Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can we become among those who are drawn near?
Allah says in the hadith qudsi: “My slave draws near to Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and then he continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory devotions until I love him.”
One of the pious said:
The one who does not draw close to the knowers of Allah has not drawn close
And one who has drawn close must have etiquette (adab)
Imam Abu Bakr al-`Adani summarises the attributes which one requires to attain closeness to those are close to Allah:
تقرب إلينا أيها العاشق المُضْنى بِحُبِّكَ فينا لا بِشِعْرٍ و لا مَغْنى
سوى بافتقار و انكسار و ذلة و عدم اختيار و اتباع لما قلنا
‘Draw close to us, O emaciated lover through your love for us, not through poetry or song
But rather through neediness, brokenness, lowliness and surrendering your choice and following what we say.’
Above all your closeness to the people of Allah is according to your closeness to Allah.
One of the pious said that being deprived of etiquette when in the company of the pious is worse than being deprived of their company altogether. May Allah bless us with etiquette.