Monday, July 29, 2013

Does praying to God mean we should not appeal to causes?

Question:
If we should only seek help from God, our Creator, does that mean we should sit at home and pray when we're sick and not go to the doctor or take any medication, waiting for, perhaps, death?

Answer:
As soon as I read this question I thought of this passage:
http://www.nur.gen.tr/en.html#leftmenu=Risale&maincontent=Risale&islem=read&KitapId=499&BolumId=8787&KitapAd=Letters+(+revised+)&Page=347
It is the beginning of the chapter "The First Addendum to the Twenty-Fourth Letter" from the book "The Letters" by author "Bediuzzaman Said Nursi", my favorite 20th century Qur'anic commentator. I especially like that he makes the matters of the Qur'an more understandable to our modern minds afflicted by materialism, naturalism, secularism and consumerism and thus helps us reach conviction in our beliefs, by the will of God the Hadi (Guide).

The summary of the relevant part of this chapter is that there are different sorts of prayer/supplication:
1-the tongue of latent ability (the gathering together of causes is a supplication for the creation of the effect.)
2-the tongue of innate need (the desires and needs of all creation is a supplication to Allah)
3-the supplication of conscious beings, which is of two kinds (the first kind is akin to the first and second sorts of supplication) (the second kind takes two forms: by action and by word)

To apply this to the example provided above, when I am sick:
-my body is praying by the tongue of innate need for shifaa (healing) from the Creator of healing, the Shaafi (Healer)
-I can consciously supplicate "by action", by going to the doctor, taking necessary medications, etc.
-I can consciously supplicate "by word", by praying "Ya Shaafi, O Healer, provide me with your merciful healing!"
-By the tongue of latent ability: When I gather the causes (for ex: eating healthy, sleeping plenty, drinking enough water, avoiding stress, keeping a positive and grateful attitude, practicing patience with prayer, etc), all these causes are praying to their Creator to create the effect: improved health.

When in my previous post I had said, and I quote: "think of how often we place our hopes in doctors, science and medication to cure our illnesses and solve our problems, instead of God, the Healer (Shafi)"
http://pan-cck.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-do-we-say-salawat-to-prophet.html

The point was NOT to avoid doctors or science or medication etc. Instead it was to realize that it is not the doctor who heals me, but that God the Healer Shaafi sends me healing through the doctor. The medication is ignorant of my body and my sickness, there is no knowledge or power or healing within the medication (the herb or pill) itself, but we observe shifaa coming after we take the medication: this shows us that the shifaa (the effect) cannot be from the medication (the apparent cause) itself, but if anything, the medication is a vessel for us to observe the creating hand (figuratively, of course) of the Creator of both the medication and the shifaa from the medication. Thus the Causer of all causes is the Creator of the Universe.

With this understanding, when I switch to a healthier diet, I am taking better care of my body, the amanat (the entrusted) of Our Creator who let us be responsible of such small tasks. (Think that we're not responsible of making our hearts pump every second, we're not responsible to make our stomachs digest our food, we're only responsible to choose healthy and halaal food and wash to keep clean and such minor tasks.) By keeping a healthy diet with this understanding, I am acknowledging that both the food I eat, and the information necessary to differentiate healthy food from the harmful, and the decision making ability to prefer in action what I know to be healthier, are all from God.

The tree doesn't give me the fruit, but the Creator of the tree creates the nutritious, beautiful fruit from dead wooden branches. By acknowledging that both the food and my abilities required to find and choose the food are from God, my eating can be transformed into a prayer to God: O God! Make this fruit nutritious and beneficial and satiating to me! O God! Bless me with better health, for I am making the necessary choices for it. O God! Thank you for the good taste and nice smell of this fruit and its beautiful colors pleasing the eye, alhamdulillah!

We observe in this universe that creation doesn't happen haphazardly. We live in a world where we can expect that the sun will rise tomorrow at a certain exact minute, or we can expect that if we plant a seed with good earth, water and sunshine, a plant will grow out of it, etc. Sometimes we get too used to this system Allah put into place and start thinking that the sun is rising, "of course, because it has to rise whenever it is 5:30am"; when in fact, there is nothing that obligates the Sun to rise, nor would we anticipate it had we not experienced it before. Or, we start thinking, "of course, "naturally", the tree will give fruit, because it is summertime and it got enough water&sunshine!", when in fact, had we not seen fruits on a tree before, seriously, who would expect food to grow on a bunch of wood???

