Purpose of Life in Islamic Perspective

Islam, a monotheistic religion teaches that Allah created the whole universe and everything in it. Almighty Allah is the master designer who put order and purpose in his creation, and he rules over it with compassion and mercy. In this world, everything in creation depends upon Allah, the Sustainer, for its existence. The purpose of all creation, including humans, is to love and serve Allah. It is pretty much understandable that Almighty Allah sent every living creature to this world for some purpose. No uncertainty that we have to return to Allah and he may ask us next whether we accomplished the purpose or not. Well, the only purpose of life is “To know and worship Allah” Worship is explained as everything in Islam that an individual does for the love and pleasure of Almighty Allah. This at all depends upon the righteous or non-righteous actions of an individual which includes Religious Beliefs, Social activities, and Contribution to the welfare of the society and fellow human beings. The very name of the religion, Islam, means submission or obedience to Allah, and the Muslim is one who submits or surrenders to Allah and recognizes holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Allah’s prophet. In this world all created things fulfill their assigned purpose by serving Almighty Allah. Plants and animals, rocks and minerals, rain and wind, stars and planets all naturally fulfill the purpose for which they were designed. By doing so, they worship and serve Allah. In nature everything is acting according to its design, serves Allah’s will. In a sense, the whole universe is Muslim because it surrenders to the divine purpose. The creation of universe as per Quran is given as “the sky and the earth were a single body” before being parted. Do the disbelievers not realize that the heavens and earth were ?once? one mass then We split them apart? And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Quran, 21:30) Then one of the lower heaven (our universe surrounding the Earth and its atmosphere) is said to have been adorned with stars and orbits of heavenly bodies. Allah then created the landscape of the earth, then united the sky/atmosphere with the earth (which was initially lump of gases) above it, and stretching it around the Earth as a canopy. The time period described is 6 days/periods for this whole creation, Muslims hold the view that, these 6 days are not solar days rather a different relative time, which starts from the beginning of universe. A Quranic verse states that “a day in the sight of your Lord is like 1,000 years of your reckoning”: …A day with your Lord is like one thousand of the years you count (Quran, 22:47) The word yawm is understood, within the Qur’an, to be a long period of time—an era or eon. Therefore, Muslims interpret the description of a “six days” creation as six distinct periods or eons. The length of these periods is not precisely defined, nor is the specific developments that took place during each period. The emergence of life is mostly mentioned in Quran during discussion of creation of man. According to Quran the life has its origins from a single being (Quran 6:98). The first beings, Prophet Adam (A.S) and his wife (in Islamic tradition called Hawah (A.S) (the Arabic for Eve), appear in the Quran as the first man and woman. The Quran states that they were created from fluid and extract of altered clay (Quran, 25:54 & Quran, 15:28) This mixture is said to have been given time for it to develop and was brought to life by the blowing of soul into their bodies (Quran, 15:29) followed by the event of mass prostration to Adam and castration of prominent Jinns like Iblis. Allah ordered all the angels to bow down before Adam (A.S).and all the angels obeyed except Iblis. Prostration was ordered not for Adam (alaihis-salam), but for Allah. That is, it was ordered that prostration be made for Allah in the direction of prophett Âdam (A.S). We, too, are making prostration for Allah in the direction of the Kaaba. We do not fall prostrate for the Kaaba itself. The angels and Iblees were commanded that they fall prostrate for Allah in the direction of Adam (alaihis-salam). Shaitan, however, refused to make prostration by saying that this command was wrong. From Hassan Al Basri (R.A): Iblis worshipped above the seven heavens for more than 70 000 years, until he was raised to the station of Ridwan which is very high station, Ridwan being the guardian of Paradise. Iblis was the guardian of Paradise for 1000 years. Once he read an inscription on the gates of paradise, and it read: There is a servant among the most highly favoured servants of the Almighty Lord, and for a long time he will be obedient and serve his Lord well; there will come a day, however, on which he will oppose his Lord and disobey, and he will be driven from His gates and be cursed. Iblis, who was then called Azazil, read and wondered at this prediction. How can that be?. Oh Lord, he pleaded. Give me permission to curse that rebellious one, whoever he may be. The Lord gave him permission, and Iblis showered curses upon that future sinner for one thousand years, knowing not that it was to be himself. There is a conflict of opinion between people as to whether Iblis was of the Angels or of the Jinn. But it is written in the Holy Quran, he was one of the Jinn and committed ungodliness against his Lord’s command. Because of his extreme virtue and the intensity of his prayers, The Lord raised him up into the heavens to live among the angels. When the Lord ordered them all to bow down and prostrate before Adam (A.S), he refused and his hidden disobedient was exposed. In the Qur’an, “Satan” is the term applied to those beings who will strive until the Last Day to divert mankind from the path of Allah. When Satan refused to obey Allah’s commands, Allah asked him for the reasons of disobedience of the Lord of the worlds. Allah says in the Quran: (Allah) said: “O Iblees (Satan)! What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?” (Iblees (Satan)) said: “I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud” (Quran, al-Hijr:32 – 33). The subsequent dialog stated in the Quran is as follows: (Allah) said: “Then, get out from here, for verily, you are Rajeem (an outcast or a cursed one).” (Tafseer At-Tabaree). “And verily, the curse shall be upon you till the Day of Recompense (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)” (Quran, al-Hijr: 34 – 35). Then Iblees asked for a respite until the Day of Resurrection, and Allah granted him that. When Iblees was certain that he was doomed, he resolved to mislead whomever he could from the slaves of Allah, so that they would be with him in Hell. Allah says: (Iblees (Satan)) said: “O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. “Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them” (Quran, al-Hijr: 39 – 40). After Allah gave him the reprieve until the Day of Judgment, he made misleading man as his primary goal. The Story of Adam and Eve is evident in several of the books Allah has revealed to man including the Bible and the Holy Quran. It has been a point of reference in innumerable books and