Islam is the response to humanity’s search for meaning. The purpose of human life is to put a stop to the cycle of repeated birth and death. There are four real problems in life, namely birth, old age, disease, and death. These problems of life can be solved by understanding the spiritual nature of the self. Allah created man to serve Him, meaning that men should believe in the One Lord and do well. This is the main objective of human life. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا
“Those – is lost their effort in the life (of) the world, while they think that they (were) acquiring good (in) work.” (Surah Al-Kahf 18:104)
Allah didn’t create anything without purpose everything is created due to some reason and has some purpose in life. While living, humans are going to be continuously tested through numerous trials and tribulations. They will all find their way into humans’ lives. Allah has guided people to the purpose of life that is worshipping Him and seeking His pleasure. The Holy Quran in this regard is one of the best ways of knowing how a person can fulfil this purpose of pleasing Allah. Allah says:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“And (do) not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those [they] (are) the defiantly disobedient.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:19)
For Muslims, the purpose of life lies in the Quran. It is the only guidance that will help them to lead a meaningful life. A faithful Muslim believes that the Quran carries a universal truth inside it. To live a life without fussing too much about the purpose of life itself would be simple. But knowing the truth can help humans to have a purpose in their days. They will at least have reliable guidance in this life. Without purpose, life will feel bland and meaningless.
Allah has mentioned very clearly to us, the purpose of our life in this world:
- The purpose of life establish peace and justice in society
- The purpose of life for all human beings have one God
- The purpose of life forbids hateful words and actions
- The purpose of life commands love, mercy, and peace
- The purpose of life is to have a variety of experiences
- The purpose of life is to think you will be accountable
- The purpose of life means to know where you stand
- The purpose of life is to make a positive difference
- The purpose of life is to create meaning
- The purpose of life is to love others
- The purpose of life is to be happy
- The purpose of life is to leave a legacy
- The purpose of life has infinite value for all
- The purpose of life has the sanctity of human life
- The purpose of life is to think you will return to God
- The purpose of life considers all life forms as sacred
- The purpose of life has the dignity of all human being
- The purpose of life has no division between human beings
- The purpose of life is misunderstood including some Muslims
- The purpose of life teaching shows that all innocent life is sacred
God describes this life as a test, and people are tested in different ways. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Patience during adversities and gratitude for blessings is a means of getting closer to God and attaining eternal Paradise.
Muslims must find their life purpose by turning to the Quran:
- Connect With Your Purpose: By recognizing your life has meaning, your relationship with the Creator strengthens, and peace and tranquillity increase in your life. You can move full-circle better able to handle what comes your way. Recognize and start living out your purpose to see how life-changing it can be.
- Islam And The Aim of Life: In fact, here lies the problem of some disbelievers or misbelievers at some stage of their life, when collecting money is the target of their life. When they have collected the money they dreamt of, their life loses its purpose. They suffer from the panic of nothingness and they live in tension and restlessness.
- Can Wealth Be an Aim?: Wealth cannot be a standing purpose in all the stages of an individual’s life. Wealth can do little to bring happiness to a disbeliever, who is not sure about his fate. A disbeliever does not know the purpose of life. And if he has a purpose, this purpose is doomed to be temporary or self-destructive.
- Worshipping Allah as an Aim: In Islam, the purpose of life is to worship Allah. The true Muslim sticks to this purpose throughout all the stages of his life, whether he is a child, adolescent, adult, or an old man. Worshipping Allah makes life purposeful and meaningful, especially within the framework of Islam.
- Life as an Examination: Muslims know they are going to spend some years in this life, during which they have to obey God because God will question them and hold them responsible for their public or private deeds because Allah knows about all the deeds of all people.
- The Eternity of the Life: The Muslim’s permanent purpose is to obey Allah, to submit to Allah, to carry out His orders, and to keep in continuous contact with Him through prayers (five times a day), through fasting (one month a year), through charity (as often as possible), and through pilgrimage (once in one’s life).
- The Need for a Permanent Purpose: Islam saves Muslims from the trouble of asking the question, because Islam makes it clear, from the very beginning, that the permanent purpose of the Muslim in this life is to obey Allah to go to Paradise.
- Success Require a Plan: You and your birth and your very existence are according to the plan of Allah. The majestic plan of Allah is perfect. Your plan and my plan may not be perfect but in creating a plan, in following the Sunnah of Allah, you could have the greatest life that you could ever imagine.
Purposes of Life According to Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- Life is a Test: The purpose of life according to Islam and the Qur’an is “He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed-and He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” (Al-Mulk 67:2)
- Life is Momentary: The life that is currently lived on this earth will not last forever. It is only a momentary thing. “O, my people! this life of the world is only a (passing) enjoyment, and surely the hereafter is the abode to settle.” (Al-Mu’Min 40:39)
- Life in Heaven Will be Better: That’s why it’s not good to only care about the materialistic things that exist in this life.“And the Hereafter is better for you than the first life.” (Ad-Duhaa 93:4)
- Focus on what is in your control & try best: Muslims are required to observe righteousness in their daily life, based on Quranic teachings. “And the Hereafter is better for you than the first life.” (Ad-Duhaa 93:4)
- A Muslim has a noble purpose: Islam is a complete and practical way of life that teaches Muslims to be balanced.
This life is very meaningful and purposeful to the Believing Muslim, as he realizes that it will determine the outcome and permanent position in the Next Life. The Muslim’s permanent purpose is to Surrender, Submit, Obey, in Purity and Peace to Allah, carrying out His orders and staying in some form of worship to Him as much as possible every day. This includes the orders of Allah in His Book, the Quran and His final Messenger and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ
“Satan plans to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:91)
The purpose of life is to live mindfully and passionately in the present moment, to love unabashedly, to be a lifelong learner, to seek adventure and growth, and to spread kindness and peace along the way. We should fulfil this purpose in our life. We must come to know our Creator, Sustainer, and Ultimate Judge.