This is similar to the parable of an invisible generous host of a house who prepares for you a delicious breakfast on the kitchen table every morning at 7a and puts on some beautiful lighting and music at 5pm (or whatever) and when we don't see the host but we start getting used to the routine, we start saying "breakfast is ready, because the clock shows 7a" instead of saying, "my generous host offers me breakfast at 7a every morning." This is an example my mother (a theoretical physicist) likes to give, to show how the naturalistic fallacy is ridiculous. Notice little children will find everything awing, surprising, interesting and as we grow into adults, unfortunately we start taking for granted the miracles found in nature.

The understanding of "continuous creation" can inshaAllah (by the will of God) break this attitude of thinking what happens in the universe, "just happens" because "that is how the system works". Instead we should realize, "baby me" is gone, "little me" is also gone, "teenager me" is also gone, right now Allah is creating the "adult me". My yesterday is gone, my last hour is gone, right now Allah (TheOneGod) is creating me anew, giving me a new body, a new understanding, new emotions, etc. The clouds 5 minutes ago are gone. Right now Allah is creating a new universe, and the next moment this universe disappears to make room for Allah creating yet another new universe. My life so far, doesn't necessitate my life in the next moment. The existence of the universe so far, doesn't necessitate its existence in the next moment. The only constant in the universe, is its transience. Seriously, what can stop the universe from disappearing in this instant, but by God creating it again and again, in a new form?

If I was healthy until now, does it mean I will be healthy in the next moment? Not necessarily. I should be thankful for Allah who provided me health yesterday and who provided me with health again today. With this understanding, when I am healthy or when I am sick and I go to the doctor, either way, I only pray to Allah for health, and I always acknowledge that the Creator of health is none but Allah.

When I am hungry, I follow God's guidance that I should go and eat food to satisfy my hunger (a form of revelation), but I know that both my hunger and the food and the satisfaction after eating, is all from none but Allah, the Creator of my hunger, the Creator of the food and the Creator of my satisfaction. Notice in this verse (Qur'an 78:24 (Asad) Neither coolness shall they taste therein nor any [thirst-quenching] drink.) Allah reminds us that it is not the drink I drink that quenches my thirst, and God forbid, if in this world I drink water expecting water itself to quench my thirst, in the next world, I would be given water, and its true state will be revealed to me: that water is unaware of me or of my thirst and is unable to create anything, let alone quenching my thirst, and thus I could drink it and drink it and it would only increase my thirst. If, on the other hand, I drink water saying "Bismillah (In the name of God), O God, You are the Creator of my water"; and "Alhamdulillah (All praises belong to God), O God, You have quenched my thirst and made the water beneficial to me", then inshaAllah (by the will of God) by God's Mercy, God will say "Here is a pure and tasty drink to quench your thirst". (Qur'an, 76:5 (Asad) [whereas,] behold, the truly virtuous shall drink from a cup flavoured with the calyx of sweet-smelling flowers).

As in the illustration of Said Nursi, what we see in this world are like tiny bubbles on the surface of a river. We see each bubble forming and popping out right away. Then we see more bubbles forming and dying. But in each bubble, we see the light of the Sun shining. Every bubble reflects the Sun's light, yet by popping out and dying a moment later, they reveal to us that the light we see in them is a mere reflection and not from the bubbles themselves. Every thing in this world is brought to existence, changed into different forms and finally taken away with death. Their transience like the bubbles, shows that the light we see in them (beauty, grace, healing, mercy, art, etc) is not from them, but is a mere reflection of the "Beautiful Divine Names" or "attributes of perfection" (Asma'ul Husna). (Qur'an, 59:24 (Asad) He is God, the Creator, the Maker who shapes all forms and appearances! His [alone] are the attributes of perfection. All that is in the heavens and on earth extols His limitless glory: for He alone is almighty, truly wise!) Thus, all that exists are mirrors reflecting the attributes of God (Allah) (also an illustration of Said Nursi), the Creator (Khaaliq), the Shaper of forms (Bari'), the Artist (Saani'), the Wise (Hakeem), the Loving (Wadud), the Healer (Shaafi), the Beautiful (Jameel). When we observe the universe, if we study the universe without considering the meaning it has to offer, we would resemble people who are studying a curtain's intricate design, all the while being blind to what is behind the curtain (again, an illustration of Said Nursi, on the current state of secular science). On the other hand, the science a mu'min (one who affirms revelation) does, is for the purpose of getting to know the Creator of the universe better: (Qur'an, 50:6 (Asad) Do they not look at the sky above them - how We have built it and made it beautiful and free of all faults?)

