Purpose of life in Islam:
Islam gives a clear answer: our purpose is to worship Allah SWT, try our best to be good in our actions and character and prepare for the hereafter. Allah SWT says in the Quran Kareem: " This verse reminds us that life has meaning and our actions have everlasting results.
Those who try to perform these actions are called " MU- slims". To a Muslim the whok purpose of life is "ibadah" or worship to the one true Allah SWT on his terms and under his conditions. The term " worship " to a Muslim includes any and all acts of obedience to Allah SWT.
How to know your purpose in life in Islam:
The purpose of life is to worship Allah SWT. This is more than just practicing the 5 pillars, it also means to constantly strive to do what pleases him and fight against our desires to do what does not please him.
What does Allah SWT want us to do in life:
As for the practical things that Allah SWT created us to do, amongst them are: worshipping, learning about Allah SWT and knowing him, using our will to choose that which is good; everything good that a human is capable of doing. Allah SWT created them with that ability. To seek forgiveness when we mess up.
However, true purpose is about recognizing your own gifts and using them to contribute to the world_ whether those gifts are playing beautiful music for others to enjoy, helping friends solve problems, or simply bringing more joy into the lives of those around you.
The five pillars - the declaration of faith (shahada) , prayer(Salah), alms- giving ( Zakat) , fasting (sawm) and pilgrimage ( Hajj) constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice. They are accepted by Muslims globally irrespective of ethnic, regional or sectarian differences.
Causes a lack of purpose in life:
The end of a chapter in life, or a match of depression or anxiety can trigger one to feel a lack of purpose. The key to finding purpose is clearly away the obstacles that interfere with taking action.
Here are natural ways to express “causes a lack of purpose in life”, depending on tone and context:
Formal / academic
- Leads to existential emptiness
- Results in a loss of meaning
- Causes existential confusion
- Degrades a sense of purpose
- Produces a sense of meaninglessness
Neutral / everyday
- Makes life feel pointless
- Takes away a sense of direction
- Leads to feeling lost
- Drains meaning from life
- Causes a loss of motivation
Emotional / expressive
- Leaves someone feeling empty
- Creates an inner emptiness
- Makes life feel vacant
- Triggers an existential crisis
Surah talks about the purpose of life:
As Surah Adh- Dhariyat reminds us, we were created for worship. Meaning every part of our day can become worship with the right intention.
Several verses in the Qur’an touch on the purpose of life, but the theme is most explicitly addressed in Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:56):
"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."
This verse clearly states that the ultimate purpose of human life is worshiping and serving Allah, which encompasses living a life of meaning, obedience, and moral responsibility.
Other relevant mentions about the purpose of life include:
Surah Al-Mulk (67:2): Life is a test to see who does good deeds.
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:155-157): Life involves trials to strengthen faith and character.
Surah Al-Ankabut (29:64): The worldly life is temporary; the real purpose lies in preparing for the Hereafter.
How do the pillars relate to daily life:
The concept of the pillars of life provides a framework for building a meaningful and successful life journey with ( potentially) fewer problems and more achievements. The pillars of life are the foundational areas or aspects of one's life, each of which plays critical role in personal development.
How do you find the purpose of life in Islam:
The true purpose of life can only be fulfilled when humans actively utilize these practices of worship and other virtuous acts as aids to find God and devote their heart to pleasing him. One's life can only be fulfilled when man reaches his spiritual peak and is in divine communion with God.
Stages of life in Islam:
- Creation of mankind.
- Stage 1: life in Lau Ho Mahfuz.
- Stage 2: life in the mother's womb.
- Stage 3: life in this World.
- Stage 4: death.
- Stage 5: Resurrection on the judgement day.
- Stage 6: The end stage for disobedient soul is yo enter hell fire.
Quran say about purpose:
Allah SWT says in the Quran Kareem: " I have not created the Jinn, the spirits, nor the human beings for any other purpose except to worship me".
Values of life:
- Compassion and generosity. We are considerate of all creatures.
- Respect for self and others. We believe that we have been wonderfully made by our creator.
- Optimism and gratitude. We radiate deep gratitude, and we think powerful thoughts.
- Integrity.
- Honoring diversity.
- Accountability
- Persistence
Purpose of life according to Islam; Quranic verses:
Muslims believe that Allah SWT is the only Creator of this world and all other things which are present in this world. We believe that there is only one creator who created us and we acknowledged him. We all know that he created us and we acknowledged him, we all know that he created us to serve him. There is a reason behind the creation of this world and humankind. In the Quran Kareem, Allah SWT mentioned the reason of creation of this world that is:
" And to Allah SWT belongs the domination of the heavens and the earth, and Allah Subhan o Ta'ala is over all things competent. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are sings for those of understanding. Who remember Allah SWT while standing or sitting or lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, " Our Lord, you did not create this aimlessly; exalted are you ; then protect us from the punishment of the fire".
