It's one of the fundamental questions of Islamic theology anyway. In fact, all theology. Uh when you think about it, there are three fundamental questions that all religions uh must answer. And they sort of categorize them as, you know, does God exist? If God exists, then is he one? Uh and the third question is this, how do we relate to a God who's transcendent? you know we cannot be put into spatial you know uh place we could say so as you mentioned as well uh Allah subhana wa ta'ala in Islam is not bound by space or time uh he doesn't have a physical substance he's not made up of a physical substance he doesn't have dimensions as we understand it because human eye needs to you know have uh the ability to encompass something to understand it to comprehend it but Allah subhana wa ta'ala does not have you know a shape you know we can't put Allah subhanaa tala into a shape either uh and we don't give him a direction as well uh in Islamic theology like we cannot say Allah he's up there or there we don't give direction to Allah subhana wa ta'ala either uh so in this case we have this theological problem then how could we relate to Allah subhana tala how could we establish a relationship with him uh maybe we should start from the point that you know uh what is a relationship or how do human beings uh define and identify things and when you look at the human being from a biological perspective we have these five senses you know beginning with the eye you know sight smell hearing touch you know uh and and taste They are the five senses that human beings have uh so that we can identify you know things around us things in the environment that's the way we identify things but this changes with different species as well because there are some animals rely hugely on their scent. There are animals that you know sense things through their tongues through the vibrations in the air. So sensing and identifying things is different in regards to the you know biological you know creature that Allah created. Uh with human beings we cannot limit you know identification or comprehension to these five senses either because we have this we have this unique sight which the Quran you know refer to us as you know in 18 Allahh says We have created the human being in the best of patterns and when scholars analyze this verse uh they don't limited to just looks you know just the appearance because uh when you look at the term taquim it comes also from the word stand up to stand straight in two legs uh but it is not just a physical understanding of because we have many different aspects to human beings. beings. We have many different sides to human beings. We are very complex creatures. That's the reality. You know, we have this intelligent size, intelligence size. We have this cognitive skills. Uh we have the ability to of uh to understand, work out things, analyze things, examine things, study things, come to conclusions. Um and we have this uh r what we call r the spiritual side and that is the man side of us. Uh so we are very multifaceted beings from that perspective. So limiting human beings to just seeing or hearing uh is quite you know unfair unjust uh because I as I said there are many other things we can identify uh you know different objects or different things and one of them is the most important tool that we have uh which is selfawwareness you know uh consciousness and intellect uh there are many things in the universe that We identify through our intellect not by seeing. Uh like to to site an example these days you know from astrophysics for example uh we know that the majority or the biggest part of the universe is made up of substance that we don't see. We can only see about 5% of the universe which is we call the observable or the visible universe. Because in order for us to see things in the universe, it has to have light, you know, electromag electromagnetic radiation for us to detect. So we can see things, things like galaxies, stars and so on. And all of these things emit some sort of electromagnetic radiation and we detect them. That's how we see them. Sometimes we can observe them directly. Sometimes we observe them through uh certain tools that we have you know like infrared telescopes and so on. But this is only about 5% of the universe. That's all just 5%. There's 95% of matter there that we cannot see. We regard it as either dark matter in in a general sense but there is also they say dark energy. uh that hasn't been really established yet whether the existence of dark energy is you know a fact or not but we know dark matter exist although we have never seen it we never seen dark matter we didn't never test it there is no experimental you know uh testing on it either we know it exist the the the way that we know it's it's it's a mathematical calculation you know when we look at big galaxies and and the amount amount of matter they have in them. the way they rotate or spin you know uh we realize that all the stars like for our own galaxy let us say the Milky Way uh it spins around the center of mass which we call the Sagittarius A uh it's a huge black hole and all the stars are spinning around that center including our solar system uh but the velocities that we are doing like for example our solar system is speeding around the center of the galaxy close to 1 million kilometers per hour. That's very, you know, immense speed when you think about it. A big velocity. And the calculations say that, you know, all of these stars supposed to be just flying out of the system into space. They shouldn't be holding together because when we calculate the mass required for the gravitational pool to put them or or keep them all together, it is not there. We only deduct about 5% of it. Then we realize there is some other mass there which we cannot see but it is a mass there which exists. there's some sort