As an example, let's consider these verses: (Qur'an, 80:24-32 (Asad) Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food: [how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down abundantly; and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder, and thereupon We cause grain to grow out of it, and vines and edible plants, -and olive trees and date-palms, and gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and herbage, for you and for your animals to enjoy.) Notice how it doesn't say, "the water pours down", but it says "We pour down water"="the water is made to rain by its Creator". It doesn't say "grains grow out of earth", but it says "We cause grain to grow"="the grain is made to grow by our Creator".

I pray that this post is a means for us to increase our imaan (belief with conviction, certainty) by the will of God, the Hadi (the Guide, the One who offers guidance). I tend to think by talking or writing, so I find that writing this message is a beneficial meditation for myself, by the will of God the Wise.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Why do we say salawat to Prophet Muhammad?

Lexicon:
ṣalawāt=Allāhumma ṣalli 'alā sayyidinā Muḥammad, wa 'alā āli Muhammad (asm), kama ṣallayta 'alā Ibrāhīm, wa 'alā āli Ibrāhīm
O God bestow your blessings upon our mister Muhammad and upon the House of Muhammad, as you send blessings upon Abraham and upon the House of Abraham.
shahādah=ashhadu an lā ilāha illAllāh, Muhammad rasulullāh
=I testify (witness) that there is no deity but TheOneGod, Muhammad is God's messenger.
ṣalāh=formal prayer (5 times a day, Friday and Eid congregational prayers, etc)
pbuh=peace be upon him=asm=ṣalawāt

Question:
Why do we say Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s name in ṣalawāt and shahādah and ṣalāh, although the Qur'an declares all prophets to be equals?

Qur'an, 3:84 (Asad) Say: "We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed by their Sustainer unto Moses and Jesus and all the [other] prophets: we make no distinction between any of them. And unto Him do we surrender ourselves."
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is known to be the Seal of Prophets (pbut). The significance of this is that the message brought by him is the culmination, compilation and purification of all previously distorted (on purpose or through translation) revelation.

