So my question relates to personal communication with God. I believe that one can establish personal communication with God through sincere prayers and supplications. However, is it permissible for one to communicate with God by speaking to Him as one would to a personal friend, at the same time paying due obeisance to Him? And if so, how should one address God in this situation? This is not only permissible, this is most welcome, this is encouraged. You can’t cultivate a personal relationship with Allah unless you begin to speak to Him and address Him informally. And there, the best advice that can be given to you is that be informal about it, be natural.
Whatever you think you would like if you were addressed like this, whatever you think you would respond to with love, you try to behave like that to Allah. This has been beautifully depicted, this attitude has been beautifully depicted in the story told about Hazrat Moses and the shepherd. You have heard it, I suppose? No, alright, then I’ll repeat it. The fact is that the story tells us that once Hazrat Moses was making a journey somewhere, when he passed by a shepherd who was sitting, you know, killing mice, killing lice from his clothes. You know, he was doing it like this, you know, people do it. And also he was talking.
So Hazrat Moses heard, there was no man to be addressed, so he got inquisitive and he heard what he was saying. So he was addressing Allah and saying that, O my Lord, if ever you come to me, I’ll wash your clothes and kill all the lices which I find in them. I’ll take out your thorns and I’ll give you milk and do this and do that to you. Hazrat Moses became very angry and he shouted him down, he said, who are you to address Allah like this? He doesn’t stand in need of your help and he has no lice like you have. So God shouted him down in turn and said, Moses, who were you to stand between me and my servant? I was enjoying his talk so thoroughly that you have destroyed the whole fun.
So this is why our Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam tells us, I am like the imagination of a person which he has about myself. However he considers me and treats me, I become like that to him. And it has to be that way and no other way because Allah is unlimited. He can only fill our utensils, whatever we hold and beyond that it is not our capacity. So ana inda zanne abdibi is one of the deepest sayings which can be extended to so many situations and yet not exhausted. So in this respect, this is the advice given to you. If you treat Allah with extreme love in your own way, Allah would begin to treat you like that. Ana inda zanne abdibi. But don’t be artificial about it. Be natural, that is the only advice.
