Every Life in this world has its purpose. The creation of life from human beings, animals and non-living things were all created with a purpose in this world. Our father Adam Alayhi Salaam and his wife our mother Hawa Alayhi was’salaam were made to live in Paradise but due to the disobedience of Prophet Adam and his wife to the commandment of Allaah, they were made to descend from paradise to the earth. When they were sent to the earth, they procreated and as humans began to increase we needed guidance on why we are on this earth ( ie. To worship Allaah) and how we are supposed to worship Him. Therefore, Allah sent us Messengers and has ordained commandments through His messengers and His prophets with His words. The words of Allah contain warnings to people, ways to the right path, obedience to Allah and his messengers and glad tidings for those who believe and do righteous deeds.
What are the purposes of life?
To seek pleasure of Allah
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
God will raise up, by many degrees, those of you who believed and those who have been given knowledge: He is fully aware of what you do. [Qur’an, 58:11].
Allah the Glorious Promises that He will raise the status of those who are given knowledge. It is evident that the level of the knowledgeable is vastly higher than those who are ignorant.
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ
“And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth – all from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought”. [Qur’an, 45:13]
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ
“Only those fear Allāh, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Forgiving”.
[Qur’an, 35:28]
To seek knowledge
As Allah commanded us to follow the messenger and obey the instructions from His book of guidance( Al Qur’anul Kareem). The messenger of Allah commanded us to seek knowledge as every Muslim’s obligation to know Allah ( our Lord) and how to worship Him, which can be achieved through knowledge.
“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim (and Muslimah)” [Prophet Muhammad ]
The hadith on seeking knowledge above is one of the most common hadiths we often come across at least once in our lifetime. This hadith encapsulates the meaning of our responsibilities as Muslims: to seek knowledge as much as possible.
“Whoever takes a path in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to walk in one of the paths to Paradise. Indeed, the angels will lower their wings in great pleasure with the one who seeks knowledge.” [Prophet Muhammad ﷺ]
“If Allah intends goodness for a person, He gives him the understanding of the religion.” [Prophet Muhammad ﷺ]
To worship
Knowing the purpose of life is to worship Allah. Allah said in the glorious Quran “I did not create jinn and humans except to worship me”. [Qur’an, 51:56]
In hadith 2 of An Nawawiy collection, Angel Jibril asked the prophet to tell him about ihsaan (the good deed) and the prophet answered that It is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and if you are not able to do that then know that He sees you. We should not associate any partners with Allah and we should not evoke anyone other than Allah. We should give dawah to people and show them the right path. It is stated in the Quran that people who do not heed the call are those :
إن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا۟ مَا ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ
“If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] Acquainted [with all matters].” [Qur’an, 35:14]
The earth and whatever is on it ( humans, jinns, animals, etc.) is created with a purpose which is to worship Allah and we cannot worship Allah properly if we do not seek knowledge, hence it will help us to be conscious of worshipping Allaah and doing good deeds for ourselves and for others to seek the pleasure reward from Allah.
WRITER: BROTHER ADUNOLA ABDUSSOBUR