The message of the Quran teaches us that the Creator of our questions about the existence of the universe and ourselves, is also the Bestower of the answers taught in revelation and the Creator of our mind, conscience and heart with which we can understand and confirm these answers. Thus the Creator of the universe is also the Creator who reveals to us the purpose of our existence. ("wa ma khalaqnakum illa li ya'buduuni =We didn't create you except that you may worship Me" as quoted from the Quran, 51:56.) Our Creator not only does this through revelation (the Quran and all others previously revealed) but also through our observation of the signs of God all over the universe and equally importantly also through Prophets (pbut) who exemplify the revelation. Thus the message of the Quran teaches us the questions we should be asking ourselves--if we're not already asking them--and the necessity of Prophets (pbut) in finding answers to these questions or in following the sirat mustaqim (righteous path).
As a result bringing salawat on Prophet Muhammad asm, signifies that:
---> we're grateful to the message taught and exemplified by him (Muhammad pbuh), where we inshaAllah (by the will of God) learn how to worship Our Creator and make our existence worthwhile.
---> we agree and confirm with full mental and emotional satisfaction the truthfulness of Allah's message through him
---> we therefore confirm the necessity and significance of all Prophets for our individual selves and the humanity (past and present) (notice the very first human Adam pbuh is also a prophet)
---> we learn lessons of exemplary worship in God from the narrations of other Prophets in the Quran and through the hadith (Prophetic narrations).
---> we express our gratefulness for all the Prophets who have contributed to our understanding of how to excel in our humanity and worship.
---> Towards the end of each ṣalāh the salawat is repeated, where blessings are sent upon the "House of Abraham." The "House of Abraham" addresses any ḥanīf, jewish, christian, muslim, anyone who sincerely believes in the Oneness of God and does amal ṣāliḥ (good deeds). Considering that the Christian and Muslim communities together make up more than half of the global population, by simply including the phrase "and upon the House of Abraham" we pray every day at least 5 times for God's blessings upon -potentially- half the global population.
On a side note: I say potentially, because the global statistics probably include many people who are simply Christian or Muslim by ethnic and familial affiliation without necessarily believing in and/or following its basic tenants. I haven't mentioned the jewish community in the global population, because their percentage in the world population is too small to add significantly to the number of followers of Abraham. I'm suspecting the stark difference in the numbers of adherents has to do with the difficulty of conversion into Judaism, whereas, da'wah (spreading the message of God) and simplicity of conversion/reversion/introduction is typically encouraged among Christians and Muslims. For instance, starting the path of becoming a muslim (one who is in peace with all creation and the Creator and submits to God and God's prophets), is as simple as taking the shahadah (witnessing/testifying to the unity of God), which in turn is as simple as reciting three times the one sentence of shahadah, with conviction with certainty as though "witnessing":
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله (lā ʾilāha ʾillā l-Lāh, Muḥammadun rasūlu l-Lāh) There is no deity but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.

Therefore salawat to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and/or to Prophet Abraham (pbuh) (the literal and figurative father of tawheed=unity of God) is inherently expressing our respect, love and gratefulness to all Prophets of God who taught the same core message=there is only one God worthy of worship.
On a side note: I find stories of Ashab Kahf (7sleepers), Musa (Moses), Yusuf (Joseph), Lut (Lot) and Suleiman (Solomon) (pbut) especially pertinent to our times-the end times of humanity where disbelief/shirk (association of other deities with God) and decadence is glorified. Many people think we don't worship statues of deities and therefore this "shirk" narration is irrelevant to our time, but think of how often we place our hopes in doctors, science and medication to cure our illnesses and solve our problems instead of God, the Healer (Shafi), or how many times we place our trust in money to protect us or feed us or provide for us and not God, the Protector (Hafiz), the Razzaq the Provider, the Sustainer, or how we expect "fun" and "happiness" from the "false paradise of the Dajjal(Anti-Christ)" (this expression is from the hadith) (think mindless TV, parties, clubs...) instead of from what our souls truly seek: finding peace within the connection of the soul with its Infinite Creator. 

InshaAllah ya Hadi (Guide), I pray our Creator guides us to sirat mustaqim (the straight way) as we pray when reciting the chapter Fatiha (the opening chapter recited in every unit of salahs) of Quran. I pray we can understand the Quran correctly, but also practice and live it accordingly inshaAllah (by the will of God).

Next Question:
If we should only seek help from God, our Creator, does that mean we should sit at home and pray when we're sick and not go to the doctor or take any medication, waiting for, perhaps, death?

Summary of the Answer:
When saying:  "think of how often we place our hopes in doctors, science and medication to cure our illnesses and solve our problems, instead of God, the Healer (Shafi)"; the point was NOT to avoid doctors or science or medication etc. Instead it was to realize that it is not the doctor who heals me, but that God the Healer Shaafi sends me healing through the doctor. The medication is ignorant of my body and my sickness, there is no knowledge or power or healing within the medication (the herb or pill) itself, but we observe shifaa (healing) coming after we take the medication: this shows us that the shifaa (the effect) cannot be from the medication (the apparent cause) itself, but if anything, the medication is a vessel for us to observe the creating hand (figuratively, of course) of the Creator of both the medication and of the shifaa from the medication. Thus the Causer of all causes is the Creator of the Universe. 

Full Answer: please click on this link:

Monday, July 8, 2013

The INJustice System

Victim of the INJustice System
Homeless black man gets 15 Years for $100 he kindly stole from the bank (no violence or weapons) AND returned it feeling guilty; white CEO Gets 3 Years for $3 Billion scheme that officials called one of the biggest corporate fraud schemes in history...
*****
Do you want to serve justice Mr Judge?

