I would like to invite you to have a relationship with God.
Why?
I am also trying to have a better relationship with God and it’s easier for me if I’m surrounded by others who are also trying to do the same.
The more people I bring closer to God, the more beneficence and mercy God will show me in this life and the life after.
For some of you this may be a sign you were looking for.
What better time to start a new chapter of your life and your walk with God Than a new year.
New year, new you.
The old things have passed away; behold, the new has come into being. 2 Corinthians 5:17
I’ve been wanting to share this message for a long time but I was scared.
Isn’t it weird that I’m scared to talk about God on social media
Yet I’m very comfortable to talk about other fun, more lighthearted (and if we’re being honest more ephemeral topics).
“They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, videotape
But if I talk about God my record won’t get played, huh?
Well if this take away from my spins
Which’ll probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I’m dreamin’ about”
Kanye West – Jesus Walks
Why is that?
My theories include:
1. Many people who talk about religion do it from a sanctimonious, self-righteous, conversion, shame maximization, one-size-fits all place.
2. Religion is frightening and if you’re like me and have done bad things, you don’t want to face the process of acknowledging the bad things you’ve done.
3. Many people who talk about religion do it exhaustively which makes people feel tired. Nobody wants to think about their existentialism all the time, every single day.
4. If you have a relationship with God then it is harder for people to use money, sex, drugs, misinformation to control you. Such people push money, sex, drugs, misinformation on us to interfere with our relationship with God. But they will fail.
To address these problems I have created some rules and beliefs for myself to follow as I begin this journey of my life where I talk about God more openly.
1. I believe that everyone’s walk with God is personal and unique. I will never force or pressure anyone to convert to my religion.
Al-Kafirun 6: For You is Your Religion; For Me is My Religion.
Al-Baqarah 2: Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.
1.2. There are many paths to God and I believe those who worship one God, irrespective of religion are worshipping the same God. I believe that the path God has led me on may be different from the path that God has for someone else. But I believe that God is all-knowing and most merciful and that if we all earnestly follow the path he has laid for each of us we will end in a good place.
1.3. I will avoid religious arguments. I will simply share my beliefs and opinions when asked or when I feel compelled. I will seek to understand and be understood and not to convince. If people are unwilling to accept my belief I will refrain from countless repetitive explanations and accept their right to their own belief and opinion. I will strongly defend my right to believe what I choose to believe.
Al-‘Ankabut 46: And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are in submission to God.”
1.4. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I have many flaws. I am not God nor am I the judge, jury or executioner on God’s behalf. I do not have a right to judge or condemn other people. I however, do have free will, conscience and the gift of reason thus I can share my opinion and beliefs and stand up for what I believe in. I am a lawyer in God’s court pleading the case for the causes I believe but God is the final judge. I can render an opinion but ultimately I must acknowledge that God has the final say. I have no idea what God’s verdict will be for other people. I can simply try my best to seek his beneficience and mercy for my actions.
2. I will give people grace and acknowledge that my path to God was very unique and full of ups and downs. I must empathize that other people’s walk with God will be similarly unique. God showed me mercy and grace therefore I must show grace to others. I am falling and getting up every day, since I am not without sin, I have no right to cast any stones. (John 8:7). If I show people grace and clemency then they will be more receptive to hearing what I have to say.
God in his all-knowing beneficence has endowed us all with Fitra (فطرة) so our inner conscience is innately good so we already know when we’ve done something wrong and when we are doing something right. There is enough people in society that are condemning us. Sometimes it is necessary because we need people to condemn us and chastise for the wrong things we’ve done. But more times we already know when we’re on the wrong path, what we really need is someone to reassure us that God is the most merciful and God will forgive us if we leave our past behind us and fix our past transgressions and get back on the right path.
3. I will refrain from talking about God incessantly. Initially, when I deeply experienced the the Overwhelming Never Ending Reckless Love of God, it’s all I wanted to talk about, think about, learn about. Everything else felt so empty in comparison. How can God be so kind to me? All I want to do is devote my life to thanking God and praising God and getting people to do the same. However, God has also called me to take care of my family, friends, my community, the Earth. God has given me the gift of voice and reason and intellect so I can use it to glorify God and invite others to do the same. Thus I must exist in the world and learn the laws of this world so I can earn a livelihood and protect and take care of myself and those around me. This requires moderation, temperance, self-restraint, discipline, integrity,patience, balance and learning about a breadth of different topics.
