Allah has personal relationships
If we study the Holy Qur’an carefully we will see that Allah has relationships with His creation. He guides, punishes and awards, gives life and death, becomes angry, summons, leads, loves and does not love, protects, teaches, beguiles, takes care, remembers etc. Such relationships between Allah and living beings display His personal nature, for only a person can have such relationships. Impersonal light or power cannot love, teach, remember, become angry etc. One must be a person to have such relationships.
For instance, in the above mentioned ayat (24.35) it is further explained that,
Yahdillahu li – nurihi many – yasha / wa yazribullahul – ‘amsala linas / wallahu bi – kulli shay-’in ‘Alim: “Allah guides unto His light whom He will and Allah does set forth allegories for mankind, for Allah is the Knower of all things.” (24.35)
So, here, Yahdillahu, Allah guides, is mentioned, which means that Allah has a personal relationship with the living beings of His creation: “He guides whom He will.”
Tuzillu biha mantasha-’u wa tahdi mantasha’: “You (Allah) sends whom You wilt astray and guides whom You wilt.” (7.155)
These ayats explain that Allah guides whom He will and sends astray whom He will. Allah guides us by giving us the revealed scripture. He also guides us from inside by personal instructions and from outside through the association and instructions of the enlightened saintly persons. In this way Allah guides us to the right path, helping us to realize our relationship with Him and surrender to Him. But if we reject His instructions and disobey His order, He will satisfy our desire by putting us into darkness. We will move further away from His light, from understanding the real meaning of life. Thus, Allah personally guides everyone according to one’s desire. In this way His relationship with each of us is personal.
Qala azabi ‘usibu bihi man ‘asha / wa rahmati wasi-’at kulla shay / fasa-’aktubuha lillazina yatta-quna wa yu’-tunaz – zakata walla – zina hum-bi – ‘ayatina yu’-minun: “He (Allah) said, I smite with my punishment whom I will but my mercy embraces all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who do right and pay zakat (the dues for the poor people) and those who believe in Our revelations.” (7.156)
Innal-laaha Qa-wiyun Shadidul-’iqab: “Allah is strong, severe in punishment.” (8.52)
Falama nasu ma zukiru bihi ‘anjay-nallazina yan-hawna ‘anis-su-’i / wa ‘akhaz-nallazina zalamu bi-’azabim – ba – ‘isim – bima kanu yafsuqun: “When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We (Allah) rescued those who forbade wrong, and visited those who did wrong with dreadful punishment because they were evil-livers.” (7.165)
In these ayats Allah explains that He punishes those who disobey His order and He awards mercy to obedient servants. Actually, when Allah punishes someone, being all-merciful, He does this for one’s benefit. Just like when a father chastises his son, he actually does so for his son’s benefit. We cannot accuse the father of being cruel. For by chastising his son the father protects him from incurring more suffering. In fact, Allah always wants to help us achieve real spiritual happiness. But if someone insists on being disobedient and continues committing sinful acts, he reaps bitter fruits for his sinful activities. Every action brings a reaction. As you sow you shall reap. Accordingly one gets reactions for one’s actions. Everyone enjoys or suffers according to his previous activities. If someone suffers he should blame no one but himself, not Allah, as most people tend to do. When a government punishes a criminal, for example, it is for the benefit of the society as well as the individual. Similarly, when Allah punishes a sinner, it is for the benefit of mankind as well as the sinner. Thus, Allah mercifully cares for the sinner and nonsinner alike.
Huwa yuh-yi wa yumit: “He gives life and death.” (7.158)
Allah gives life and death to everyone. He is the origin of life and He sanctions death to all embodied beings. He grants eternal life to His pure devotees and He meets nondevotees as death. Actually, all living beings are spiritual, eternal by nature, never-ending, but due to sinful desires they become imprisoned in a material body. These bodies are made of matter and therefore temporary, but the conscious soul within is eternal. All material bodies must suffer the miseries – birth, disease, old age and death. Those who are wise surrender unto Allah as He guarantees to personally deliver them to a blissful eternal life in His abode, but those who go against the will of Allah, will continuously suffer. Allah via His different energies controls and personally regulates the life and death of every living entity. The scriptures state even a blade of grass doesn’t move without Allah sanctioning it.
