THE PURPOSE OF LIFE…

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE…

We all have an equal responsibility. That responsibility is to listen with an open heart and an open mind. In a world filled with prejudice and cultural conditioning, it is very hard to be able to find people to take a moment to think about life objectively and try to arrive at the truth about this world and the real purpose of our lives.

Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question: "What is the purpose of life?" (Such a fundamental and important question), they will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. Rather, in most cases, they will simply tell you what someone else said, or they will tell you what is "commonly presumed" by others.

If we ask anyone about the purpose of eating or why do we eat, everyone will say that it is for nutritional purposes, because nutrition sustains life. If we ask anyone why they work, they will say because it’s a necessity in order to support them and to provide for the needs of their families. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc, they will answer with appropriate answers, for these are common necessities for all human beings. We can follow this line of questioning with a hundred questions and receive the same or similar answers from anyone in any language from any place in the world.

Then why when we ask the question, "What is the goal and purpose of life?" that we get many different answers? It is because people are confused; they don't really know. They are stumbling in the dark, and rather than say, "I don't know"; they just offer any answer they have been programmed to give.

Think about it! Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence? What is the wisdom behind the amazing creation of man and this tremendous universe? Think about those questions.

God mentions to us in the Holy Quran

“Do they not think deeply about themselves? God has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with truth and for an appointed term.”(Quran 30:8)

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding-who remember God while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”(Quran 3:189-191)

In these verses, God draws our attention to the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the creation of the universe. He calls our attention to their creation and their precision, and mentions those who contemplate the wonders of creation and realize that this was not created for any foolish purpose, [that God is exalted above doing such a thing] and they seek refuge with God from the punishment of Hell. Truly, when you see the design of all that God created, you realize it is very powerful and very precise. Something very powerful and very precise; something beyond your own calculation and imagination, cannot be foolish.

When you see a bridge, a building or an automobile, you automatically consider the person or company that constructed it. When you see a large ship, an airplane, a rocket, a satellite; you also think about how incredible it is. [You know by itsdesignit has a maker.] When you see a super international airport, nuclear plant or an orbiting space station you have to be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved. Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. So what about the human body with its massive and intricate control systems? Think about it, who made that?

Think about the brain: how it thinks, functions, analyzes, retrieves and stores information, as well as distinguishes and categorizes information in a millionth of a second, all of this constantly. Think about the brain for a moment! This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ships, the boats, and so on. Think about the brain and who made that! How is it we say the airplane for example was created and yet the brain, something much more complex with many more purposeful functions came about by chance!! Think about it!

Think about the heart. Think about how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years [taking in and discharging blood throughout the body] maintaining steady precision throughout the life of the person.

Think about the kidneys and the liver and the various functions they perform. The purifying instruments of the body that perform hundreds of chemical analyses simultaneously and also control the level of  toxicity in the content of the body. All of these are done automatically without us having to regulate that.

Think about your eyes, the human cameras, that adjust, focus, interpret, evaluate, and discern color automatically, naturally receiving and adjusting to light and distance.

Then consider all these systems coming together in 1 body working together! Think about it, who created that? Who has mastered their design and function? Who plans and regulates their function? Did Human beings do this? Is it co-incidence? No, of course not.

“Verily in the heavens and the earth are signs for the believers. And in your creation, and what He scattered of moving creatures are signs with people of sure faith,”(Quran 45:3-4)

The theory of evolution claims that everything came about from nothing without a cause. But if we examine a computer, we know the parts did not come together with such intricacy even if we waited a billion years, nor even its basic parts! Yet we are made to think that something millions of times more complex could come together somehow with such design and purpose, without cause or architect, purely by chance!! Think about it………

What about this universe? The universe is governed by basic laws of physics such as gravity, electromagnetic forces, mass, energy etc. If these laws or the calculations they are based on were out by a fraction then it would lead to the destruction of the whole universe. Yet it is in perfect harmony and order.

“Indeed God grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away, and if they were to move away, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly He is Ever Most-Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.”35:41

“God is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars you can see. Then He rose above the Throne. He subjected the sun and the moon each running for a term appointed. He regulates the affair, explaining the signs in detail that you may believe with certainty in the meeting of your Lord.”(Quran 13:2)

Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, bacteria, and chemical elements that have not yet been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet each of them has a law that they follow. Did all of this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation, happen all by chance? Do these things function perfectly and perpetually also by chance? No of course not! That would be totally illogical and foolish.

We must admit that The Being, The Almighty Power, God, The Creator who has the knowledge to design and proportion created all of this and is responsible for maintaining it. If I were to give each one of you one hundred dollars for no reason, just for being here, you would at least say thank you. So what about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your children, and your life: Who gave you all of that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship, obedience, and recognition?

“Is then He who creates, as one who creates not?  Will you not then remember?”(Quran 35:41)

“And if you (O Muhammad) ask them: Who has created the heavens and the earth, they will surely reply ‘God’. Say: All praises and thanks be to God! But most of them know not.”(Quran 31:25)

That is the goal and purpose of this life. God said in the Holy Quran

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me”(Quran 51:56)

Our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator, to be grateful to Him, to worship Him, to surrender ourselves to Him and to obey the laws that He has determined for us. This all-encompassing worship is our purpose in life.