Purpose & Meaning of Life

 

We humans are the most important living creatures on earth. Given this, we should reflect on and observe it to realize and fulfill our purpose in life. Our duty in this life is to hunt for insight and divine joys in our hearts and minds, for only this way of life can move us beyond the frustrating endeavors of a materialistic and painful life. What makes this painful life worth living is the joy we feel while moving along the path and receiving the gifts we are given by our Creator. Those who walk this path as commanded by our Creator, are constantly delighted with various insights; they run enthusiastically toward their final goal, whereas those who choose different paths are confused.

The Qur’anic Verses answer important questions that many are asking about the “Purpose of Life’, questions like: What is the meaning of life? What is life about? Is it a philosophical and spiritual conception of the significance of living? What and why should I do in this life? Why are we here? What is the purpose of existence? Some people even are asking, does life exist at all, or do we just dream?

There have been many proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning has produced much philosophical and theological speculation and doubts throughout history. However,the Islamic point of view spells out real and meaningful answers. It is the same view that was brought by all Messengers of God throughout history but unfortunately forgotten in most religions. 

The meaning of life as we perceive it is derived from our philosophical and religious contemplation of social ties, consciousness, and happiness. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe and exploring the parameters concerning the universe. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and some related conceptions of morality. However, Science can never produce exact answers to many questions related to what the meaning of my life is.

In Islam, our ultimate life objective is to worship the creator Allah by abiding by the Divine guidelines revealed in the Last Revelation “The Holy Qur'an”, and the true Teachings of the Prophets sent by Allah. Islamic true teaching is far from doubts and assumptions but deals with the ideal way of life that is designed and commanded by the Almighty the Creator. The Qur’anic verse says: "Allah did not create demons and mankind except to be obedience to Him and worship Him alone" (The Quran 51: 56). This verse emphasizes that the ultimate purpose of life is to worship and serve Allah. Obedience testifies to the oneness of Allah in his Lordship of the Universe, and glorifies His name and His attributes. Worship in Islam is not just limited to rituals like prayer and fasting, but it encompasses all aspects of life when done with the right intention. Every act can become an act of worship if done to please Allah. Therefore, our purpose is to align our lives in a way that reflects devotion, obedience, and mindfulness of God in all that we do.

Allah also said: "O mankind, worship your Lord Allah, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous. He who made for you the earth like a bed spread out and the sky a canopy" (The Qur’an 2: 21-22). This verse calls upon all people to worship Allah as the One who created them and provided all the blessings in life. The purpose of this worship is to attain righteousness, living in a way that is conscious of God’s presence and aware of moral duties.

In the Islamic view, earthly life is merely a test, determining one's afterlife, either in Paradise or in Hellfire. "Allah who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds; He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” (The Qur’an 67: 2). This verse explains that life is a test, and the purpose is to see who will excel in righteous deeds. It reminds us that our actions have meaning and consequences in this life and the Hereafter. We are encouraged to live with a sense of responsibility and purpose, striving to do good and avoid harm. That is to say, every person must live following the teachings of our Creator to be righteous which gives us happiness and peace that are necessary for the sustainable development of the earth. 

The Holy Qur’an provided us with clear instructions about our duties of sustainable development of the earth. For example: “Then Allah made you successors of the earth with clear orders of your duties so He may observe how you will do; are you amongst the followers of Allah’s commandments” (The Holy Qur’an 10: 14). And again: “To the people of Thamud, Allah sent their brother Saleh as a Messenger, he said O’ my people worship Allah, you have no deity other than Allah; Allah has created you from the earth and settled you in it and gave you the responsibility of developing it sustainably, so ask forgiveness of Him and then repent to Him; Indeed, my Lord Allah is near and responsive” (The Holy Qur’an 11: 61). 

