Do You Know Allah?

Do You Know Allah?

• What are the ways to know Allah?
• How do we find the (right) way to Allah? (By Mind/Logic)
• How do we find the (right) way to Allah? (By Soul)

The Way to Know Allah

Human souls can identify things surrounding them and can distinguish among things. Material items are identified by the appropriate sense: visuals are identified by sight; audio by ear, touchable by touching as well as smells and food.

We, consequently, as humans, cannot identify an outstanding scene of nature by hearing, or distinguish between the nightingale’s chanting from the crow’s croak with our sights, and so on.

As a result, every known, recognized thing has an identifying sense.

But what distinguishes among these senses?

Answer: It is the intellect which is given to us by Allah. Due to our minds, we were preferred to all animals. We, for instance, do not put our hand in fire, drink poison or stab ourselves with a knife to death because we have a mind that prevents us from performing such actions that lead to our bereavement.

Thus, a man’s mind is the power by which he perceives, checks and identifies things. If senses themselves are incapable of finding the way to Allah, would the mind be able to find Allah?

Mind leads to Allah:

Allah says, ﴾Is there a doubt about Allah, The Creator of the heavens and the earth?﴿

If you saw an eye-catching, well-structured house, would you doubt that such a construction was not made by a creative designer?

Should we say that you saw smoke coming out from a certain place, or you smelled something burning, would you doubt for a moment that a fire is giving off that smoke and smell?

When you are walking on the beach and you see foot traces on the sand, would you also doubt for a moment that some has passed and left these traces?

Now, come with me to have a look around us.

This ornamented sky with its moon and stars in the dark and planets that have been swimming in space for billions of years in their accurately predetermined orbits. These planets would collide and collapse if their velocity and orbit changed. Now let us ask: who calculated the distances, orbits and velocities of these planets?

Do you suspect that there is an extraordinary designing power that is so wise and precise that had calculated, organized and made these things?

Look at rain and its relationship with the earth and revive it. Look at rain’s role in the blooming process of the plants of the earth of which we eat. Would you believe if one told you that he suspects that someone had created these things and made them available for us?

Who had connected these things together?

Man plows and seeds, using machines and animals, and manures the land. Rain comes and waters these seeds buried in the ground. These seeds flower and become plants. Then, wind and insects move pollen from one plant to another so that delicious fruits are produced. Who created such relations among the peasants, earth, rain, flowers, plants and insects? Do you believe that Allah is behind all of this?
“Is there a doubt about Allah, The Creator of the heavens and the earth?”

Intelligence rules that there is a great, mighty and wise creator behind all of this who had instinctively created our brains to believe in undisputable knowledge by which we find the way to believe in Allah. We did not use our eyes to believe in Allah but used our brains. As we go through verses of the ‘signs’ that witness, with all its existence, that Allah had created them: ﴾Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth)…﴿

Soul Leads to Allah

Before we start, we complete the previous verse, ﴾… and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth …﴿ But how do souls know their Creator? Allah, our Lord, never left them hesitant and confused in search. Instead, he showed us the way in the Holy Qur'an. Our Lord said, ﴾O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah: but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.﴿

Don't you see with me brother that we people need air to breathe? And if we ran out of air, we would suffocate and die. Don't you see that we need food to live or else we would starve and die? Also, by structure, we need eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to build, work, plant, etc… and we need legs to walk etc…

We need all of that. What forces us to move our hands and legs either to work or to walk is the need because we are weak and vulnerable… we starve… we get thirsty… we would become naked so we are affected by hot sun and chilling cold. As a result, our need and shortage push us to endeavor to satisfy and meet such needs and instincts. So, we are after food to eat, after water to drink and after clothing to avoid and protect ourselves from cold and hot weather.

As well as our bodies, we are also poor and needy in our souls. We need knowledge, power and ability, highness and nobility, tenderness and sympathy and love and beauty.

Even if our bellies are full with food, we shall always have another craving that asks, "Who would satisfy me?"

Who would secure my fears in the dark of nights?
Who would comfort me in my lonely times?
Who would be with me in my times of alienation?

The answer comes from the deep inside the soul: do not look for whatever satisfies such a need from those who are like you, who are needy and miserable like you, who are starving the same as you are. You, I and all mankind and other creatures are needy and poor. We are suffering from poverty. We need someone whose riches never end to satisfy our everlasting needs.

We are very poor and we need someone who has everything… Who might it be?

The answer comes running from the depths of your heart: It is Allah, the Absolute Richness, and whose richness and generosity have no limits.

Listen with me to the Dua of Imam Al Sajjad (peace be upon him) “O Lord! You distinguish Yourself from your creatures: You are Indispensable of them while they are poor and dependant on You. He who tries to ask for his needs from You and tries to get rid of poverty by asking You has followed the correct way. On the contrary, whoever seeks help and searches for his needs from someone else or some of your creatures shall never find what he is longing for and none of his aspirations shall come true. He shall be deprived.”

Imam Khomeini also said in his will to his son Ahmad, May Allah have mercy on their souls, “… and if you could ask all categories of creatures about who could provide their needs, they would all instinctively reply that they are in need for Him who needs no one and He Who is the perfection of existence…”

Until he says, “Attach yourself to the absolute richness (Allah) until you need nothing else and ask Allah to guide you through to reach his sacred square…”

So my gracious brother, look at yourself and ask, "Are you needy, poor or not?" It shall surely answer you with yes. Then invite it to know the Richest of the Rich and the Most Generous of All who is Allah because when you know Him, you are the richest person on earth.

* Beginning of the path. Islamic Cultural Knowledge Organization. Knowledge Center for Islamic Studies and Researches.

^{1- (Ibrahim [Abraham] 014.010).
2- {Signs} Spelled out (or Ha-Mim), Verse: 53.
3- (Fatir [The Angels, Originator] 035.015).
4- Al Sahifa Al Sajjadia.
5- Meeting Date – Merciful Manifestations, P. 54-55.}