of a matter there which is causing this you know gravitational pull and keeping the galaxies together which means is you know not everything we can actually see or smell or taste or touch but we use our intellect to figure out its existence and this intellect was given to human beings so that we can actually understand the existence of Allah subhana wa tala as well and use it to come to a conclusion that he is one and only which means the concept of as you know in Islam. Uh maybe I could say this that Islam is one of the uh most uh tedious religions in regards to concept of very very specific explanations you can find in Islam. uh because uh we are very sensitive in regards to the the oneness of Allah. uh even you know if I were to site a very simple example when somebody embraces Islam you know they do the shahada if you notice even within the nobody says I believe that God exists because that is even unquestionable there is no doubt about that what we say is we verify We testify that God is one. Allah is one. And if you look at the Quran, 1/4 of the Quran is based on the concept of so when you will look at those two fundamental questions really we have them covered and then we come to the third fundamental question. Then how do we relate to God? Because as I described before uh we cannot give a body to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. We cannot give shape to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Uh we cannot uh you know assign a uh geometrical shape to him either. We don't assign a direction to him either. Then how do we relate to Allah subhana wa ta'ala? uh we need to refer to the Quran and scholarly views for that so we can understand the way we can relate to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. One of the basic teachings in Islamic theology is uh Allah subhanana wa ta'ala uh is both transcendent and imminent. Transcendent means he is beyond reach. When you think about his that his being his essence that is beyond reach nobody can understand nobody can comprehend that in regards to his being. That is why people like Abu Bakr Sudikall said not comprehending you is comprehension. So not understanding Allahh is actually understanding. So in regards to his transcendent being transcendent uh we use the term sali and he has these attributes Allahhana tala uh there are six of them which indicates to his transcendent attributes uh things like there is nothing like onto him for example uh so he is he doesn't depend on anything external which means he is unlike like his creation. You cannot resemble or compare Allah subhana wa ta'ala to anything because human beings when we try to understand things we always compare them to something else. If we don't have that comparison skills we cannot identify things. Like when we say someone is tall we are comparing that person to a shorter person. When we say this distance is long we are comparing to a shorter distance. when we say something is hot because we know what cold is this. So there is always something that we can uh look at the opposite or something similar to it so that when we we can identify it but when it comes to Allah subhana wa ta'ala God almighty there is no measurement that we can identify Allah subhanana wa ta'ala with in particular his essence his being which is transcendent unreachable no one including the angels cannot understand or see the actual being of Allah subhanana wa ta'ala. That is why he has these transcendent attributes. But on the other hand, the second condition there as well or second principle in Islamic theology, Allah subhana ta is is also imminent meaning he is very close to us. So the big question pops up there then how could a transcendent being beyond reach beyond imagination be that close to us as well since he cannot be you know in a literal sense with his being physically close to us that would not make sense because that would violate the transcendence of Allah subhana wa ta'ala then how is he close to us there is a way that We can relate to Allah subhana wa t'ala through his imminence as well. That is why there is also eight set of names which we call affirmative attributes. And when we look at the safat attributes of Allah subhana wa ta'ala amongst them we see attributes that human beings also have like seeing hearing like speech ilm for example they are the subuti attributes of Allah subhana wa t'ala and he has given human beings some of his subuti attributes in very finite measures so that we have the ability to make that comparison that is the reason that it's a tool that we can use through this understanding you know through the subat and when we look at our own attributes we say you know I have this ability to accumulate knowledge learn and I can keep on learning but the thing is with my knowledge it is attain knowledge obtain knowledge I need to keep on increasing it but as I get older I start losing it as well. Then you make a comparison. You say I have this very limited knowledge but when I look at this universe all the creation this amazing system I realize that he has infinite knowledge and that is one of his uh subuti saf and what is infinite knowledge you have the ability to compare them you say to yourself I'm got very limited knowledge what is infinite knowledge then infinite knowledge is something that nothing can escape from it. It means that he knows everything that can be known. Everything there is nothing he cannot know which includes the past, present and the future. It includes every motion or momentum of particles moving around the nucleus of the atom. Everything in the universe he knows at every instant. So that makes you amazed. It's remarkable knowledge. So in a way this is the system that we use to begin to understand Allah subhanana wa ta'ala through his attributes. But sometimes you know when we look at other faiths as