Punish the bank the black man stole from.

In fact, the bank system has been stealing trillions out of the global poor, homeless, hungry. Punish the billionaire and trillionaire families, for their useless "0" digits in their bank accounts, are responsible for that man's homelessness, Mr Judge!

Who are you serving Mr Judge?

Are you serving the status quo that allows for the rich to grow richer and for the poor to grow hungrier?

Are you serving justice or are you serving the ultra-rich?

Do you really want to serve justice Mr Judge?

Start serving justice by fighting the system that breeds economic, social and racial injustice. Fight the system that breeds poverty and ignorance. Fight the banks that steal from the poor to make the rich richer through the cursed system of interest.

Prophet Moses and Mohammad peace be upon them, served justice by banning interest:

Old Testament, Ezekiel 18:17 — that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed Mine ordinances, hath walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

Old Testament, Psalm 15:5 — He that putteth not out his money on interest, nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Qur'an, 2:275 (Asad) THOSE who gorge themselves on usury [262] behave but as he might behave whom Satan has confounded with his touch; for they say, "Buying and selling is but a kind of [263] usury" - the while God has made buying and selling lawful and usury unlawful. Hence, whoever becomes aware of his Sustainer's admonition, [264] and thereupon desists [from usury], may keep his past gains, and it will be for God to judge him; but as for those who return to it -they are destined for the fire, therein to abide!

Prophet Jesus son of Blessed Mother Mary peace be upon them, scattered the tables of bankers (usurers) who were lending money with interest in front of God's house.

New TestamentLuke 6:34-35 "And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

What did you do to serve justice, Mr Judge? Or is all you did was to protect the evil banks from the mosquito bite of a hungry man? Is punishing a homeless man justice Mr Judge? Or is providing him with a shelter and food, really what justice should be Mr Judge?

Do you really want to serve justice, Mr Judge?

Start by fighting the media and the politicians, both secret and well-publicized, who jointly ignite total wars and terror, chaos and civil war, who manipulate the poor people (left poor by the system they control) into becoming violent, whether through becoming soldiers or terrorists. (Has anyone noticed what economic and social class most soldiers are recruited from? Have you ever seen the son of a billionaire dying in the army?)

Do you want to serve justice, Mr Judge?

Punish those who use and throw away the lives of poor or ignorant people as well as innocent uninvolved civilians. 

If you really want to serve justice Mr Judge, you should be on the side of the oppressed not the oppressor, and I'm sure you need no education or law degree to recognize that, but a mere conscience and a heart that has not been silenced. 

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Angels

Children and cats are like angels.
When there is violence, fight, hatred, negative emotions, unpleasantness in a room, they run away and disappear.
When there is peace, harmony, love, sweet words, prayers in a room, they flock.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Insan unutkandir. Humans are forgetful.

(English translation below)
Kur'an, 20:115: وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا
"Andolsun, biz bundan önce Adem'e ahid vermistik, fakat o, unutuverdi. Biz onda bir kararlilik bulmadik."

Insan unutkandir.
Unutmamak icin sebatla kendi kendine hatirlatmasi, ya da ona hatirlatacak ortamlara girmesi luzumludur.
Sebat edebilmek icin cok istemek gerekir.
Cok istemek icin ikna olmak gerekir.
Ikna olmak imani percinlestirir.

Iman Yaratici'yla rabitayi guclendirir.
Bu rabita ve sevgi Yaratici'ndan uzaklasirken dahi O'na yakinlasmanin duasini insanin kalbine koyar.
Sebatla dua, unutulani hatirlatip O'ndan daha az uzaklasmaya, O'nu daha sik hatirlayip, O'na daha sik yakinlasmaya vesile olur.

