Does Quran talks about friendship with God? or is it heresy?

From: http://www.mysticsaint.info/2007/01/does-quran-talks-about-friendship-with.html

In orthodox point of view, religious doctors always try to put the relationship between man and God as just a very distant one. the mainstream islam often come in clash with sufi stream of islam which interestedly emphasize a lot on the inner dimension whereas the orthodox school in most of the cases moves around the periphery of rituals, religious laws etc. the very reason sufi school of thought started as a separate stream and identified as a different name is simply because the actual message of islam was over shadowed by materialism and only outer ritual devoid of inner understanding. so the return to the emphasis on inner dimension (which was part of islam from Prophet's original teachings) needed a new name. hence came the terms sufi and tasawwuf.

Now while in sufistic school the relationship between the creation and Creator is like a friend, which the orthodox school doesn't look at them very happily. infact orthodox school often try to publicize the sufistic thoughts as heresy. this close relationship which sufis talks about to develop with God has been branded as unislamic by religious doctors in many islamic countries in different times and even in these days. in islam, to prove something islamic or unislamic, the Quran has been the central and most powerful testimony.

Does Quran talks about friendship with God? or is it heresy?

on the question, whether creation, specially man can claim friendship with God or should he/she should consider the relationship a very remote one; perhaps the following Quranic verse is one of the best that talks for Sufistic inner dimension and philosophy. it says about the attitude of submission to God and also about the Mighty Prophet Abraham, the father of all monotheistic faith. interestingly the verses starts with betterment in faith, give example of Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, and ends with the very relationship, Friendship with God, which is the central theme of sufi school of thought.

Who is of better faith than he who submits himself to God while doing good and following the creed of Abraham, the true in faith? For God chose Abraham as a friend. - The Quran (4:125)

Blogger Comment:
God chose Abraham (PBUH) as a friend or in Arabic Khalil which means a very close friend because Abraham fulfilled what all of us would unlikely do. He was willing to sacrifice his life when he was thrown in fire for God and when he was willing to sacrifice his own son for God.

Abraham was a close friend of God but before anything he was a worshiper of God. God had choose him to be his close friend for most of us we are not friends of God but worshipers. He may choose to contact us in visions but we still not at the level of the prophets. To be Sufi in essence to love God you have to obey what he would require you to do as he mentioned in the Quran is to follow his commandments.

To sin is to move away from God and if you to sin and sin you are running away from God. Thus if to come to him one step he will come to you faster. If you are like the prophets very close to him by obeying him you are Rabani meaning you are belonging to him. The word friend God used it for Abraham since he had close contact with him through visions and through angels. We are Rabnion or belong to God if we to follow him.

Enjoying his love is a late stage like the Sufi like to enjoy but it has to be after you obey him. The way to be close to God is the same the Prophet Muhammad did. His morals was that of the Quran as his wife Isha summarize it. He worshiped to him for long hours daily and fasted more than us. That is why we call fard or what God asked us to do and Sunna is what the prophet would do over what we ordered to do to make God happy.

Thus the relation between us and God is that of a worshipper who know that he is between the hands of the creator who own all this huge universe. He blessed man to be his representative in earth.

My relation with God is more like obligation in a turbulent and unjust world he asked me or us to find Justice and go back to his message the Quran. In a wold that is under the control of Satan and whenever you try to raise your head up you find wicked people try to oppress you no time for Sufism but a strong call to have Muslims go back to unite through the Quran.

Sufism is an enjoyable stage in our connection with God, however we should not forget our obligation to reestablish the Quran as our light or Manhag, our way of dealing with one another and the true way to establish a just world.

Worshiping God should be the way Muslims had witnessed Muhammad (PBUH) doing. It was a revelation form God and we have to follow the way God wants it to be, followers and living our lives by his book. We will not reach the 100% mark but we can still improve a lot.