well we see them making this mistake in order to establish that relationship with their creator. They start going into what we call anthropomorphism. It's called teshpi or tim. They assign a human qualities to their god or they give shape you know uh depending on which faith they follow. Some people you know make human gods which we call anthropomorphism or they make god into a human shape in their minds. There are other faiths or beliefs who who consider God to be some sort of an energy, some sort of a spirit. So they have all these different understandings in regards to the creator because they want to establish that relationship with God. But unfortunately unless you understand theology as we learn through Islamic sources you will never establish that connection and you will always violate the understanding of Islam looks at the issue completely different like for example one scholar he gives this example if we wanted to study the sun let us say for example The our sun is about 150 million kilometers away from us. You know its light travels to us us within 8 minutes. But the light for the light itself no time passes. Meaning that when it leaves the sun at the same instance it's here for us the observers 8 minutes. It takes 8 minutes for the light to come here. It's a fascinating thing the universe. Now we want to study the sun. We have few different options. One option is we can travel to the sun. Yeah. To study it. But if we travel to the sun, as we get closer, we start melting. There's no way you can approach it. So you can only go certain distance and then you start melting. You die. The other option is we bring the sun to us. Is that possible? No. One day it will be possible in about 5 billion years time when the sun transforms into a red giant it will come all the way to earth and it will engulf the earth as well. That's a form of as well. This is astronomically you know proven with evidence it will happen. Uh but if you bring the sun to yourself you melt as well you die. You are destroyed immediately. You cannot handle that radiation that power that energy. So how do we then study the sun? We study its rays, its light because its light reaches us all the all the way from 150 million kilometers. And scientists are able to study this. And when we study its right light, we know what it's made up of all the spectrum, all the colors, all the energy, all the, you know, like ultraviolet, whatever the rays are coming from there. We can study the uh the lights of the sun, reflections of the light and we can get an idea what the sun is made up of and how it functions and how it works. Now if we take this analogy although it's only an analogy we should understand it like that and uh try to understand Allah subhana wa ta'ala through this analogy since it's impossible for us to travel to Allah subhanana wa ta'ala because he's beyond reach he's transcendent and we cannot bring him to us because that would be anthropomorphism it would be teshpi as I said some religions you make humans into God. They say God came onto into this world in a human form. Well, there are some religions which is violation of again. Uh so it it would be considered as a shik. So we cannot bring Allah subhana wa ta'ala to us as well his being. So how do we get to know him? Just as in the sun example, we study the manifestations, the reflections of his names. We study the manifestation and reflections of his names. How do we do that? You know, when we see a creature being compassionate to another creature, we see compassion there. Rahmed. Yeah. And we know that's one of Allah's names. So we see the name reflecting on a being living being and when we see for example a huge star collapsing into a black hole just given an example there so much power energy there we see the reflection of the name Kudra we realize Allah is the all powerful when we study the human DNA the amazing complexity there the coding there how many different billions of different possibilities. It's an amazing system. Then we realize the name ilm because there is knowledge there and that knowledge was there even before any of us existed human beings because there were other beings before us even the animals and various other beings they all had DNA too. So that knowledge was there. If there is knowledge, if there is universal knowledge, then we know that there is an origin to that knowledge and those things that we study is the reflection of that knowledge. So these are the various ways that we can actually uh establish a relationship with Allah subhanana wa ta'ala. As I said before, uh we can never say you know like that sometimes when small kids ask questions to their fathers and mothers you know where is Allah they say and and and usually they give this response everywhere. That's incorrect too because when you say everywhere you you're talking about spatial existence meaning you are putting Allah into a space into a man which is not possible with his being because he created the man he created the space he created time all of these is originated by him so you cannot really put him into a space so that term is not very exactly correct but to sort of give an answer to to the kids, children, they use that. Uh so how could you answer that question? The the correct answer to that question is this. Allah is everywhere with his names and attributes. Allah is everywhere. Like when you go even when you go into a toilet or shower, Allah is there with his name. the one who covers the shameful things. So when you're sick and you're getting healing, you're getting treated, Allah is there with his name shi when you make dua orif Allah accepts those with his names as well. So all of these things he is there with his names not with his being. So that is the only way to understand Allah or get to know him or establish a relationship with him. So when we look at