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In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
What is the purpose of our life? Why did Allah create mankind when He knows what their destiny will be, in Paradise or Hell?
“And We created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, for mere play. We created them not except with truth (i.e. to examine and test those who are obedient and those who are disobedient and then reward the obedient ones and punish the disobedient ones), but most of them know not” (Quran 44 : 38-40)
"And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play" (Quran 21:16)
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| Honey bee's nest |
This verse clearly says that Allah didn't create anything purposelessly, We can see everything in the earth and the universe has their own purpose. If you are in doubt, You can check or search in google "what is the purpose of such things". But everything except Human are only has some particular or limited purpose. If you look at "Honey Bee" they always doing the same thing, collecting honey and storing it in it's nests, And they always building their nests in the same design, there is no changes. Because Allah only gave limited intelligence for them. But we are not like them. Because we have ultimate free will and intelligence for what ever we want to do. If animals and other things has ultimate intelligence, then it will be so difficult for us to live here or may be it causes our existence too. Just imagine that what will be our fate if Allah gave wings for dangerous animals like Lions? We can't imagine that.
Studies suggests that disappearing of anything will cause our eco system badly, But absence of human beings will not make big impact on our eco system also earth will become green and pure. So we should understand we have a special purpose than them but not for this world. Allah perfected this world for us and gave ultimate free will and intelligence. So we are special, then there should be a special purpose for our life.
“Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?" (Quran 23:115)
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You!. Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire” (Quran 3:190,191)
What is our purpose?
We understand that we have a special purpose in our life. So Allah has not created man only to eat, drink and multiply, in which case he would be like the animals. Allah has honoured man and favoured him far above many of those whom He has created, but many people insist on disbelief, so they are ignorant of or deny the true wisdom behind their creation, and all they care about is enjoying the pleasures of this world. The life of such people is like that of animals, and indeed they are even more astray. Allah says in the Quran what is our real purpose of life,
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” (Quran 51:56)
“˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving” (Quran 67:2)
Our real purpose is to worship Allah alone & obey him to achieve our goal, that is paradise. Because Allah has given us countless blessings. Firstly he created us, he gave us family, wealth, good brain, even every single heart beat is also be his blessing. Think about every part of our body. What an amazing and perfect creation, Even a single atom in our body has it's own purpose and benefit for us. So we can't count his blessings.
“If you count the bounties of Allah, you cannot count them all. Surely, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.” (Quran 16:18)
Our creator have given us right guidance through his messengers from Adam (as) to last and final prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Allah says,
“And for every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.” (Quran 10:47)
“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, etc. i.e., do not worship Taghut besides Allah)."....” (Quran 16:36)
“And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad(P)); of some of them We have related to you their story and of some We have not related to you their story,…(Quran 40:78)
We can see in most of the religions even in Hinduism (but most of it's followers are polytheistic) there is the same massage worship one and only God alone, and do not associate partners with him. Quran says that after the time of previous messengers, some evil people are corrupted his messages for some worldly gains, and only the Quran is still preserved in it's original form without any corruptions. And Allah said in the Quran, He will protect it until the end of the world. We all know that Quran revealed in 1400 years ago and still unchanged.
Similar concept of God's oneness in other religions are here (I am not mentioning all):
In Hindu Scriptures:
"Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." (Bhagavad Gita 7:20)
"He is One only without a second." (Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1)
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord." (Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9)
"There is no likeness of Him." (Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19)
"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." (Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20)
"There is no image of Him." (Yajurveda 32:3)
"He is bodyless and pure." (Yajurveda 40:8)
"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship created things (idols)." (Yajurveda 40:9)
"Sages (learned Priests) call one God by many names." (Rigveda 1:164:46)
"There is no image of Him." (Yajurveda 32:3)
"O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone." (Rigveda 8:1:1)
There are also many verses remaining.. But I would like to make this post short.