Fi-’atin-faqad ba-’a bi-gazabim-minal-laahi: “He truly has incurred wrath from Allah.” (8.16)
Those who disobey the will of Allah and especially those who commit offenses against His devotees incur the wrath of Allah. Allah personally favors His devotees and He arranges for the punishment of those who are offensive to them.
Wal-laahu yad-’u ‘ila Daris-Salam / wa yahdi manya-sha-’u ‘ila Siratim-Mustaqim: “And Allah summons to the Abode of Peace and leads whom He will to a Straight path.” (10.25)
Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:
“In contrast with the ephemeral and uncertain pleasures of this material life, there is a higher life to which Allah is always calling. It is called the Home of Peace. For there is no fear, nor disappointment, nor sorrow there. All are called, and those will be chosen who have sought, not material advantages, but the Good Pleasure of Allah.” (9, p. 555)
Those who strictly follow the principles given by Allah in the revealed scriptures, for them Allah leads to the right path. So at the end of this life when they leave their body Allah personally takes them to the Daris-Salam, “the Abode of Peace”, or “the Home of Peace” where they live eternally in bliss and knowledge.
Wa ‘inyam-sas-kallahu bi-zurin-fala kashifa lahu ‘illa hu / wa ‘inyu-ridka bi-khay-rin-fala radda li-fazlih / yusiibu bihii manyashaaa-’u min ‘ibaa-dih / wa Huwal Gafur-ur-Rahim: “If Allah afflicts you with some hurt, there is none who can remove it but Him and if He desires good for you there is none who can repel His bounty. He strikes with it whom He will of His servants. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (10.107)
Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:
“Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Even when we suffer under trials and tribulations, it is for our good, and no one can remove them except He, when, in His Plan. He sees it to be best for all concerned. On the other hand, there is no power that can intercept His blessings and favours, and His bounty flows freely when we are worthy and often when we are not worthy of it.” (9, p. 579)
An ancient proverb states, “If Allah wants to kill someone, no one can protect him and if Allah wants to protect someone, no one can kill him.” If someone satisfies Allah by one’s sincere devotional service, Allah rewards him accordingly and no one can repel Allah’s bounty. But if someone commits sin Allah punishes him according to his misdeeds and no one can remove it besides Allah. If one endeavors to understand his mistake, regrets and rectifies himself, then Allah lovingly forgives him and removes the punishment which he no doubt still deserves. When a living entity realizes his constitutional position as an eternal servitor of Allah then spiritual life and understanding begins. Leading from this, if one takes up the process of sincere devotional service to the Supreme Lord, then Allah becomes very pleased with that relationship, and personally removes all the bad reactions for that person’s previous sinful activities.
Inna ‘anzal-nahu Qur’anan ‘ara-biyal-la-’allakum ta’-qilun: “Behold! We (Allah) have revealed it, a Lecture (Qur’an) in Arabic, that you (Muhammad) may understand.” (12.2)
Allah explained here that He revealed the Qur’an in Arabic, so that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) may understand it. Thus, Allah time after time reveals His eternal message to different prophets in the appropriate language. In this way Allah personally delivers His message to the world.
Also, Innal-laaha yuhibul-tawwa-bina: “Allah loves those who turn unto Him” (2.222) and Innallaha la yuhibul-mu’-tadin: “Allah does not love aggressors” (2.190).
Allah has overwhelming love and compassion towards all His creation. No matter what sinful desires or activities a living entity cultivates Allah never hates any entity. He loves every entity like a father loves a son. Even His punishment is really a blessing, a wake up call to let us know we’re drifting towards more misery and suffering. But it is stated in the revealed scriptures that Allah certainly favors those who follow the path of devotional service and surrender unto Him.
Allah has individual, personal relationships with everyone. He likes those who follow the path of devotional service and naturally He dislikes those who transgress the rules and regulations of the revealed scriptures. Allah gives mankind different scriptures for different people in different circumstances. Those who cultivate goodness and virtue, and desire the true path to please Allah will follow the principles of bona fide scriptures and attract Him. This is the ultimate goal of life, the ultimate happiness.
In this regard Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes:
“The Message (of God) was not merely an abstract proposition of philosophy, but the direct concrete message of a personal Allah to the creatures whom He loves and cherishes.” (9, p. 1980)
Allahu Waliy-yullazina ‘amanu: “Allah is the Protecting Friend of those who believe.” (2.257)
Actually, Allah is the only friend of all living entities. So-called friendships in this world are not real friendships. Real friendship exists in the spiritual realm only. Ultimately, Allah is realized as the only friend to those who believe and follow His instructions. He personally protects His devotees from the dangers of material existence. Everyone who serves Allah with love and devotion can develop and maintain a personal friendship with the Supreme Lord, the reservoir of all pleasure. Friendship suggests existence of two persons. No impersonal light or abstract power can befriend the believers. This means that Allah is a Person.
