How can I find God?

By seeking Him sincerely and humbly and by praying to Him directly. We cannot reach God by our own strength, but God promises to guide to Himself everyone who honestly seeks Him, whatever path they start from.

Many people feel a restlessness inside. They may have searched for a long time, read books and studied different religions. Everywhere they hear that God is here or there, do this and do that. And still the question remains. This longing is no accident. It belongs to human nature. The third verse above describes how God placed this question within human beings even before creation. That is why the search for God is found in every age and every culture, even among people who consider themselves unbelievers.

Not every search reaches its goal, however. The Holy Qur’an tells of Pharaoh, who wanted a tall tower built so that he could see for himself whether the God of Moses (as) existed. He searched with arrogance and found nothing. The prophets, on the other hand, sought God in complete humility, and they always received an answer. What matters, then, is not the search itself but the attitude with which we search.

The first verse above gives an important promise. It does not name one particular path on which God must be found. It says that God Himself guides all who sincerely strive for Him. We cannot reach God by our own strength, but God can reach us.

This changes the search. Instead of asking people where God is, we can ask God Himself. We can pray to Him, honestly and humbly, in our own words. Ask Him to show you the way. Whoever takes a small step towards God will find, as the hadith above says, that God comes towards them with far greater steps.