3.1 God has also told us that this life is amusement and play (Al-Ankabut 64) so posting about fun and lighthearted topics is actually a good thing and God wants us to enjoy our time on this Earth while waiting for Paradise. These things are not empty but in fact they are are part of what makes life so good and this Earth so amazing. God has created sports, food, travel, cars, money, movies, music, sex, electronics, nature, animals, friends, family, fashion for us to enjoy. As long as it does not draw us further away from God, we use them in moderation and we enjoy it within the rules which God has laid out for us, we should not feel guilty or shameful in enjoying and sharing the material things of this world.
3.2 If I post about light fun topics then when I post about God occasionally people will be more receptive to hearing it because I have softened their hearts, and mentally put them into a state of ease, relaxation, and peace. If I only post about God, people will start to avoid me and tune me out. Thus to bring more people to God in the long-term I may need to talk about God less in the short-term. However, I will never depart from my long-term goal of worshiping God and bringing people to God. God is all knowing and all-merciful and he knows my intentions. He will protect me from the wicked and mislead who will try to sow confusion in me.
4. Money, sex, drugs, misinformation has previously interfered with my relationship with God. I praise God for his mercy for delivering me from these things. Although, I occasionally fall, I know God will never let me succumb to the devices of the devil. I accept responsibility for my own weakness and limited understanding for falling for temptation in the past. However, I have also seen that the mislead have tried to use these things to control me for their own personal gain. However, I have also learned that the temporary satisfaction from money, sex, drugs, misinformation is a delusion due to the long-term costs and effects it had on me. I thank God that my experience allows me to have empathy for those who sin in similar and different ways. I thank God for delivering me from the shame of my past and instead feeling proud of the growth I have experience. I thank God that I am an overcomer.
4.1 I thank God for discovering “wholesome” activities that showed me that there is a happy balance between rampant hedonism that is a dead-end and austere asceticism that is devoid of joy and is fearful and repugnant of the things of this world.
Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Practical Tips for Getting Closer to God
I have realized that a relationship with God is deeply personal. I try very hard to refrain from influencing people with my own religious upbringing but I am a human and I have biases. I grew up in a Muslim and Christian family so most of my examples and references and symbols and quotes and mental models are drawn from these sources. I also find a lot of benefits from this upbringing and believe and so I will tend to consciously and subcionsciouly invite people to share the same beliefs as me. Please keep this in mind as you read or listen to me.
However, I truly believe that just as God created many languages, there are many ways to follow God. Provided we are sincere in our heart and Conscience (What Yoruba and King Sunny Ade call Eri Okan) I believe that God will give all of us a great life in this life and the life after.
Reflecting more, I realize that most of my confusion in religion and my walk with God came from listening to people who were mislead and confused and they caused me to be confused about things which I was not confused about. I am scared to do the same to other people so now when I advise people on the topic of religion I try to do the least harm and encourage people to listen to trust themselves more and trust God more.
I will suggest things that I think are the least likely to lead people astray. I also feel the need to mention that I encourage you not to look to me as a spiritual leader or advisor or example or hold me to any unrealistic standard. I have many flaws, many biases, many plans for my life that are not evident to you. Listen to God first before you listen to me.
Please note that I originally intended to write this as what I am doing to get closer to God. However, in my efforts to change myself, I start trying to change other people. Please keep in mind that we are all unique, pick and choose as it applies to you.
Practice Gratitude
Get into the habit of saying thank you all the time for everything. I am in my room looking at my rugby shirt and light blue jenas. I thank God for those 2 clothing items because they are absolutely amazing. I am thinking of the jollof rice, plantain and chicken my grandmother and aunt made for me and I am grateful that I can look forward to eating such delicious food later today. I am looking at the snow outside and grateful for the vast types of weather God has created. The best way to ward off negative thoughts is just to always start thinking of all the things you are grateful for.
I am grateful to my father and mother for rasing me in a Godly way and also giving me the freedom to get closer to God for myself. I am grateful to my sisters, Grandmas, my cousins, my uncles and aunties and friends and everyone around me that have kept me on the right path.
Train up a child in the way of the Lord: And when they are old, they will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Most of the Bible passages I quote here are purely from my memory, via the voice in my head from my parents saying it to me so often and not actually passages that I read directly from firsthand experience.
I pray that God increases me in wisdom so I can similarly quote the Bible and Quran to my children and they can do the same for their children and so forth.
In fact, what gave me the most confidence about God’s existence in my perioud of agnosticism was that every day I would look at the sky. I would think to myself, the sky is so beautiful, who made this sky? The entity that made this sky, thank you for giving me something so beautiful to look at everyday. I kept repeating this to myself every day. Not even deliberately, it was almost subconscious. Then gradually I came to accept God into my life more strongly.
