Speaking Tree | TOI | October 31, 2010 It is possible to feel God's existence through intuition. Of late, science has discovered that there is a unique spot in the human mind- they call it God Spot. The fact is that the consciousness of God is interwoven in the nature of every human being. So, potentially every one possesses this kind of feeling. What is needed is to turn this potential into the actual through deep contemplation.
The essence of faith is ma'arifah, (realization or discovery of God). When a man consciously seeks out and finds God, and thereby has access to divine realities that is what constitutes faith. This discovery is no simple matter. God is the Creator and Owner of all things. He will award or punish all, according to their deeds; none is free from His grip. The discovery of such a God shakes to the core of the whole life of man. His thinking is revolutionized, for God becomes the centre of all His emotions. With God as the principal focus of his attention, man becomes God's servant in the fullest sense of the word. He becomes a man whose living and dying is all for God. Such a faith ultimately results in all of man's behaviour and his dealings taking on the hue of God. When the believer speaks, he is conscious of the fact that God is listening to him. When he walks, he does so with modesty so that his gait may not be displeasing to God. When he deals with people, he is always worried lest he deal unjustly and be punished by God in the next life. The impact of this degree of faith makes the entire life of man akhirat-oriented. In all matters his eyes are focused on the Hereafter. Instead of immediate gain he makes gain in the next life his goal. Whenever there are two aspects of any matter, one pertaining to this world and the other to the next world, he always prefers the latter. Faith, another name for the recognition of the Supreme God, becomes for the believer a fountainhead of limitless confidence in his Creator. When this recognition takes root in an individual's heart and soul, his whole personality becomes regenerated. Knowing that in all circumstances he may depend upon God, he becomes a new man.
A: There is no objective criterion for this. The journey begins when man finds out that his sole concern is God. The Quran gives the criterion to discern between those who would be rewarded in the hereafter and those who would not be. The first criterion pertains to one who would become deserving of punishment in the hereafter. The Quran says for such a person He used to be happy with his own people. (84:13) According to this criterion, those who earned and exhausted their resources on their family did not discover God! They could not think beyond their kith and kin. The second criterion pertains to those who would be rewarded in the hereafter. For such individuals, the Quran says, When we were among our families, we were full of fear of God's displeasure. (52:26) Such people were always actively thinking about their accountability towards God. In other words, despite being with their family, their sole concern was God.
The Prophet said: "God will not show mercy to one who does not show mercy to his fellow-men."
The Speaking Tree | Sunday, August 15, 2010 Yes. Prayer means establishing contact with the higher reality and that higher reality is the source of all kinds of inspiration. It is also a source of great solace. So prayer, if it is genuine, will certainly help in developing focus and making you a better person.
Speaking Tree | TOI | May 8, 2011 God is our Creator and all the things we enjoy in this world are His Creation. You cannot see God, but you can see His Creation. God manifests himself through his Creation. It's simple: when Creation exists, the Creator also exists. And who can be the Creator of this marvellous world, but God.
Speaking Tree | TOI | May 8, 2011 It's not just about God, man cannot have complete knowledge of anything. All kinds of human knowledge are based on the probability theory; if we accept this criterion for other things, why can't we do the same for the existence of God?
You should become a true seeker but the most difficult job is to become a true seeker. People live in conditioning of different kinds and therefore are not able to make themselves a true seeker. Truth gives man the conviction to talk about it. The way I speak is because I have found the truth. Had I not found it, I would not have had the conviction to speak in this manner. Man discovers truth himself and not by way of someone else telling him about it.
Speaking Tree| TOI | April 2, 2011 If it were possible to discover Creation, then it is possible to discover the Creator as well. This is possible only through contemplation. French philosopher, Rene Descartes said, "I think, therefore I exist." Following this dictum you can say, "I exist, therefore God also exists.
A: I would like to clarify the meaning of the term 'character' in this context. Character in this case refers to divine character. Such a person studies and realises the Creation Plan of God. He leads his life in accordance with it and acts upon it in totality.
