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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Self-Recognition for Self-Improvement Qurb (Proximity) with Allah Qurb (proximity) with Almighty Allah, which is man's ultimate objective and which must be reached with will-power, does not mean bridging the gap of time and place, because Almighty Allah is the creator of time and place and encompasses all times and places and has no relationship in time and place with any being: “…هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ” "He is the first and the last and the Ascendant (over all) and the knower of hidden things...
(57:3)." “…وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ…” "... And He is with you wherever You are... (57:4)." “…فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ…” "... Therefore, wherever you turn, there is Allah's face... (2:115)." In addition, the spontaneous bridging of time and place is not deemed a perfection. So what is actually meant by this proximity? “أَلَا إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُحِيطٌ…” "...
Now surely He encompasses all things (41:54)." The being and all the existential states of all creatures are within Allah's power and linked to His will-power. Rather, the existence of everything hinges on connection with and dependence on Him. As a result, He is closer (than aught) to everything: “وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ…” "...
And We are nearer to him than his life vein (50:16)." “فَلَوْلَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ” "And We are nearer to it than you, but you do not see (56:85)." And this is a true existential proximity but it is not acquired. For this purpose, it cannot be regarded as the ultimate point and destination of man's development. For proximity, one can conceive a meaning which is acquired and which is compatible with man's ultimate perfection. And that is a proximity based on credit and honour.
That is to say, man is subjected to Allah's special grace such that all his demands come true: A servant who reaches such a degree has reached his objective. In common usage too, a person who is loved by an eminent person is called " muqarrab ".
The Holy Qur'an also uses the term muqarribun to refer to the forerunners of the path of man's development: “فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ .أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ” "And the foremost are the foremost, these are the ones who are drawn nigh (to Allah) (56:10-11). But here we do not intend to conduct a verbal discussion and to find a suitable meaning for the term qurb .
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