Discovering God

The Quran says: “When My servants ask you about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me: let them, then, respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.” (2:186) The word “near” used in the above verse of the Quran, shows that the means of attaining tazkiya is to come close to God rather than rely upon mediation or a mediator. He, who wants to purify himself, ought to awaken his mind and make efforts to come as near to God as possible. No mediation can ever be helpful in achieving this goal. Tazkiya can only be attained directly from God. There is no other way of attaining tazkiya. The truth is that the concept of mediation is an obstacle in the path of tazkiya. When God is closer to man than ‘his jugular vein’ (50:16), why should there be any need for mediation? The concept of mediation stems from the notion that there can be a mysterious relationship between a human being and God, whereas the concept of a religious guide is established at a conscious level between the follower and the guide. Prior to Tazkiya The real incentive to the attainment of tazkiya is the feeling of being devoid of spiritual resources. The more one acknowledges one’s feeling of need, the more one