Similar to the story of Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (حي بن يقظان, translation ‘Alive son of Awake’)
Spend a long period of time in quiet and solitude. Talk to God.
God has endowed you with Fitra (فطرة). This means that your innate nature and conscience is good. However, others who are confused and mislead will also mislead you and their voice will corrupt that voice in you which is pure. So spend some time alone with your thoughts, at first the voices of other people will still be playing in your head, but give it time and eventually your own inner voice will speak to you. That voice is God and it will lead you in the right path.
If you are ever confused about wether that voice is God or the Devil or the mislead. Just ask yourself, does this sound like a “good thing” if you earnestly believe it is good, then that is the voice of God. If you are unsure, then wait before acting, and come back to solitude or meditate or pray on it some more then eventually God will make it clearer to you. If there is confusion or lack of clarity in the source of the voice, just wait. God will reveal the answer to you over time. Similar to how the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (SAW) over 23 years.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
Habakkuk 2:3
Spend Time in Nature
I recommend going into Nature and experiencing God’s creation and how marvellous it is. Be humbled by the fact that despite all of the magnificent buildings and art and structures mankind has created, it dulls in comparison to the brilliance of a Cow, a waterfall, a forest, the sky. Be grateful for how great and magnificent God’s creation is naturally. Be grateful for the fact that an Apple tree can simply spring forth from a seed, we pluck it and it sustains us with life and we didn’t have to do anything to deserve such a wonderful blessing.
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:6
When you are in nature, you will be further away from man-made distractions and confusion and you can have the best conversation with God.
Spend Time with Animals
In line with Nature, if you spend time with animals you can also get closer to God. It also helps those of us who have short attention spans, the animals can provide you with amusement. Appreciate the wisdom and brilliance of God to create an animal that can fly without using any oil. The brilliance of an animal like a cow that can simply eat grass to sustain itself, the poop from the cow is what makes the cow grow and we can further benefit from that same Cow to have a delicious burger or steak.
Spend time with Babies and Children
In line with animals, humans are also a special type of animals. Mostly because I am a human so I believe that we are special. I’m sure a cow feels it is similarly special and it is also right. I like spending time with babies because they are the closest to Fitra (فطرة). God’s innate state of purity in which we are created. Babies allow us to remain connected to humanity and the purity with which we are all created.
Brittany Renner once said seeing the innocence of her son made her have a softer approach towards men. She saw how helpless he looked while changing his diaper and she realized that men often start in this very innocent phase before they get influenced and traumatized by society. This made her soften her approach towards men and she even apologized to a man from her past whom she treated horribly.
Interestingly, I did something very similar to Brittany Renner. When I had my spiritual encounter with God, one of the first things I did was message 3 girls from my past and I apologized.
Brittany and I even both apologized for very similar things. Being intimate with someone whom we had no intention of further developing a serious relationship with but leading them to believe otherwise.
Similarly Jay Z and Charleston White said that having a daughter changed their approach towards misogynistic lyrics in rap.
You don’t need to have a child to realize that humans are inherently good. Spend time with a baby or a really young child and see the joy and purity and honesty with which they have. That is how God created all of us and that is who we innately are. It is society and life that changes us.
Spend time with Good People
Just like mislead people will mislead you, those who are righteous will guide you on the righteous path. After following many people who mislead me and realizing to trust on myself and God the most. I similarly realized that I cannot be a hermit or an isolationist and I do not want to be too alone so I realized I needed to find good role models, mentors, peers, and so forth.
The biggest blessing God has given me after my life is the life of those around me.
My general heuristic is that I recommend following people that you know personally. Most importantly, you know their flaws and secrets and you have seen the parts of their life that you don’t want to emulate. Some people do the opposite and prefer to follow people that seem pious and perfect. However, I have seen enough in my short time on earth so far that even those I thought were perfect, had some egregious hidden skeletons in the closet. Or they were boasting and pontificating about one aspect of their life but were extremely flawed in another area of their life, they may not have cared about that area but that area is important to me.
When I used to worship money I would religiously follow the edicts of billionaires. I gradually came to realize that many billionaires are not good husband or fathers. This is a big problem for me because God has told us that the first responsibility we have is to our family. So now I generally try to only follow money-making advice from people who have a happy home, happy wife and happy children. I also prefer now to follow men or women that also talk about God or have a semblance of God in their life. God has given us a spirit of discernment so we cannot only listen to saints or Goldy people and I myself still find many worldly billionaires to be very wise but I apply a lot more discernment and judiciousness to any advice or things they say.