Through Allah’s Revelations, we have been guided to the straight path, so we live in peace, harmony, justice, and happiness, "Indeed, Allah guided Humankind to the right and straightway, be he grateful or be he ungrateful" (The Qur’an 76: 3). This verse reminds us that part of our purpose is to choose between gratitude and ingratitude, guidance and misguidance. Allah gave us a Life that is filled with choices, and each person is given free will to choose the path that leads to righteousness and gratitude to Allah or the path of rejection and heedlessness. Both ways are clearly explained in the Qur'an.

For Allah's satisfaction, via the Qur'an, all Muslims must believe in Allah, His Revelations, His angels, His messengers, and in the "Day of Judgment". The Qur'an describes the purpose of creation as follows: "Blessed be He, Allah, in whose hand is the dominion and the owner of all Kingdoms, he is powerful over all things and capable of doing anything, He who created death and life that he might examine and test you as to which of you is best is best in deeds, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving" (Qur'an 67:1–2). Allah also said in the Quran: “Verily, In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, these are indeed signs for humankind who has given heart and mind for thinking and understanding, who remember Allah standing, who remember Allah sitting, and who remember Allah lying down on his sides, and who contemplates the creation of the heavens and the earth, and who concludes by saying: “Our Lord Allah! You have not created all this without purpose, glory to You, Our Lord Allah! Grant us salvation from the torment of the Fire” (Quran 3: 190-191).

In these verses, Allah draws our attention to the different postures of the human body and the different attitudes of people; He draws our attention to the creation of heavens and earth; He draws our attention to the alternation of the night and the day. He draws our attention to the firmament the stars and the constellations, and then He says to us that He has not created all of this for any foolish purpose or without reason! Because when you see the design of it, you know that the design of it is very powerful and very precise. Something very powerful and very precise that is beyond our calculation and imagination, it cannot be foolish, and it cannot be just thrown together without precision.

For instance, if you took just ten pieces of paper and numbered them one to ten. And you put them inside a container, and you shook the container. And then, closing your eyes, reached inside that bag and I told you, “Pull out paper number one. And then pull-out paper number two. And then pull-out paper number three, in order.” What’s the chance of you pulling out those papers in order without mistake? Do you know what the chances are? Twenty-six million to one! You have to repeat twenty-six million times in order just to have a chance of having them in order, and it may never happen. So, what are the chances of the Heavens and the Earth being thrown in a big bang, and being orchestrated like they are? What’s the chance of that? Therefore, the creation can never be by chance, must be from the All-Knower the Wiser, and that is Allah.

When you see a house, a road, a bridge, a building, or an automobile, you automatically consider someone or a group of people who constructed it. When you see an airplane, a rocket, a satellite, or a large ship, you also think about how incredible a thing it is. When you consider other complicated and exciting structures that exist surrounding you or anywhere in the world, you must be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved.

Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. What about the human body with its massive and intricate control system? Think about it! Think about the brain, how it thinks, how it functions, how it analyzes, stores information, retrieves information and distinguishes and categorizes information in the millionth of a second! The brain does all of it constantly. Think about a brain for a moment. This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ship, the boats, and so and so. Think about the brain and who made that. Think about the heart, how it pumps continuously for seventy years or more, taking and discharging blood throughout the body and maintaining that steady precision throughout the life of that person. Think about it! 

What about the universe? Think about this. The Earth is one planet in our solar system. And our solar system is one of the systems in the Milky Way. The Milky Way is one of the constellations in that galaxy. And there are billions of galaxies like the Milky Way. Think about that, and they are all in precise order. They are all very precise in their movement. They are not colliding with each other; they are not conflicting with each other. They are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion? And are human beings maintaining that precision? No, of course, we’re not.

Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, and bacteria, the chemical elements that have not been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet, each one of them has a law which they follow. Did all this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation, and infinite numeration’ did happen by chance? Do these things function perpetually and perfectly also by chance? And do they keep on reproducing themselves and maintaining themselves also by chance? No, of course not.

To think so, that all these things are operating by themselves, would be illogical, nonsense, and foolish. At the very least it would indicate that however it came to be, it is totally outside the realm of human capabilities. We would all agree to that. 

