Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Times of India I 29th February 2012 | Page 20

I once went on a condolence visit to two young people, a sister and a brother, whose father had died, leaving them alone in their flat in New Delhi. Naturally, both of these young people were very sad. One of the visitors, who was a family friend, spoke some words of solace. He said: "Don't worry, i am just a call away."

Suddenly a thought came to my mind. God Almighty is also just a call away from every man and woman. There is a relevant verse in the Quran: "When anyone asks you about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me." (2:186)

The Creator created man in such a way that there is no distance between the two: both are very near to each other. It is possible for man to contact God Almighty at any moment, from wherever he may be. This concept gives every man and woman unshakable confidence. It gives every man and woman a source of help in every situation.

If you have a mobile phone in your pocket when you leave home, you will confidently believe that you are not far away from your family. You can make instant contact with your family from anywhere in the world. The same holds true for the man-God relationship.

I am a great believer in God. I can recall many instances when i have found myself in a state of helplessness. Then i prayed and asked God for His help and, invariably, i realised that God Almighty was with me. He solved my problem, and turned around the situation in my favour.

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This belief gives me conviction and determination. In my experience, everyone is in need of such a source of conviction. In our daily lives, we frequently face situations where we feel that, with our limited resources, we cannot cope with them. We need, therefore, to believe in a supernatural source of help.

This belief energises our minds. It gives us new courage to continue with the task in hand. This belief plays a great role in our lives in that it adds immeasurable hope to our struggle. It makes us able to tap our hidden energy.

Life is full of disadvantages. Frequently, we come face-to-face with unfamiliar situations. Dealing with them takes thought and planning and, at that time, we need some pointers to a future line of action. In such a situation, belief in God serves as a lighthouse. We are like the captain of an ocean-going vessel, who finds himself in a state of loneliness and isolation. Then he spots a lighthouse on the coastline. Its light gives him new hope, and he decides to follow the path it illuminates. The result is that he is successful in reaching his destination.

Indeed, life is like sailing across a great ocean. We need to believe that there is someone on the coast who can give us help when we are at our most helpless. This is the role of God in the life of every man and woman. One's success is 50% struggle and 50% hope. It is a source of great hope for everyone that God is with us. There is no distance between man and God. He is just a call away from us.

I am in my late 80s and can say that my life has been full of challenges, full of problems, and the only thing that has saved me from succumbing in any situation is my belief in God.