Through Force or Faith? — Page 216
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 216 He always had, still does, and shall continue to honour man with His converse. This implies that every human being can establish a personal relationship with God, the Exalted. Therefore, wherever Quran mentions the transcendence of God, it also declares that He reaches humans and establishes contact with them: َو َوُه ُكِرْدُي َراَصْبَاْلا … but He reaches the eyes. … ( S u rah al-An‘ a m, 6:104) That is, God, who has command over everything, can reach humans. Whenever and wherever He desires, He reveals Himself. It is not required that God should reveal Himself only to the person who is appointed to the rank of prophethood. Quite the contrary, God gives the glad tidings to all human beings in the Holy Quran, that: اَهُّيَاٰۤي ُناَسْنِاْلا َكَّنِا ٌحِداَك ىٰلِا َكِّبَر اًحْدَك ِهْيِقٰلُمَف Thou, O man, art verily labouring towards thy Lord, a hard labouring; then thou art going to meet Him ( S u rah al-Inshiq a q, 84:7). That is, there is no doubt that extreme effort is needed to establish contact with God, but anyone who puts in this effort will most certainly find God one day. Because, ْيِّنِاَف ٌبْيِرَق … , say ‘I am near. …’ ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:187) َوُه ُلَّوَاْلا َو ُرِخٰاْلا َو ُرِهاَّظلا َو ُنِطاَبْلا١ۚ َو َوُه ِّلُكِب ٍءْيَش ٌمْيِلَع