Your Purpose in Life - 1
The Purpose of Life
There are some times when we are deep into the exhaustive demands of daily life that we need to pause for reconsideration. How well, to our plans, are we achieving our preset goals? Have we deviated from our original targets and set for ourselves more demanding challenges? When (or if) we accomplish our present desires, what next? Is life supposed to be a journey of ceaseless effort? Is our physical endurance a match for our boundless ambitions and, if not, are we heading towards demoralization or self-destruction?
To help us in the quest for the purpose of life, we must take a few moments for contemplation. We need to temporarily isolate ourselves from the enslaving routines of daily life that deprive us of the opportunity to seek the truth. A few moments of reconsideration may save us many years of aimless effort.
Let us start from basics. All humans are different to one another in terms of their achievements e.g. age, education, occupation, wealth, marriage, children, etc. However, it is noteworthy that not one of these achievements is common to every person. Some people remain illiterate while others, due to illness or other reasons, are unable to take up jobs. There are many that never marry and yet, from the married, not all bear children. Some die when young while others reach dignified old age.
If we look at the common events of all beings, we will come closer to appreciating the universal trend of man. Still looking at basics, can we point to a single event (or achievement) that greets every human being after birth, and which is common to all? The only thing that comes to mind is the inevitable end of all people. Therefore, when birth is the common start of man on entry into this world, death is one’s common end on exit from it.
We are developed from the humble origin of a sperm. The embryo, nourished in the womb, undergoes many delicate and complex stages. The gentlest imbalance in the development process of the fetus can result in its extinction. Yet, the intricate mechanism of the mother is designed with extreme precision and for purposeful protection. Why then must man, who is developed with outstanding deliberation, be destroyed with apparently much less effort? After all the elaborate work undergone in sustaining life in its preliminary stages, it seems strange that this life is destined to end at a later point in time.
In the short course of life, we take advantage of our surroundings. Everything in existence appears to be designed for our protection and benefit. The ozone layer prevents harmful rays from damaging life on Earth. We exploit the riches of the land (for oil, metals and crop) and sea (fishing and minerals) to satisfy our needs. Benefit is also obtained from the universe beyond Earth, such that the moon’s gravity keeps our planet stable and the sun is essential for our very existence.
Significant progress is continually being made in scientific and technological fields. Medical cures are now possible for previously fatal health conditions. Why then must our achievements be interrupted, and life terminated without choice or warning?
It becomes clear after some thought that death is as meaningless as life itself - unless each serves a genuine purpose. The intellect of man calls for careful reasoning. Birth and death are two tremendous events in a person’s lifetime. When standing alone, neither serves any purpose. Common sense does not accept that birth is simply meant to be the start to death; nor is death the supposed end to birth. However, the purpose can only fit between birth and death. This is life itself! Therefore, to understand the reason behind our existence, we need to appreciate the purpose of our limited lifespan on Earth.
To have a purpose in life, man must be availed clear instructions that he must heed for personal success. It is only sensible to deduce that such instructions cannot be devised by man to be followed by himself. Just as man-made products are accompanied with detailed instructions for their correct operation, man’s existence also requires precise instructions for one’s efficient functionality. These instructions must be supplied by the Maker of man who is also responsible for the perfect functioning of the Earth, its inhabitants, and the rest of the universe.
It is true to say that the authority most qualified to provide instructions regarding a product is its manufacturer. Once the instructions are made available, any malfunction due to improper use of that product cannot be blamed upon its maker. As it is the responsibility of the Creator to provide us with instructions for our intended function, we have an obligation towards ourselves in identifying these instructions and practicing them. These instructions manifest our purpose in life.
Submission to the Creator
Everything that is in existence, from the smallest part of an atom to the largest body in the universe, follows a precise code of law. We only need to consider the Earth with its relation to the Sun and other heavenly bodies to marvel at the perfection of this law. This is a detailed and complex system, which maintains the harmony of the various planets, each positioned in its own orbit and retaining its individual characteristics.
Coming down to Earth, we need to give some thought to all that surrounds us. Plants, insects, animals, birds and the creatures in the sea are but few examples of life that we pass by without giving ample consideration. Photosynthesis in plants and the breathing mechanism of creatures on land and in the sea emphasize upon the elaborate design attributed to everything in existence.
When carefully studying the pattern of all that surrounds us on Earth and that which stretches beyond the boundaries of our planet, there is one obvious fact that is common to all: the total submission of every individual body to the laws that govern it. This submission to the laws of its Creator is called Islam!
Islam therefore means ‘submission to the will of God.’ It is thus the practice of all things in existence. Whether humans or animals, birds or insects, our planet or the rest of the universe - all submit to the will of the Creator.
Concept of Islam
God’s Message of Islam remains consistent with all His creations. Prophets were righteous people chosen to deliver this Message to all nations of the world. Thus, the messengers of God were given a common task. All prophets, from Adam to Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all), spread the teachings of Islam: submission to the will of God.
When we appreciate the Message of Islam in its true light, the concept of ‘Christianity’ and ‘Muhammadanism’ becomes clearly misleading. This concept is strongly refuted in Islam. The Message of God cannot be referred to an individual person but must only be associated with God Himself. Neither Christ nor Muhammad (peace be upon them) was the founder of new disciplines. Their teachings were not self-inspired and therefore must not be attributed to them personally.
Prophet Abraham was blessed with two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Some of the descendants of Isaac were great prophets such as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). From Abraham’s son, Ishmael, Muhammad (peace be upon him) descended as the last prophet of God. Abraham, his descendants and all the preceding prophets were appointed to teach a common Message that is ordained by a common God: The Message of Islam - submission to the will of God.
Humans in Islam
Unlike the rest of creation, man has been granted with the option of submitting to God’s will. He can either obey the laws of his Creator or he may choose to disobey.
Other creations are deprived of this choice. The Earth, for instance, cannot simply decide to change its course of motion around the Sun and turn in the opposite direction. Neither can the Moon opt to abandon its orbit around the Earth and encircle another planet instead. Apart from man, the entire universe submits itself unquestionably to the preset laws that govern it.
Man has been given a significant role in life. He is enjoined to follow the laws prescribed to him by his Creator and to help others to see the light of this natural submission. However, even though presented with this unique role, he may exercise his free will to disregard his responsibilities.
When a man decides to turn away from his role in life, he does so without causing similar disobedience on the role of other creations. His body, for instance, continues to function in accordance to the laws set for it by the Creator. The heart continues to pump blood and supply oxygen to all parts of the body. The eyes and ears continue to receive images and signals that are subsequently translated by the brain into meaningful data for the human’s benefit. The man, even when choosing to disobey the laws of God, can still enjoy the virtues of sight and hearing because his physical body continues to submit itself to the will of its Creator.