manuscripts. However, according to the Islamic belief, the story of Adam and Eve is not as sinister as it is often told to be. Islam teaches that Allah created humans from clay and breathed the spirit of life into them. He separated them from the rest of creation by giving them three divine gifts: intelligence to distinguish the true from the false, a will that can freely choose between them, and the power of speech to worship. Because of these gifts, people are the noblest of Allah’s creatures, superior to the rest of nature. However, people are not perfect. Although not sinful by nature, humans are vulnerable to temptation. Because they are rebellious and proud, they often forget that they are dependent on Almighty Allah. The holy Quran stresses the mercy and compassion of Allah, and the words “merciful” (rahmah) and “compassionate” (rahim) come from the same root, rahma, which carries the meaning of forgiveness, and abundant mercy that sustains, protects, and rewards. Because He is the sustainer and protector, Allah has created a well-regulated and ordered universe in which night regularly follows day so that creatures may rest, and the sun and moon follow predictable patterns, creating seasons so that humans may cultivate plants for food. Allah also provided animals to assist humans in fulfilling their needs for warmth and food. Those who remember this fulfill their purpose by worshiping and serving Him as stewards of His creation. Allah gave his revelation through the prophets, so that humans may know how to fulfill their purpose as Allah’s agents on earth. They are to assist in realizing Allah’s will for all of creation. In their desire to understand Allah’s plan, most people benefit from Allah’s guidance, which is why Allah sent prophets. Allah gave humans the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and together, they are the guide to a peaceful life. Put simply, humans serve Allah by doing good deeds, telling the truth, and obeying Allah’s instructions contained in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. They serve the underserved. They feed the poor and care for orphans. They are faithful, and when they sin, they seek forgiveness with sincere remorse.
By following the path revealed by Allah, Muslims live in harmony with Allah and with all of creation. This brings the great blessings of peace and happiness in life. Those who live according to Allah’s design will find wealth and success, and they will be respected in their communities, because they will always choose the right way. Not only will they be blessed by Allah, they will be a source of blessing to those who know them. The monotheistic faiths must consider the problems of suffering and evil within the context of Allah’s power and mercy. In Islam, there are two views of suffering, both of which resemble views held by its sister faiths, Judaism and Christianity. A believer who is going through a difficult time should never be ungrateful to God, nor should he question God’s justice, because God will compensate everyone in the next life. This is God’s Promise to humanity. The Quran declares: “Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, ‘We believe’, and that they will not be put to the test?” (Quran 29:2) This idea is repeated in numerous verses in the Quran, such as: “Or do you expect to enter Paradise without facing such trials as did those before you?” (Quran 2:214) Suffering is either the painful result of sin, or it is a test. In the latter view, suffering tests belief; a true Muslim will remain faithful through the trials of life. But suffering also reveals the hidden self to Allah. Suffering is built into the fabric of existence so that Allah may see who is truly righteous. In other words, Allah not only allows the various agonies and struggles of life, but has a purpose for them. Suffering opens up the soul and reveals it to Allah. Allah uses suffering to look within humans and test their characters, and correct the unbelievers. Suffering is also a painful result of sin. In Islam, sin is associated with unbelief. Muslims surrender to Allah’s will, and find peace in that surrender. Sometimes people forget to listen to the prophets, and fail to serve Allah in all that they do. This is the state of unbelief, called kufr, which literally means to forget through hiding of the truth. Therefore someone who is a kafir is someone who has purposefully forgotten the Lord. They become preoccupied with their own particular needs and their passions. Islam does not condemn human passions or human needs, seeing them as a necessary part of a full and useful life. But when people forget to serve Allah, these needs and passions can enslave them. They begin to misuse their divine gifts of intelligence, will, and speech. Enslaved by lust, and by cravings for wealth and pleasure, they do evil and destructive things. These moments of unbelief can happen to anyone, and when people realize their mistake, they suffer. Seen in this light, suffering is not only painful, but a lesson. It reminds humans of the truth of Allah’s revelation. Although all people are imperfect and vulnerable to kufr, Islam does not teach that they are essentially evil. When they realize their sin and make amends with true remorse, Allah forgives the sin. Genuine repentance is all that is needed to restore humans to a sinless state. However, individuals are always vulnerable to it, and sin and suffering are serious matters. The great struggle, or jihad, of human life is the struggle to perfect one’s heart and live in total submission to Almighty Allah. It is possible to be a perfect Muslim, since Allah does not ask anyone to do anything that is beyond his or her ability. But perfect Muslims, like prophets, are very rare individuals. Most must be vigilant and always begin with the intention to do good. Islam teaches the endurance of suffering with hope and faith. The faithful are not counseled to resist it, or to ask why. Instead, they accept it as Allah’s will and live through it with faith that Allah never asks more of them than they can endure. However, Islam also teaches the faithful to work actively to alleviate the suffering of others. Recognizing that they are the cause of their own suffering, individuals work to bring suffering to an end. In the Islamic view, righteous individuals are revealed not only through patient acceptance of their own suffering, but through their good works for others. And if suffering is a consequence of unbelief, then good works will relieve pain. The real purpose of life is one of Allah’s revelations on all Prophets from Adam to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Allah says, “Indeed, We have sent a messenger to every nation (saying), ‘Worship God and avoid false gods…” (Qur’an, 16:36). In brief, Islam is a complete religion having proficient knowledge about every matter of life and to our amazement; it has answers for this too. Quran clearly states that the Muslim’s whole life purpose is nothing but to obey Allah and keep His love above everything.
(The authors regularly write on “Islamic topics” exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. Views are their own)
[email protected]