Wa yu-’alimu-kumullah: “Allah is teaching you.” (2.282)
Ultimately Allah is the only teacher of all living entities. He is the eternal spiritual master of everyone. He teaches everyone from inside and outside. Allah is omnipresent. Allah teaches us by three methods – from within, from His bona fide scriptures and via His messengers and saintly devotees.
Innal-muna-fiqina yu-khadi-’unallaha wa huwa khadi-’uhum: “Behold! The hypocrites seek to beguile Allah, but it is Allah who beguile them.” (4.142)
Nobody can trick Allah because He is omniscient, all-knowing and all-pervading. So those who try to cheat Him become cheated by Him. Those who deny Allah, cheat and deceive others by any means, whether it be a single wife or a whole society. They cheat themselves of real knowledge and sink ever deeper into the clutches of Allah’s material energy, which is designed to keep impure, corrupt people in darkness and ignorance. Those who try to cheat Allah by posing themselves as religious persons but are actually committing sinful acts are the worst of the corrupt. They try to beguile Allah, but Allah beguiles them in such a way that they don’t even realize it.
Zalikumul-laahu Rabbukum . . . Huwa ‘ala kulli shay-’inw- Wakil: “Such is Allah, your Lord! . . . He take care of all things.” (6.103)
Allah takes care of all things. Although Allah is the Supreme Lord and has no duty to perform, still out of His causeless mercy He takes care of every living entity. Allah is the creator, the maintainer, the provider, and the destroyer of all creation. He takes care of believers and non-believers, devotees and non-devotees. But unlike the path of struggle for existence chosen by non-devotees, those who surrender to Allah and serve Him with love and devotion, their needs are personally taken care of by Allah, supplying all their necessities of physical and spiritual life. They will enter a reciprocal relationship with Allah.
Faz-kuruni ‘az-kurkum washkuru li wa la takfurun: “Therefore remember Me, I (Allah) will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me.” (2.152)
Here Allah clearly states that if we remember Him, He will remember us. Actually Allah always remembers us and takes care of us. So in appreciation we should give thanks to Him and not reject Him. In this ayat Allah invites us to be engaged in the important process of devotional service, namely remembering Allah. But this is not as easy as it sounds, as the mind cannot be held steady to think about one object. Especially in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy. The ancient scriptures say it’s easier to control the mighty winds than it is to control the mind. Therefore constant chanting of the holy name of Allah is highly recommended in the Holy Qur’an to purify and steady the mind. A purified and steady mind is more inclined to His devotional service and by chanting His holy names we can easily remember Him in all circumstances.
Razi yallahu ‘anhum wa razu ‘anhu / wa ‘a-’adda lahum jannatin-tajri tahtahal ‘anharu khalidina fiha ‘abada za-likal-fawzul ‘azim: “Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the Supreme triumph.” (9.100)
Allah is very pleased with those who render devotional service unto Him and devotees feel equally pleased and gradually reach a position of eternal bliss. By performing devotional service unto the Supreme Lord they happily reside in the temporary material world and after this life they will go to Allah. By constantly chanting and rendering devotional service devotees develop a personal relationship with Allah. When such pure devotees leave the body Allah personally takes them into His spiritual world.
From all these quotations we can understand that Allah has a personal relationship and directly connected with mankind. Allah is Wahid, One. At the same time He has munasabat, a relationship or connection with his own created Alam-e-Kainat, Universe. He is the Supreme Person, directly related with man and the world. But Allah should not be confused with a mundane person. He is a completely spiritual person with no tinge of material contamination. His personality is completely different from mundane personalities of this material world. His personality is beyond the limits of time and space.
In the Holy Qur’an Allah is revealed as the Creator, having manifold relations with men and the world. As for example: 1) He directs and guides people through his prophets and apostles; 2) He is pleased with those who follow Sarat-ul-Mustaqim, the Straight Way, and provides a reward of bihisht, heaven in the life to come; 3) He punishes evil doers and warns them of the coming punishment in jahannum, hell.
