Two Big Questions:
The first of the two big questions in life is, “Who made us?” “God” as the answer. As we are creation, God is the Creator.
Now, let us turn to the second “big question,” which is, “What is the purpose of Life?”
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, i.e., What my father said purpose of life is, what the minister of my church said the purpose of life is, what my teacher in school said, what my friend said, etc.
If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating or why do we eat, everyone will say [in one word or another] that it is for nutritional purposes, because nutrition sustains life. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, why they work 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 I ask you 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 creation of man and this tremendous universe? Think about those questions.
Well, why are we here? To a mass fame and fortune? To make music and babies? To be the richest man or woman in the graveyard for, as we are jokingly told, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”
No, there must be more to life than that, so let’s think about this. If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, there would be no purpose after becoming wealthy. How could wealth then be considered as the aim of life?
Could the acquisition of wealth guarantee happiness? Of course not. When we hear of millionaires or members of their families committing suicide, how could we consider the purpose of life would be to gain great wealth?
God has said in Quran:
“Does man think that he will be left neglected (without purpose)?” (Quran 75:36)
“Then did you think that We created you uselessly (without a purpose) and that to Us you would not be returned?” (Quran 23:115-116)
To know God
A good way to make God’s favors dearer to us is look at those who are lacking them. When we witness the difficulties suffered by those who are blind and the deaf, we come to know how blessed we are by having full use of our senses. We thank Him for creating us as humans, the best of creation, with intelligence and five portals to decide right and wrong.
“It is He who sends down rain from the sky: from it ye drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which ye feed your cattle. With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.” (Quran 16:10-11).
“It is He who brought you forth from the wombs of your mother when you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections, that you may give thanks to God.”(Quran 16:78)
“Have we not given him (mankind) two eyes, a tongue and a pair of lips, and shown Him the two highways of good and evil.” (Quran 90:8-10).
“Have you considered the water which you drink ?Do you send it down from the clouds, or are WE the Sender ?If WE so pleased, WE could make it bitter. Why, then, do you not give thanks ?” (Quran 56:68-70)
All of these favors encourage us to thank God and use the blessings that He has given us in obedience to Him and not in disobedience.
If I were to give each one of you one hundred dollars for no reason, you would at least say thank you. What about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your breath, 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 and recognition?
My brothers and sisters, in a nutshell, this is the goal and purpose of this life. God said to us in the Holy Quran:“And I (God) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” (Al Quran 51:56)this is what the Almighty said. Our purpose in this lifeis 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. It means worship is our purpose in life. Whatever we do in the course of that worship, [i.e., the eating, the sleeping, the dressing, the working, the enjoying,] between birth and death is consequential and subject to His orders. But the main reason for our creation is worship. I don’t think anyone who is analytical or scientific will have much of an argument with that purpose. They may have some other reason with themselves-but that is something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God.
The Work of the Prophet
God has chosen men in every nation to deliver the divine message. Such chosen men are called as prophets of God. More than 1,24000 prophet sent to this world since the beginning of the time…
Every prophet call people to
•Believe in One and Only God
•Believe in Him(i.e. Messenger)
•Believe in Last Judgment (i.e. Life After Death)
•Obey God’s law and do good works
Belief in God requires reflection on the creation, together with knowledge of God and worship of God, and results truthful acts and harmonious behaviors.
Man is placed on earth only for a very short time. There, he will be tested and then passed over to the Hereafter where he will stay forever. Death is the end of merely the life of this world-thus the end of the trial-and the beginning of the next life.
Belief in God requires reflection on the creation, together with knowledge of God and worship of God, and results truthful acts and harmonious behaviors.
Man is placed on earth only for a very short time. There, he will be tested and then passed over to the Hereafter where he will stay forever. Death is the end of merely the life of this world-thus the end of the trial-and the beginning of the next life.
Why we should Worship (or)Thank (or) Believe God?
“Allah” is a Arabic Word simply means “The One God.” In actuality, Muslims worship the One True God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus(may Almighty Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon them all).
Allah promises Paradise to those who believe in him and his messenger.
Belief and Righteous Deeds are two of the best routes to Jannah (Paradise). The door of righteous deeds is wide and the ways of obtaining rewards are vast, as Allah says,
“And those who believe and do good deeds they are the inhabitants of Paradise, in it they shall abide.”(Quran 2:82)
“Provided he is a believer(in the Oneness of God), anyone who desires (the rewards of) the afterlife and strives effectively for it, will discover that his efforts have found acceptance.”
Allah says of paradise that “I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine”. It is utterly amazing and most beautiful. Everything will be permanent. Life will be without any danger of death; there will be health without any risk of disease. There will be happiness without any fear of aging. Everywhere there will be happiness, ease, comfort, and enjoyment without any pain, worry, hardship or distress. The delights of Paradise better than the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter. As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise: “It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses”.
“Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all that they will ask for. (It will be said to them): “Salamun” (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful.” Quran[36:55-58]
Those who disbelieve in the words of Allah, say that this is all a fairy-tale, made up by a would-be prophet. But we know, that Allah is the Truthful and that His Messenger, Muhammad, spoke only what was revealed to from the Most Truthful. Allah describes Paradise for us in the Qur’an,
Now no person knows what delights of the eye are kept hidden (in reserve) for them – as a reward for their (good) deeds Quran [32:17]Allah makes clear to man what is evil and what is good. In addition, Allah has given man eyes, ears, a heart and the faculty of judgment, with which to distinguish good from evil. Because, through these qualities, man may easily come to recognize Allah’s existence and greatness, and have faith in Him, it is apparent that those who choose to disbelieve would not deserve to be treated the same as believers on the day of judgment.
For disbeliever, Hell is a place of the exact opposite, meaning that everything is in a defective, polluted, rotten and disgusting state When. Vile smells, vile filth, vile words, vile darkness, vile food and generally vile everything are characteristics of hell.
Minimum Requirements to enter Paradise and avoid Hell Fire:
Believe sincerely in your heart “There is only one god and Muhammad is the Last Messenger of God”.
“Surely, those who believe(in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the Sabians; anyone who (1) believes in GOD(Allah), and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve” [The Quran 2:62]
“Those who believe and lead a righteous life, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), they receive their recompense from their Lord; they will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve” [The Quran 2:277]
“As for those who believe and lead a righteous life – we never burden any soul beyond its means – these will be the dwellers of Paradise. They abide in it forever”[The Quran 7:42]
“Only those who repent, believe, and lead a righteous life will enter Paradise, without the least injustice”[The Quran 19:60]
The Last Word
We need to pay due attention to these facts, and reconsider our goals in life, and, if necessary, reorient our actions and the direction of our lives in the light of the following facts.
All else will pass or perish, but God will remain for all eternity. We will someday die, and will then be raised again, and called forth to Allah to give account of our deeds. Surrender yourself to the purpose of your creation, worship Him and turn towards Him.
|
