Our lives are spent looking for sanctuary, searching for a place of refuge and the presence of one that would provide the ultimate sense of protection. It starts with the child feeling most secure with the mother, before even developing a sense of security with the father. Every human being has different aspirations in life, a different chosen path, yet they all desire sanctuary and the need to feel secure.

The realization that Allah is our only sanctuary dawns upon everybody at a different phase of their lives

We are all born with different temperaments, thus with different desires and a different road map for life. Since childhood it is imbedded in us to look for safe options, do not over spend, avoid dangerous situations and say no to risks. We take precautions, some people are more meticulous than others and plan almost every stage of their life, believing that everything would fall according to plan. Most of us do not realize till quite late in life that our planning is not going to ensure our future and there is only one planner whose plans for us have to materialize.

The fortunate ones acutely feel the presence of Allah and they depend on him for getting strength and rising out of the bouts of depression, to which all of us fall prey at times.

The bond with Allah prevents us from feeling abandoned

The fortunate ones acutely feel the presence of Allah and they depend on him for getting strength and rising out of the bouts of depression, to which all of us fall prey at times. They do not remain depressed for long as they firmly believe that the grief in this world is temporary and permanent grief and joy only await us in the other world.

The bond with Allah prevents us from feeling abandoned and our communication with him through namaz and otherwise is a source of solace. At times in the hour of drastic need we are let down by those we strongly depended on and we curse ourselves for being a bad judge of character. At such times Allah provides help but through some other unexpected source and we are overwhelmed, not realizing that for him it is not difficult to find ways, he simply commands and it happens.

Once we bond with Allah the world seems brighter, as every sight is a manifestation of his power. Since he is the creator of all the beauty that surrounds us, we do not feel close to him only while praying but also while being mesmerized by the magnificence of the mountains, the beauty of the flowers and the serenity of green valleys. We feel an inner happiness when we think about Allah and especially when we begin to realize that he is aware of our existence and is listening to us. We cherish this communication and our greatest apprehension is not his punishment but that he should never abandon us

Those who realize that Allah is the only savior suddenly find life to be uncomplicated and they do not take much to heart, as they know that despite all efforts, it is only the will of Allah that would prevail and he is our ultimate and only sanctuary.