by Ibrahim Rasool |
The omnipresence of God and nearness of God to man is one of the central messages of The Holy Quran. Several verses speak of how much God is loving and affectionate towards humanity and several other verses expect the same from human beings.
So, when you are free, strive hard, and to your Lord turn your attention. [Quran, 94:7,8].
Nearness through utter dedication
Turning towards Lord can be to ask His Help or to worship Him. Either way we get near to Him. Earnest servants voluntarily worship Him a lot. Prophet Ibrahim (saws) was born in a polytheistic society, but he was on a true quest for God. He took the spiritual journey and became a guiding light for others.
He said, I will go to my Lord; He is sure to guide me. [Quran, 37:99]
Nearness through ideals and desires
We all have desires that we bring to God. Whether our prayers get fulfilled is secondary; earnestly praying to Him from the depths of our hearts is itself a huge blessing. Pursuing something with the help of God adds value to our lives.
Nearness through trials
Sometimes He puts His servants through trials that certainly turn their attention to Him. Some commentators on the Holy Quran opine that the whole purpose of suffering is to bring His servants nearer to Him.
You, who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; surely, God is with the steadfast. [Quran, 2:153].
Troubles will pass by but the nearness we attain will stay with us.
God is accessible to all His servants. No one has to hesitate to turn to God. When intentions are good, any person can find God’s help and guidance.
The East and the West belong to God. Whichever way you turn, there is the Face of God. God is all pervading and all knowing. [Quran, 2:115].
When human beings make a small effort to seek God’s Help, God will go a long way to help them.
Paradise as a place of truth
The qualities of Paradise are described in various ways in the Holy Quran. One particular description is that it is a place in the nearness of God.
The God-conscious will find themselves in gardens and rivers, in the seat of truth with an All-powerful Sovereign. [Quran, 54:54, 55].
We get more and more real when we approach Him. We see things clearly when He is close to us.
This world is described as chattels of deception in the Holy Quran. Something looks certain, and a moment later, it turns out to be mirage. People become more and more delusional when they choose a path that is away from God. We should not spend our life totally lost in this world. Life should be taken as a journey to get close to God.
Ibrahim Anankachi Rasoolmohideen is an IT professional working in Hyderabad, India. He believes in understanding and spreading the message of Holy Quran, as a way to peaceful and prosperous life.
Jazakallah Khairan pls keep on posting May Allah bless u
Jazak Allah,
There is this question that has been bothering me which I find difficult to answer. Please help me the answer. It is “why do muslims face the Qiblah during prayers?”.
‘Assalamu ‘Alaikum
The first and foremost answer is ‘we were ordered so by Allah (SWT) in (2:144)’. He test how much obedient we are. We cant assess ‘His’ wisdom fully in any of such matters. One main reason behind facing Qiblah is unity. Imagine a hall where people face different directions and pray. There are many reasons for selection of Ka’ba as most sacred place of Muslims including the first house constructed in the face of earth to worship Allah (SWT).
Praise be to Allaah…
@ Saratu Abdullahi
One of the conditions of prayer being valid is facing the qiblah, and prayer is not valid without that, because Allaah has enjoined that repeatedly in the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction”
[al-Baqarah 2:144]