The Immeasurable Beauty of Belonging to God

Most people rarely ask themselves, “To who or what do I really belong?” If the question comes to mind, most individuals first think of family, some group, a clan, a club, some organization, or even a country. Yet, this very important question is in the Quran.

Say, “To whom belongs the earth and everyone on it, if you know?” (23:84)

The answers to this question are also in the Quran. Here are two examples:

To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth. God is in full control of all things. (4:126)

Absolutely, to God belongs everyone in the heavens and everyone on earth. Those who set up idols beside God are really following nothing. They only think that they are following something. They only guess. (10:66)

Youngsters often say, “I belong to my daddy or mommy!” I often see frightened children run to their parents, and cuddle up to one or both of them. When in a group of people especially when they are around strangers, children seldom lose sight of their parents. Children forget about their parents when they are distracted, having fun, and absorbed in play. The moment they become anxious, children scan the immediate environment looking for the “big people” who take care of and protect

them. Our Creator tells us that it is precisely when we are distracted by this world that we forget about Him. 

The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering God, and from observing the Contact Prayers (Salat). Will you then refrain? (5:91) Daily Contact Prayers serve as one reminder to us about Who we belong to.

This worldly life is no more than vanity and play, while the abode of the Hereafter is the real life, if they only knew. (29:64)

O people, you shall reverence your Lord, and fear a day when a father cannot help his own child, nor a child can help his father. Certainly, God's promise is truth. Therefore, do not be distracted by this life; do not be distracted from God by mere illusions. (31:33)

The late psychologist Dr. Abraham Maslow recognized that the need to belong is a major source of human motivation. He thought that it was one of eight basic needs in his Hierarchy of Human Needs. Along with physical and safety needs, an individual also seeks positive self-esteem, and self-actualization. Along with satisfying physical and safety needs, a person starts working on the longing to belong and be loved. Belonging connotes a state of being accepted and in a comfortable place;

belonging implies being in a relationship, being attached and affiliated, and being included.   

Aside from physical and safety needs that characterize all creatures, the need to belong is the major source of human motivation. Throughout life, the need to belong and be loved takes on many forms ranging from the warm cuddly hold of an adult when a person is an infant to the ultimate state of being aware that you belong to God, your Lord and Creator. The need to belong is initially cultivated in the family. Family life is reflected in every endeavor during childhood and plastered in the media. Some of you may recall family TV shows like “Leave It To Beaver, “All In The Family,” “Bonanza,” and the “Cosby Show.” The need for acceptance and attachment is innate in humans. As a person grows older, the acceptance and attachment need is realized through the person’s relationships beyond his or her childhood family. To the extent that a person is: 1) not accepted, and 2) does not gain the approval and love of others that the person deems are important to him or her, the person experiences sadness and loneliness.

But, the most peaceful serene thought is to reflect: “I belong to God. He is my Lord and Master.”The thought of belonging to God is matchless in its power and beauty, there is nothing comparable to it, and it cannot be measured. There is no “better belonging” than to belong to our Lord and Creator.

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