I now prefer to follow people who are egregiously flawed but their flaws are very obvious and transparent. This is important because then I know the tradeoffs and biases they have that guides their advice. I am also very flawed myself so I feel less judged and more comfortable with fellow sinners like myself. May God help us all.
I also recommend spending time with older people. The closer they are to death, the more honest they are, the more time they’ve had to reflect on what is the most important things in life. Listen to them, calibrate it to the times and life that they grew up in use your discernment to know when to listen to them and when to listen to your own conscience and listen to God instead. Most importantly, honor and respect them.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12)
Godly Rich People
For those of you who are like me and are looking for Godly rich people to learn from, I recommend Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon Christian and Abdul Samad Rabiu, a devout Tijjaniya Muslim.
From Mitt Romney’s Senate page
Before entering public service, Romney led a successful business career as the co-founder of Bain Capital, a leading investment company, and the turnaround CEO of Bain & Company, an international management consulting firm.
Romney earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and his JD/MBA from Harvard University. He has been the devoted husband to wife Ann for more than 50 years. They are the proud parents of five sons, grandparents to 25 grandchildren, and great-grandparents to one great-grandchild.
He has been the devoted husband to wife Ann for more than 50 years. They are the proud parents of five sons, grandparents to 25 grandchildren, and great-grandparents to one great-grandchild.
The last 2 sentences are the things I most admire Mitt Romney for. Multi-millionaire great-grandparent is so #goals. I pray that God will do the same for me and increase me with even more blessings.
Mitt Romney’s net worth is $300 million.
From Abdul Samad Isyaku Rabiu’s Wikipedia:
Abdul Samad Isyaku Rabiu is a Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist. His late father, Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu, was one of Nigeria’s foremost industrialists in the 1970s and 1980s. Abdul Samad is the founder and chairman of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate concentrating on manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture.
From Vanguard News Article, Abdulsamad Rabiu, The Billionaire and his secrets:
In 2019, Forbes ranked Abdulsamad Rabiu as the 16th richest man in Africa. However, within the span of two years, he rose drastically above 10 more African billionaires to become the 6th wealthiest man in Africa with an estimated net worth of $6.5 bn. The phase at which BUA is growing is worthy of the highest administration, and one would not doubt that he is on his way to top the list of African billionaires pretty soon.
Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu, who is was a well known wealthy and influential Islamic scholar, and indeed a successful Kano businessman.
Once upon a time, the Isyaka Rabiu family house was named the Quran house. A place where the teachings of the Quran is the order of the day. The family are devout Tijjaniya adherents of the highest respect, where charity is part of the culture. Almost every member of the family memorised the Quran competely. Therefore, they carry with them the kind of values which every Muslim believes would keep buoyant the status and the wealth of those who keep it; and that is “the art of giving”.
Abdul Samad Rabiu’s net worth is $6 billion.
Interestingly, I remarked to a friend a few weeks ago that I was surprised that I don’t know any billionaires who talk about God. Then God answered my prayers and showed me Abdul Samad Rabiu. One of my favourite pictures is a picture of Rabiu and Aliko Dangote making Ummrah together.
However, those are millionaires and billionaires that are more distant from you. I would encourage you to start with people in your family or friend group that have a life which you think has qualities you want as well, most importantly you need to pray for the spirit of discernment that they have good intentions for you and finally ask them for advice and direction.
Why do I mention millionaires and billionaires to follow?
I believe that God has called me to be wealthy. As I have mentioned earlier, I am aware that this life is amusement and play. I plan on acquiring wealth to use it to bring more people closer to God. I will practice self-restraint to maintain a humble, comfortable lifestyle that is not overly luxurious despite the amount of wealth that God gives me. This will allow me to spend more money towards serving humanity and God so that he will be pleased with me in this life and the life hereafter. If God is calling you to be wealthy, I encourage you to also make this your primary motive for acquiring wealth. I pray that God never lets me worship or idolize money. I pray that God shows me how to use money as simply a tool to serve God more.
God will give you spiritual guidance while the good people around you are the angels on earth that will give you earthly, materialist guidance you in the right path.
Another important trait is you have to find people that are very open to talking about their shortcomings and sins and embarrassing parts about themselves when asked.
Conclusion (or the Beginning)
Most importantly, God is guiding you in the right direction, keep God close to you and you will do well. Peace be upon you and may the blessings of God and his mercy be upon you.