Praises be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made the
darkness and the light. Yet those who reject Faith hold (others) as
equal with Allah (subHanahu wa ta'ala).
"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them):
I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let
them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That
they may walk in the right way." (2:186)
"Oh mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it
(carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot
create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the
purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will
have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the
seeker and the sought." (22:73)
In this modern age, as in ages past, people call upon sages, mystics
and saints for help. They grasp a lucky rabbit's foot or other
talisman, investing it with the power to intercede for them to
achieve a desired result. They wear angel pins and four-leaf clovers,
covering their bets with a nod to religion and nature. When some ill
befalls, they damn their luck. When some good comes to them, they
thank their lucky stars or light a candle for a favorite saint. They
give credit to everyone and everything save the One who created them.
Their pleas are unheard by those they invoke, and the One Who is the
All-Hearing, the One who knows their needs better than they
themselves, is rarely called upon.
The believer, however, feels in his heart only revulsion at the idea
of invoking someone besides Allah. He knows that Allah, though
separate from His creation, knows him more intimately than any
created being can:
"It was We who created man and We know what dark suggestions his soul
makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein."
(50:16)
He takes comfort in this knowledge and also in knowing that Allah
loves for His slaves to invoke him and ask for their needs. He knows
that Allah does not grow weary from granting provision for His
believers, and that all of humankind could not exhaust the patience
of the Infinite.
Five times a day during the compulsory prayers, and at anytime with
informal supplication (dua'), the believer has a direct open channel between
him and Allah. He pours out his soul, praising Allah and
acknowledging His sovereignty, and then asks for what he needs. He
asks for guidance, for a pious spouse, for a better job, for food to
feed his children. He knows that if he is patient, Allah will
answer his prayer, by granting him what he asked for, or by
substituting something better, or by wiping away a sin or storing up
goodness for him in the world to come. He knows that such a bounty
comes only from Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe,
and not from any angel or guru or earthly ruler. This knowledge
brings about a deep contentment and calmness in the face of
adversity.
With a direct line to the Most Merciful, who needs a rabbit's foot,
an icon or a statue? These tokens pale to insignificance, and the
believer can only look upon those superstitious souls who use such
items with wonder and pity.
Who would submit to that and thereby
separate oneself from communion with the Almighty?