the Quran when Allah subhana wa ta'ala says in the Quran we are closer to him than his jugular vein than your jugular vein that is what is indicating it doesn't mean Allah's being is like next to us like that it means that that he knows everything about you with his infinite knowledge with his kudra with his and one of the reasons for that this is everything that occurs in nature And in the universe is created by him. Everything including human actions. He creates you and what you do. Even your actions when I'm thinking that thinking process is created by him. The neurons in my brain is firing because he creates them to fire. When I move my hand, it is he creating that action. I am only making an intention. That's all we call that inclination. So he is really present everywhere with his names and attributes, not with his being because he cannot be within a space that he created. He cannot be within a time that is applicable to us that has a starting point and an end point which flows all the time. For Allah subhana tala there is no such a thing as time. For him there is no such a thing as beginning or the end because he is beginningless and he is endless. He is kadm and baka. Those are the two transcendent names as well. He is beginningless and he is endless as well. So the only way to understand our beloved Lord Allah subhana tala is through the manifestation of his names and attributes. Although we do try to attain knowledge which is so is very important in Islam because for a person to rise their levels in regards to spirituality uh they have to start with amen is belief in Allah. Yeah. But scholars say when you when you make that belief, that faith, that testimony, you have actually stepped on the head of the shan your first step. That's your first step. But for you to rise higher levels to higher levels, you need and is the knowledge of Allah subhana wa tala. And the way we attain it is through his names and attributes and through nature by studying nature. Because the Quran, one scholar says uh three things allow us to know our Lord. One is the Quran, the other one is Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and the other one is the great book of the universe. As I mentioned in different platforms, both the Quran and the universe originates from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. One is the book of revelation. The other one is the book of creation. So they both originate from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. So we are required to read both books. And who is the conveyor of these books to us? Prophet Muhammad wasam and that is why in this free methods or free ways to learn about our Lord Allah Almighty, Quran is the most important one out of these three because one Quran indicates the book of creation to us in many verses. Do they not think? Do they not look at the space? Do they not look at the mountains? Quran, you know, frequently references these things, encourages us to contemplate, think, learn, advance ourselves. But at the same time, the Quran again authorizes Prophet Muhammad as the representative, as the conveyor of Allah subhanana wa ta'ala's message. So those three things are very important again in order to uh so that we can get to know our lord. Maybe one last thing I don't want to keep you too long here. Maybe one last thing one famous scholar says uh Allah subhanana wa ta'ala cannot be known through nazar. He can be known through nazar means theoretical knowledge. Although knowledge will help us to achieve some proximity to Allah subhanaa tala so we can understand something about his names and attributes but the thing that will allow us to get to know Allah subhanana wa ta'ala the most is worship because that's why we were created for the jin and the human beings we have created them so that they may worship me Allah subhanaa tala says and that verse consists of really two parts. When meers explain it, they say the verse means human beings and the gins of course were created to acknowledge and worship Allah subhana wa tala. So there's as well and as well worship as well. Nothing will get you closer closer to Allah subhana tala than worship. Nothing else. Worship is the thing that brings you closest to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. That is why in Islam we have the daily five prayers. How many times our heads go to sage day? Yeah. The prostration position and each s day is like a mirage for every Muslim, every mm. It is like ascension because they say you are at the closest point to Allah subhana wa ta'ala when you're at saj. So worship is another way for us to get close to Allah subhana wa ta'ala and build an actual relationship with him. And lastly, unlike any other religion which always generally have some intermediaries, some person that you go through so that you can be forgiven or or various other things or establish some sort of relationship with God Almighty. In Islam, there are no intermediaries. Alhamdulillah. You have a direct connection to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You don't need anyone. No scholars in with in between, you know, no imams, no shes, you don't need rabbis, you don't need priests in between, no monks. It is you and Allah subhana wa ta'ala on a personal level. You can open up up your heart and empty everything that you have inside to him. We don't use intermediaries in Islam. In fact, sometimes it's considered as even shik. You know, if you go and like for example ask a or even the prophet and you say forgive my sins, that's in Islam assigning partners to Allah. No one can give forgive your sins. No one can help you except Allah subhana tala. That is why in we keep on repeating we only worship you. We only ask for help from you. So there cannot be a closer relation with God in any other religion. Islam has the closest relationship with God.