ability to know and find God. This choice is a great tragedy and results in not only permanent misery for those who choose this, but it also affects the entire world we live in, precisely because God designed this world as a carefully interwoven and interdependent tapestry. If the ego does not submit to God, it is a dangerous choice. Without submission, the ego claims: ownership, self-subsistence, authority, and godliness over self. Only with faith in God may we as humans come to realize a number of critically important things:
- We are never alone, God is always with us.
- We are not the owners of anything, God is.
- When we ask God for help, He answers us each time.
- God is the Provider of all things.
We may visit
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi‘s words from the
Risale-i Nur to gain further insight:
“Belief makes man into man, indeed, it makes man into a king. Since this is so, man’s basic duty is belief and supplication. Unbelief makes man into an extremely impotent beast.Out of thousands of proofs of this matter, the differences in the ways animals and man come into the world are a clear indication and decisive proof. Yes, these differences show that humanity becomes humanity through belief. For when animals come into the world, they come complete in all points in accordance with their abilities as though having been perfected in another world; that is, they are sent. They learn all the conditions of their lives, their relationships with the universe, and the laws of life in either two hours or two days or two months, and become proficient in them. Animals like sparrows and bees acquire in twenty days the power to survive and proficiency in their actions that man only acquires in twenty years; that is, they are inspired with them. This means that the animals’ fundamental duty is not to be perfected through learning and progress by acquiring knowledge, nor to seek help and offer supplications through displaying their impotence, but in accordance with their abilities to work and act. Their duty is active worship.”
“This means that man came to this world to be perfected by means of knowledge and supplication. In regard to his nature and abilities everything is tied to knowledge. And the foundation, source, light, and spirit of all true knowledge is knowledge of God, and its essence and basis is belief in God.”
“Say, ‘My Sustainer would not concern Himself with you but for your supplication,’ ”
which has the meaning of: What importance would you have if you did not offer Me supplications?
He also commands:
“Call upon Me and I will answer you.”
If you say: “We frequently offer supplications, but they are not accepted. But the verse is general, it states that every supplication is answered.”
The Answer: To answer is one thing, to accept is something quite different. Every supplication is answered, but its being accepted and exactly what was sought being given is dependant on Almighty God’s wisdom. For example, if a sick child calls the doctor, saying: “Doctor! Doctor!”, and he replies: “Here I am, what do you want?”, and the child says: “Give me that medicine!”,
the doctor will either give him exactly what he asks for or something better and more beneficial for him.
Or knowing that it is harmful for his illness, he will give him nothing.”
-Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, from the
Risale-i Nur Collection, excerpts from the
Twenty Third Word
Dr. Osman Birgeoglu
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AFAIC that’s the best answer so far!