Therefore, the being that is deserving of praise and gratitude is the almighty power of the Creator, and that is Allah. He created all of this, and He is responsible for maintaining all of this. Therefore, Allah is the only one that deserves praise and gratitude.

If I gave each one of you a hundred dollars, for no reason, just for reading this page, you would at least say: “Thank you”. However, what about your brain, your thinking, your eyes, your ears, your heart, your stomach, your liver, your kidney, your legs, your arms, your mouth, your life, your breath, your parents, or you’re your children? What about that? Who gave you that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship and your recognition? Do we have any right to reject His orders and commandments that He commanded us to do things or not to do; surely not. That indeed is the purpose and the goal of this life; is to Worship your Creator the real and true God “Allah. He is the one that should be remembered all the time and in occasion; He is the one that should be praised and glorified all the time, whenever you are free from your life duties, you should remember Him, mention Him, Praise Him, Glorify Him and mention His attribute names.  

There are hundreds of verses in the Holy Quran about the remembrance of Allah and the importance of that in our lives. For example, Allah said: “Remember your Lord Allah within yourself in humility and without screams and drums and raising voice and noises, and with fear of your Lord Allah being apparent in speech, remember Allah, thank Him and Glorify Him in the morning and the evening; and do not be among the heedless” (The Qur’an 7: 205). Allah also said: “Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace, satisfaction, happiness, and successes” (The Qur’an 13: 35).

This is what Allah Almighty said; and our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator, and to be grateful to The Creator, to worship The Creator, to surrender ourselves to The Creator, and to obey the laws and commandments that He has determined for us. In a nutshell, it means Worship. This is our purpose in this life. And whatever we do in our life must have an intention of that worship: the eating, the drinking, the dressing, the working, the enjoyment between life and death, all of this is just consequential. We have been created for worship: that’s the purpose of our life. I believe that even someone scientific or analytical would agree with that purpose. They might have some other ulterior purpose within themselves, but that’s something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God, the Creator.

The Qur'an also Explains clearly the Purpose of this worldly life in relation to rewards in the Life Hereafter, Here are a few examples:

"Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your full compensation on the Day of Resurrection; One who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained his desire. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion" (The Qur’an 3: 185). This verse tells us the Purpose of Life is to obtain Higher Greater life in Paradises, the verse underscores that ultimate success is to attain Paradise and that the life of this world is fleeting in comparison to the eternal Hereafter. Therefore, Allah is guiding us to choose the correct Path, the path of Righteousness to have a meaningful of both Lives.

"And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have Higher Gardens in Paradise beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, 'This is what we were provided with before', indeed, it is given to them in likeness only. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein Eternally" (The Qur’an 2: 25). This verse describes the magnificent rewards awaiting in the Life Hereafter, providing higher motivation to lead us to believe in Allah and Live in Righteous Life.

"By the time, indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience" (The Qur’an 103: 1-3). These verses and indeed the whole chapter succinctly explain the path to success: belief in Allah, do good deeds, follow the truth, be patient, and advise others to be Righteous. The chapter highlights that life’s purpose is to worship Allah, do good deeds, and prepare for the eternal rewards of the Hereafter, with a focus on the transient nature of worldly life compared to the everlasting rewards awaiting believers.

"Race toward forgiveness from your Lord Allah to obtain Paradise whose width is like the width of the Heavens and Earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His Messengers and follow His Teachings. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty" (The Qur’an 57: 21). The verse encourages believers to strive for Allah’s forgiveness and to pursue paradise, which is vast and prepared for those who have faith in Allah and His messengers and doing Righteousness. It highlights the importance of working diligently in this life to earn divine mercy and the ultimate reward, which is paradise. The verse also emphasizes that receiving Allah's bounty is a matter of His will and generosity according to His fairness and justice.