Eger bilseydik ki, istedigimiz herseyin hakikati Rabbimizin guzel Asma'sina (Asma'ul Husna, isimler) dayaniyor, o zaman aslinda tek istedigimizin, O oldugunu ve O'ndan oldugunu fark ederdik...
O zaman O'nu istemek, hatirlamak daha kolay olurdu; ya da unutmamak icin caba gostermek daha zevkli olurdu....
Biz uzaklassak da, hakikat ki O bize hep yakindir...
Kur'an, وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (2:186)
"Kullarim Beni sana soracak olursa, muhakkak ki Ben (onlara) pek yakinim. Bana dua ettigi zaman dua edenin duasina cevap veririm. Öyleyse, onlar da Benim çagrima cevap versinler ve bana iman etsinler. Umulur ki irsad (dogru yolu bulmus) olurlar."

Kendi O Rahman Rahim olan rabbimiz, kendi ruhundan ufurdu/ufuruyor.....

Kur'an, 15:29 فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي
 "Ona bir biçim verdigimde ve ona ruhumdan üfürdügümde..."
Biz o gercegi unutsak da, gercek degismez....

Kur'an, 9:59 قَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللّهِ رَاغِبُونَ
"Bize Allah yeter; Allah pek yakinda bize fazlindan verecek, O'nun elçisi de. Biz gerçekten ancak Allah'a ragbet edenleriz"

Tevrat, Tekvin 1:26 "Tanrı, “Kendi suretimizde, kendimize benzer insan yaratalım” dedi." 

Incil, Yuhanna'nin Birinci Mektubu 4:8 "Tanri sevgidir."

Incil, Elcilerin Isleri 17:27 "Aslinda Tanri hicbirimizden uzak degildir."

Incil, Yakup'un Mektubu 4:8 "Tanri'ya yaklasin, O da size yaklasacaktir."

Kur'an, 18:24 إِلَّا أَن يَشَاء اللَّهُ وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَى أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَذَا رَشَدًا (
"Ancak: "Allah dilerse" (insallah yapacagim de). Unuttugun zaman Rabbini zikret ve de ki: "Umulur ki, Rabbim beni bundan daha yakin bir basariya yöneltip-iletir." "

**************************************
Qur'an, 20:115: وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا
"AND, INDEED, long ago did We impose Our commandment on Adam; [102] but he forgot it, and We found no firmness of purpose in him."

Humans are forgetful.
In order not to forget, she must remind herself with perseverance, or she needs to put herself into contexts that will remind her.
In order to persevere, she must want it greatly.
In order to want it greatly, she must be convinced.
Conviction solidifies faith.

Faith strengthens the connection with the Creator.
This connection and love puts into the heart of the human, the prayer of becoming nearer to It (God) even when she is drifting away.
Prayer with perseverance, becomes the means to remember what was forgotten and to drift away from It less often, to remember It more often and to become nearer to It more often. 

Had we known that the truth of all our desires rests in the Beautiful Names (Asma'ul Husna, Attributes of God) of our Sustainor Lord, then we would realize that in fact our only desire is It and from It.
In that situation it would be easier to want and remember It; or it would be more pleasant to strive not to forget...
Even when we drift away, the truth is, It is always close to us...

Qur'an, وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (2:186)
"AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way."

Our Sustainor Lord who is the Most Merciful and Gracious, has breathed/is breathing into us from Its spirit....

Qur'an, 15:29 فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي
 "and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit...."
Even when we forget this truth, it remains the truth....

Qur'an, 9:59 قَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللّهِ رَاغِبُونَ
"God is enough for us! God will give us [whatever He wills] out of His bounty, and [will cause] His Apostle [to give us, too]: verily, unto God alone do we turn with hope!"

Old Testament, Genesis 1:26 "Man was made in the image of God."  

New Testament, 1 John 4:8 "God is love." 

New Testament, Acts 17:27 "In fact, he is not far off from each one of us."  

New Testament, James 4:8 "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you."

Qur'an, 18:24 إِلَّا أَن يَشَاء اللَّهُ وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَى أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَذَا رَشَدًا (
"without (adding], "if God so wills." [33] And if thou shouldst forget [thyself at the time, and become aware of it later], call thy Sustainer to mind and say: "I pray that my Sustainer guide me, even closer than this, to a consciousness of what is right!" "

PS: Thank you mummy for your contributions to this reflection :)