In Christian Bible:
Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.’” (Luke 18:18-19 – NIV)
Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." (Luke 4:5-8 – NIV)
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31 NIV)
“I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” (John 20:17)
In Jewish
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
So it is our duty to worship him alone and obey his commandments. Because he is your creator. You can believe or disbelieve him that is your choice and free will. Allah gave free will for human and jinn for testing us to know are we thankful or not. If we believe and obey him after getting enough knowledge about his revelations, we may get paradise, otherwise we will enter the hell.
The Purpose of Life: in Holy Quran
The Holy Quran teaches that the
purpose of life is not only believing in God but also obeying his commandments,
doing good deeds and avoiding what is he prohibited.
Belief and Good Deeds:
The Holy Quran teaches that the
purpose of life is to worship our Creator by believing in Him and by doing good
deeds:
“And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (alone).” (Quran 51:56)
“…Who has created life and death so that He may try you which of you are best in deeds…” (Quran 67:2)
Seeking
the pleasure of God is the aim of every sincere believer:
“And among the people there is he who sells himself for the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is kind to His worshippers.” (Quran 2:207)
Believing in God and doing good deeds benefits our souls. The Quran teaches that the truly successful people are those who purify their souls:
“By the soul, and the proportion and the order given to it; and its enlightenment as to its wrong or right; truly he succeeds who purifies it, and he fails who corrupts it.” (Quran 91:7-10
How to Please and Worship God
Muslims believe that God sent the
Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to teach us how to
please and worship the One Creator:
“...There has come to you from God a light and a luminous Book, through which God, by His grace, guides all who seek His good pleasure on the path of peace, and brings them out of the depths of darkness into light and guides them unto a Straight Path.” (Quran 5:15-16)
Allah (Glory be to Him) says that if you truly
love Him, then follow His Messenger:
“Say (O Muhammad), if you (really) love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”. (Quran 3:31)
Good Deeds
Good, righteous deeds include giving charity, freeing slaves, praying, keeping promises, and being patient during hardships: The below verse is very relevant verse for this topic.
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces east or west. But it is righteousness to believe in God, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity, to fulfill the contracts which ye have made (to people and Allah); and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.”(Quran 2:177)
Working for peace among people is a great deed
that is better than charity, fasting and prayer. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) said:
“Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.” (Recorded in Muslim & Bukhari)
Good deeds feel good, whereas bad deeds do
not. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated:
“Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike people finding out about.” (recorded in Muslim)
Warnings to Humanity
The Quran and Hadiths warn
humanity that they will be accountable for their actions in this life:
“Say, ‘It is God who gives you life, then makes you die; and in the end He shall gather you on the Day of Resurrection (the coming of) which is beyond all doubt, but most people do not understand. To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And on that Day when the Last Hour is come---on that Day all those who refused to believe (shall be) the real losers. And you shall see all people hobbling on their knees, for all people will be called upon to (face) their record: ‘Today you shall be recompensed for all that you ever did. This is Our record, it speaks about you in all truth; for We had been recording all that you were doing.’” (Quran 45:26-29)
“So he who does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and he who does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”(Quran 99:7-8)
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
“A man shall be asked concerning five (things) on the Day of Resurrection: concerning his life and how he spent it, concerning his youth and how he grew old, concerning his wealth: where he acquired it and in what way he spent it, and what was it that he did with the knowledge that he had.” (Tirmidhi)
Even our Difficulties Have a Purpose!
Our hardships in life have a
purpose too: they are a test of our faith, and they also purify our souls.
“Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe,” and they will not be tested?” (Holy Quran 29:2)
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
“Whoever Allah wants good for him, he puts them to test. He puts them through difficulties, like a diamond or some metal that has to be burnt and then that which is bad from it is removed so that you have that which is the pure diamond or the pure gold…”(Bukhari and Muslim)
In the end, we should remain patient and trust
in God’s promise:
“So patiently persevere: for verily the promise of Allah is true. Nor let those shake your firmness, who have (themselves) no certainty of faith.” (Holy Quran 30:60)
Trust in God’s Mercy:
In order to fulfill our purpose, we must trust
in the kindness, goodness and mercy of Allah (swt):
“But those who do evil deeds then repent and believe, they will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.” (The Holy Quran 7:153)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reported that
"the devil said to God: "I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies." And God replied: "(Then) I shall continue to pardon them as long as they ask My forgiveness."(Recorded in Tirmidhi)
The Next Life / Next World:
Belief in a life purpose for the
Muslim is closely tied to belief in the afterlife. Our worldly possessions will
not last, but our good deeds done for God’s sake will:
“Whatever you have will end, but whatever is with Allah is everlasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” (Quran 16:96)
“Know that the life of this world is play and a passing show, and adornment and boasting among you, and rivalry between you over piled up goods and children. It is like vegetation after a rain whose growth is pleasing to the farmers, but later it dries up and turns yellow and becomes straw stubble. And in the Final World there is a terrible chastisement and (also) forgiveness from God, and contentment. The present life is but the enjoyment of delusion.” (Holy Quran 57:20)
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.” (Holy Quran 3:185)
The next life is when we will see the fruits of our labours in this life:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that God the Exalted and Glorious has said:
“I have prepared for My pious servants which no eye has ever seen, and no ear has ever heard, and no human heart has ever perceived, but it is testified by the Book of God.” He then recited (the Quranic verse), "No soul knows what comfort has been concealed from it, as a reward for what it did." (Recorded in Muslim)
Why Allah chose Human being to test?
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who are wronging themselves” (Quran 10:44)
“He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned” (Quran 21:23)
“Indeed, we offered the Trust (task in the earth) to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.” Quran (33:72)
“And when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." (Quran 7 : 172)
“So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” (Quran 30:30)
“Every child is born in a state of fitrah (the natural state of man, Belief in god), then his parents make him into a Jew or a Christian or a Magian.”
“Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger” (Quran 17:15)
“And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid”(Quran 9:115)
Creation of Adam:
According to the Quran, well before the creation of Adam it had already been decided by Allah that mankind would be placed on the Earth.
“And, when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.’ They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ Allah said, ‘Indeed, I know that which you do not know.’[2:30]
Allah informed the angels that he would create Adam, the
first human being, who would assume the role as Allah’s vicegerent or deputy to
prosper the earth. This indicates that long before the events in which Adam and
Eve are tested, it was intended that Earth would be their destination.
The angels were curious about this choice. As perfect beings created to obediently fulfill their roles, their question to God was not meant to challenge, but to gain an understanding. God’s reply indicated that Adam would be given preference for a reason.
“…He created Him from dust; then He said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.” [3:59]
After being fashioned into shape, Adam’s soul, created by
God, was placed in him. The Quran does not detail how this occurs, and
therefore it is regarded as something not within the scope of human
comprehension.
Adam is honoured as the First Human
“And recall when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam"; all of them fell prostrate, except Iblis.1 He was of the jinn and so disobeyed the command of his Lord…” (Quran 18:50)
“And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam’; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated.” (Quran 7:11)
After creating the first human, God commanded the angels to
prostrate to Adam. Although prostrating is an act of worship reserved for God
alone, this prostration by the Angels was a sign of respect. You may think why have we been honoured? That is because we were chose a very big task to do. Furthermore, this
gesture of honouring the first human also served as a test for Iblees or satan,
who despite being present refused to participate. Satan was of the creation
called the jinn and was amongst the angels due to his deeds. As a being with
freewill who was raised in ranks, he deemed himself far greater than Adam. His
disobedience was rooted in pride and a sense of superiority. He could not accept
Adam as a creation worthy of respect. However, as God had previously mentioned
to the angels, there was wisdom in choosing to create Adam and therefore
choosing mankind for the role as earth’s deputies.