So from, above verse of Quran Kareem, we came to know that Allah SWT has created this world and humankind for his worship and we should always remember Allah SWT because he is the one who created day and night heavens and earth and all other things that we see in this world. He did not create anything without purpose everything is created due to some reason and have some purpose in life. We as a Muslim have a clear perception in our mind that the creation of this world and humankind is to praise and worship of our creator. Islam addresses the reason of what and why of human existence. The point of view that Islam gives refers to human existence is quite different from other religions wherein some there is no purpose for human existence, or if there is any, it is beyond human intelligence.
Allah SWT crested man to serve him, meaning that men should believe in the One lord and do well. This is the main objective of human life. Allah SWT says:
" I have not created men except that they should serve me".
This life is a preparation for the hereafter the eternal home that will not be going to an end to which all human beings ultimately go. So, Muslims are required to observe righteousness in their daily life, based on Quranic teachings, like eating halal food, wearing modest clothing, performing prsyers, giving alms etc, because of the fact that they live for Allah SWT alone. And to those who aim to attain nearness to him, Allah SWT sees to it. The reason of knowing and understanding of the creation of this world and human existence by Muslims is due to the fact that Allah SWT has given us the book Quran Kareem which contains all the guidance related to the life of this world and the hereafter too. If we want to know about the existence of this world and humankind then we have to understand it through Holy Quran Kareem because all the answers are present in Quran Kareem:
Purpose of life according to Quranic verses:
In the Quran Kareem Allah SWT says:
" When your Lord extracted from the loins of Hazrat Adam's children their descendants and made them testify: ' Am I not your Lord?' They said: " Yes, we testify to it.' ( this was) in case you say it was our ancestors who worshipped others besides Allah SWT and we are only their descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those falsifiers did?"
From the above ayah it is clear that when Allah SWT made the souls of all the humans, the first thing he did was to take an oath from the whole human race in which they testified to his Lordship. This oath shows the fact that all the humans were made aware of the fact that Allah SWT is their lord and they need to remember it. What this ayah and the acts of people in during the oath and when they come to This earth gives the prime purpose of human presence in Islam i.e knowing the Lord or identifying him is the primary objective of human existence. Allah SWT says in Quran Kareem:
" Did you think that we had created you in play and that you and that you would not be brought back to us?".
From above verse, we were indeed created for a purpose beyond that of simple play and enjoyment in this life. We have the purpose of life that we should know and have hi live life that w should know and have to live life according to that purpose. In another verse of Quran Kareem Allah SWT says that:
" Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children -like the example of a rain whose plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah SWT and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusions ".
In above verse, Allah SWT states that the reality of this life is one of deceit and we should not fall for its temporary enjoyments. In the Quran Kareem Allah SWT says,
" I have created the jinn and humankind only for my worship ".
From the ayah, it is clear that the creation of humans, as well as jinns, is for the purpose of worshipping Allah SWT. When a Muslim worship Allah SWT, she accept his lordship which is the same as they did on the oath that was taken before their birth. Thus, the more a Muslim worships Allah SWT the closer to him he or she gets and the meaning of existence starts emerging. In another verse of Holy Quran Kareem, Allah SWT says:
" Shatan's plan is to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah SWT and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?".
In another verse, Allah SWT informed us and clear that when humans will satisfy in hatred of each then they will definitely select hating others as a purpose of their life which will turn them from the true purpose and that is the remembrance of Allah SWT. Therefore,in order to fulfill the purpose of knowing the Lord, a Muslim needs to refrain from evil in the same extent to which he or she is inclined towards doing well. Allah has guided people to the purpose of life that is worshipping him and seeking his pleasure. The Holy Quran Kareem in this regard is one of the best ways of knowing the ways in which a person can fulfill this purpose of pleasing Allah SWT and give meaning to his or her life. The main reason for our creation is worship. We should fulfill this purpose of our life by following Allah's SWT commands given in Quran Kareem.
The Arabic word " ibadah" is translated as "worship" which kinda loses a richer meaning. The word " ibadah" has a root word "and" which means slave. Thus "ibadah" entails an act of submission, or servitude or obedience to the commands of the Master. So a more meaningful translation would be.
" And I did not create the Jinns nor Human beings with any other purpose except for them to submit themselves to whatever tasks I commanded or them to do , "or" except to obey my commands" or" except to be in my service.
And what is it that Allah SWT commanded us to do? Well we should:
- Do good deeds.
- Be good to parents, wife, husband.
- Eat healthy food, stay away from Haram food.
- Don't say bad things .
- Praise God do prayers.
- Pursuit knowledge, dk hard work, obtain Halal wealth.
- