cases, would even be an example to that person. Learning through speech and deed of others' is one of the most beautiful ways we can open ourselves up to God's Truth. It should be kept in mind that this is the job of every Muslim to help their fellow human beings: Muslims as well as non-Muslims. We help by explaining the Truth as we understand it to the best of our capabilities, the rest is up to God, for we cannot force anyone to accept nor follow God's guidance. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. - John Heywood The learning process never stops but the building of the relationship between God and an individual is a personal thing. Your relationship with the Almighty will be based on all your experiences including those moments in which you received pieces of wisdom from others. It is what you do with all this knowledge and how you advance and strengthen this connection that is a personal endeavor. Your prayers and the way you behave towards yourself and towards others are very important elements in attaining that closeness with God. It never ceases to amaze me what is termed "worship" in Islam. For instance, a gentle smile, a kind greeting, a hand to help a fellow human, etc... All these things are part of our piety and the very building blocks of the relationship with God. Being the best person you can be, praying, conversing with God (He answers with His blessings), fasting, reciting and deliberating over God's revelations, pondering over and understanding God's physical and moral laws, all help us attain a sense of closeness with Him. He has prescribed a beautiful way of life; Islam. This is how we develop a closer relationship with God: faith, deeds and intention. I hope I have clarified the issue God knows best Ronnie Hassan February 27, 2003