Gift of knowledge
“And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.’ They said, ‘Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.’ He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names.’ And when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.’” (Quran 2:31-33)
Unlike the angels, Adam was created with freewill and had
the ability to discern and make decisions. Furthermore, Adam was granted the
gift of knowledge. This knowledge included knowing the names, features, and
uses of all existing things whether animate or inanimate. This knowledge
prepared Adam for his coming role on earth. When Adam was instructed to present
his knowledge to the angels, it resembled that of a teacher to pupils, which
further indicated his superiority. The angels came to know that purity and
perfect obedience were not the sole qualities necessary to be vicegerents.
Adams’ suitability for the role of vicegerent was humbly acknowledged by the angels, but challenged by Satan, who was condemned and banished from heaven.
Adam and Eve’s Test in Paradise
The test in Paradise was not the main reason for our coming to earth, That is the cause made by Allah, because of our souls was already chose to be tested. In the Quran, the forbidden tree served as a test for Adam
and Eve. Furthermore, God warned Adam and Eve that the devil was an enemy and
that they should be on their guard.
“So We said, ‘O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from Paradise so you would suffer.’” (Quran 20:117)
Satan, eagerly targeting the weakness of mankind, tempted
Adam and Eve by whispering into their hearts. Claiming to be a sincere advisor,
he planted in their minds ideas that would make the forbidden tree appealing.
Thoughts of the tree preoccupied both Adam and Eve. Forgetting the warning,
they gave in and erred.
“But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, ‘Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal.’ And he swore [by Allah ] to them, ‘Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors.’ So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?’” (Quran 7:20-22)
By forgetting God’s command, Adam and Eve bore equal
responsibility for their error. This too was a test for Satan, who in fact,
furthered his disobedience by exploiting mankind through their desires.
The Virtue of Repentance and Supplication
Through this test, God prepared Adam for his role on earth,
as a caretaker and a Prophet. This experience taught Adam firsthand that Satan
was a deceptive enemy to mankind.
“Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him].” (Quran 20:122)
Adam and Eve are sent to Earth
In the Quran, God consoles Adam. Since the sin of Adam
stemmed from desire, and not from arrogance, his repentance was accepted.
“Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.” (Quran 2:37)
Despite being forgiven, Adam and Eve were no longer granted
the comforts of paradise and would be sent to Earth. It is important to note
that since Allah had mentioned Adam’s mission on Earth long before his test,
Adam and Eve’s appointment to earth is not viewed as punishment, instead, it
aligns with God’s Plan. The Quran describes the Earth to Adam and Eve as a
place in which to reside and enjoy for a period of time, until the day they die
and are resurrected (Quran 7:24-25).
“We said, ‘Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs – those will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.’” (Quran 2:38-39)
Furthermore, Adam is informed by God that he and his progeny
will be sent guidance during their time on Earth. In contrast, Satan, unlike
Adam, had not begged for forgiveness and had instead requested respite: a
chance to mislead and reveal the inadequacy of mankind. God facilitated this
request, but warned that Satan would be powerless over the believers.
Therefore, in the Quran, Adam, Eve, and Satan are all sent
down to Earth. On Earth, Adam (pbuh) assumes the role as the first Prophet and
the father of mankind.
Lessons from the Story of Adam and Eve
There are many valuable lessons to be extracted from the
experiences of the people in the Quran. From the story of Adam and Eve one
learns that pride and arrogance is the key to loss and destruction. Further
lessons include the value of acknowledging errors, the virtue of repenting, and
the power of supplication. The test in paradise was an essential lesson that
demonstrated freewill. To be able to live on earth, Adam and Eve learned about
the devil’s deception, the consequences of sin, and the Mercy of the Creator.
These are the things i can give you as an answer, If you want to know more. The only way is to read Allah's book, The Holy Quran. Below are the first revealed verses of the Quran to our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Read: In the Name of your Lord Who created,
Created man from a clinging substance.
Recite, and your Lord
is the most Generous –
Who taught by the pen
Taught man that which he knew not. (Quran 96 : 1-5)
References:
My understanding from The Holy Quran
Newgenislam / Sheima Sumer
Article / getquranic
