The Purpose And The Return

ALLAH created man and man belongs to Him. He ordained that one day man shall die and return to Him. This world is a transitional period. Allah wanted man to shape his life according to what He had decreed. This is the meaning of worship. Worship requires absolute obedience, humility and love for Allah, Who promised an Eternal life in Paradise for those who obey and worship Him alone, and an Eternal abode in Hell for those who reject Him and His orders:

“So those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah) and did righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Delight (al-Jannah, Paradise).” (Qur’an 22: 56) “But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) such are the dwellers of the Fire, they shall abide therein forever.”( Qur’an 2: 39)

Man’s life at home, as a farmer, a cardealer, an electrician, a computer consultant, a president, a company’s C.E., a spouse, etc., has to abide by a way of life according to the guidelines Revealed by Allah. He is the one who defined what is good and what is bad. He stated that: “Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (in the Oneness & Uniqueness of Allah), verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e., AlJannah).” (Qur’an 16: 97)

The Revelation contains all the details about what is good and bad. It is not left for the limited nature of man to define what is good and what is bad: “And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of every thing and a guidance, Mercy, and glad tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah as Muslims).” (Qur’an 16: 89)

“The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. Pure Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.” (Qur’an 12: 40)

Allah made it clear that: “Whosoever does righteous good deed it is for (the benefit of) his own self, and whosoever does evil, it is against his own self, and Your Rabb (Lord) is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.” (Qur’an 41: 46)

The Greatest good is achieved when the believer fulfils the role prescribed for him by his Creator, Allah:

“And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and men except they should worship Me (Alone).” (Qur’an 51:56)

The Message of Islam fits the Fitrah in man. Allah created man in the best form. He gave this Fitrah the ability to believe in the Unseen. The animal lives within the framework of his senses while man can relate to a broader scheme amongst which is the ability to believe in the Unseen. Thus man’s soul and its horizon are broader and more open than that of animals. Man knows that the electric current is composed of small particles known as electrons. While we are unable to see these particles, their effects could be seen on an instrument known as the oscilloscope in the form of electron waves.

In Nature and in ourselves we can see the Signs of Allah everywhere and we must relate, therefore, to the Creator in the perfect way He has chosen. This is His right upon us: to worship Him Alone. The Prophet Muhammad asked his companion Mu‘adh ibn Jabal:

“O Mu’adh! Do you know what is due to Allah from His lbaad (the created beings) and what is due them? I responded: “Allah and His messenger know best.” He continued: “What is due to Allah from His Ibaad is to worship Him alone and never associate any other being with Him. What is due to them is not to punish any person who does not associate anyone (or anything) with Him.” Man, through the faculties that Allah has bestowed upon him, can relate to the unseen atom with its unseen electronic “shells” that build up its characteristics. Man can also relate through his Fitrah to his Creator. The Fitrah recognizes the Attributes of the true God and His Signs in the creation although it is unable to see Allah in this life. One can then easily understand that the greatest reward Allah had given to the believers is the actual seeing of Himself on the Day of Judgement. Knowing Allah in His Names and His Attributes drives man to fulfil the purpose for his presence on earth as stated in the above verse and in Allah’s saying:

“The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. Pure Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.” (Qur’an 12: 40) Allah’s Attributes and His Signs in His Creation testify for His Oneness and that He is the Only True God who deserves to be worshipped. The rejecting man underestimates His Lord. He may reject any worship to Allah or turn to worship other than Allah. Amongst the rejectionists, there are those who think that this Universe has founded itself or it came to exist by co-incidence. This necessitates that man “has no goal to fulfil,” because he came into being without a defined goal! Consequently, a moral or a value system becomes meaningless. Accordingly, man is just a responding “tool” for “mother nature” which, according to Darwin himself, “acts haphazardly”! This way of thinking is aimlessness, and it occurs when man does not recognize his relation with the One who has created life and death, the Universe and everything around man, all in due proportion: “Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.” (Qur’an 65: 3)

Those who reject man’s need to His Creator, Allah, are the aimless ones. Allah refers to them in the Qur’an: “They have hearts (minds) wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the Truth). They, are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.”

(Qur’an 7: 179)