The Qur'an also addresses the Purposes of The Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hellfire which are all very essential because worldly judgment is limited and imperfect. It is necessary to have the Day of Judgment and another Life other than this earthly life that is consistent with Allah's justice. The following are some justifications as explained broadly in the Qur’an:-

Complete Accountability: In this world, many injustices go unnoticed or unresolved. Some people commit wrongs without facing consequences. The Day of Judgment ensures that every action, hidden or visible, is accounted for, providing ultimate fairness.

Perfect Justice: Human judgments can be flawed due to bias, lack of knowledge, or corruption. Allah's judgment is perfect and all-knowing, ensuring that every individual receives exactly what they deserve, whether Paradise or the opposite.

Universal Application: Not all injustices or good deeds are addressed in this life. Some wrongdoers may prosper, while some righteous people suffer. The Day of Judgment balances these disparities by rewarding the oppressed and punishing the wrongdoers. A righteous person may be very poor and suffer too much, but a criminal person may get all wealth and a good earthly life. So real justice must be done not here but afterlife in front of the Creator.

Eternal Consequences: Earthly justice only addresses temporary, worldly consequences. The Day of Judgment deals with the eternal consequences of one's actions, which are beyond the scope of human law and authority.

Divine Mercy and Forgiveness: Worldly justice can be harsh or incomplete. The Day of Judgment allows for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness to be applied, giving people a chance for redemption based on their faith and repentance, which human systems cannot fully provide.

This ultimate justice ensures that no wrong goes unpunished and no good deed is unrewarded, reflecting Allah’s comprehensive and just nature. The Qur'an is the Divine Message to humans, that has no Contradictions. For Allah to bring people to Judgment and give them their reward or punishment, He clearly explained in the Qur'an the following: 

What to do in this Earthly life.

What not to do and to avoid in this Earthly life.

Explaining the Purpose of Life and Why we are here.

Clearly explain the Criteria of Judgment.

What makes people go to Paradise?

What makes people go to Hellfire?

What is Paradise?

What is Hellfire?

In Conclusion: people often find happiness and a sense of peace when they understand the purpose of life in Islam because it provides a clear, structured worldview centered around a relationship with the Creator and a focus on living a meaningful, purposeful life. Here are some reasons why this understanding might lead to a happier life:

Clarity and Direction: Islam teaches that the purpose of life is to worship Allah and follow His guidance, which gives many individuals a clear sense of direction. With a focus on pleasing Allah and living by moral principles, believers often feel grounded and less confused about their life’s meaning.

Inner Peace: The practice of daily prayers, remembrance of Allah, and submission to His will bring a sense of tranquility. By trusting in Allah’s plan, people find peace even in hardships, believing that everything happens for a reason.

Focus on Gratitude and Contentment: Islam emphasizes being grateful for both the good and difficult moments in life. This perspective encourages contentment with what one has and reduces feelings of envy, anxiety, or dissatisfaction with worldly gains.

Strong Sense of Community: The sense of belonging to a global Muslim community (ummah) often provides emotional support and a feeling of unity. This collective identity fosters connection and shared values, which can increase happiness.

Balance Between Spiritual and Material Life: Islam encourages a balanced approach to life, where spiritual duties coexist with daily responsibilities, including family, work, and personal well-being. This balance helps individuals avoid extremes, promoting a harmonious lifestyle.

Moral Framework and Accountability: The belief in accountability in the hereafter motivates people to live a righteous life. The focus on good deeds and striving for a higher purpose offers emotional fulfillment, knowing that their actions have eternal significance.

The teachings of Islam, indeed, give people a comprehensive framework that can provide both spiritual fulfillment and practical guidance for living a content, purposeful life.

I Rest My Case..!

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References:

The Holy Qur’an. Translation by Abullah Yusuf Ali, Edition 2022. 

What is the Purpose of Life? Al Islam. https://www.alislam.org 

What is the purpose of Life? Islamic Pamphlets. https://islamicpamphlets.com

Purpose of Life in Islam. Kalamullah.com. https://www.kalamullah.com