How to Get Closer to God
What does “getting closer to God” mean? Obviously, it does not mean getting closer to God physically, as that would be contrary to the Quranic concept of God - God is not situated in a particular place in space. God says, “I am closer to you than your jugular vein” (50:16); and again, “Wherever you are, I am there” (2:115; 7:7). Getting closer to God therefore means: Emulating in our own characters, as far as possible, the attributes of the perfect Self, which is God. The more we emulate these attributes the closer we get to God. But, emulation of these attributes must occur within society, not alone. Concepts of God that teach personal salvation through individual meditation or prayer are non-Quranic. Quranic salvation can only be possible by restructuring the present political and economic systems so that they reflect the universal and permanent attributes of God given in the Quran. For example, since God is universally merciful, forgiving, fair and just, so should be the social order operating on behalf of God. Just as God provides sustenance and nourishment to all, so should the economic system established on His behalf. Just as God guarantees universal human rights and freedoms, so should the political system established in His name. Those who establish such a system and direct their daily affairs by it, will gradually start reflecting the attributes of God in their own characters, i.e. they will take on the “color” of the attributes of Allah in their own characters. They will boldly proclaim, “We take our color from Allah, and who is better than Allah at coloring” (2:138). This is what “sibgha-tullah” or “the color of Allah” means in this famous Quranic verse.
Under such a system therefore, people— individually, as well as, collectively—will start getting closer to the one true God since they will have the same objective standard of Asmaaul ‘Husnaa, the most balanced attributes of God, as their common goal: (7:180) – AND GOD’S [alone] are the attributes of perfection [Asad]. This is bound to lead to universal brotherhood and unity of humankind, the ultimate objective of the Quran (2:213). In this system, individuals colored with the color of Allah’s attributes work and struggle together in a synergistic fashion, helping each other, being driven only by the conviction of this one common goal – closeness to God. This common goal requires that we understand clearly some other facets of our relationship to God as well.
The main characteristics of the “self” are: uniqueness, independence and freedom. When I say, “‘I’ am free,” it really implies that my “self” is unique, it is free and not dependent on any other “self”, and it has the freedom of choice and action. God, being the perfect “Self”, is completely unique (Allahu A‘had); He is absolutely free and is not dependent (Allahus Samad); He begetteth not, nor was begotten; and there is none like unto Him (112:1-4).
Therefore, in this life, human beings must strive to move closer to God by developing these latent characteristics of the “self”. To facilitate this development, the “self” needs some limitations, which must be self-imposed rather than externally imposed. In fact, external imposition destroys the “self”. God says in the Quran that although He has absolute power and control over His creation, He too has put some limitations on Himself, for example, to be merciful and to help the believers: Say (O Prophet): “To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth?” Say: “To Allah.” He has prescribed Mercy for Himself (6:12). It is Our duty to help the believers (6:54; 7:156).
According to the Quran, this participation between God and believers occurs through a contract. In Islam, Believers must enter into a contract with Allah by selling their lives and property to Him in return for Jannah (9:111). Therefore, in this way, they become helpers of Allah for carrying out His mission in this world (61:14), while Allah makes it His duty to help them. Since Jannah encompasses both this world as well as the Hereafter, believers pray and must strive for a good life on earth as well as in the Hereafter (2:201).
Another example of Allah’s self-imposed limitations in spite of unlimited power is that Allah does not force anyone to accept His message. He has given complete freedom of choice to human beings to accept or reject it (18:29). He could make every human being a believer but He does not (32:13; 10:99).
The God of the Quran is not a dictator
There is no doubt that God has complete control over His creation (5:120; 9:116; 23:88). He can do anything (2:117; 6:73; 14:27; 19:35; 36:82). No one can question Him (21:23). But does He use His powers arbitrarily like a dictator or a king? Or does He follow some standard or pattern? There is a set pattern according to which God produces results. The result of our actions is produced according to the law related to God’s permanent attribute for that particular action as set forth in the Quran. In the Quranic concept of God, people do not have to individually please him but have to follow His laws, which have been clearly outlined in His book, The Quran. The God of the Quran does not bend towards anyone. He has permanent and objective attributes and is the fountainhead of unchangeable laws called KALIMAT-I-ALLAH (6:34; 6:115; 10:64; 18:27), SUNNAT-I-ALLAH (17:77; 33:62; 35:43; 48:23), and KHALQ-I-ALLAH (30:30) by the Quran. Therefore, the result of our actions depends on whether or not the action was performed according to His law. If the result is different from expected, then one has to change one’s actions. One should not keep on doing the same thing while trying to please God by prayers and sacrifices to persuade God to change His laws. One has to align oneself with His laws, not vice versa.
Khalifa ‘Umar (R) once said that his aim was to stop the people’s prayers from reaching God. This intrigued the people. He explained that people normally pray to God when they are facing some problems. His duty as Khalifa was to solve their problems so they would not have to pray to God for their solution. If they needed to pray to God, then that would, in effect, be a complaint against him to God. Interestingly, this means that the system, implemented according to the Quran, is supposed to fulfil God’s promises to human beings. God does not directly help human beings. He helps them through his servants (Prophets and true believers) who implement His plans in the human world by using the Quran as the Constitution of God on earth. This brings us to another important aspect of the concept of God, i.e. God’s laws are not only unchangeable but they are universal.
Universality of God’s Law
In the physical world, we readily accept the universality of God’s laws. For example, an experiment to liberate hydrogen and oxygen from water will produce the same result under the same conditions no matter where that experiment is conducted. We owe our health and welfare, and even our life to the universality of these laws.
The same applies to another set of God’s laws now safely preserved in the Quran. It does not matter if we believe in them or not. These laws have their own objective existence and they work inexorably in the human world just as the laws of nature work in the physical world. The God of the Quran is the Nourisher and Cherisher of all the worlds (Rabbil ‘Alameen) and the Nourisher and Cherisher of all humankind (Rabbin-Naas). He is the Sovereign (Malikin-Naas) and God of all humankind (Ilaahin-Naas).
Therefore, in this concept of God, there is no place for discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, language, economic opportunities, political power, or social status. The Quranic God is equidistant from every human being. Only those people who synchronize their wills with the will of God get their “color” from Him. In turn, those who get colored by God reflect universal God-like attributes and become members of one family. In this way, there is no contradiction in their inner and outer lives. With this concept of God, there is no push and pull, no effort through prayers and rituals to bend God in anyone’s favor. This leads to yet another aspect of God’s objective laws pertaining to humans: whether or not one believes in this concept of God, every human action produces a reaction based on God’s law of requital.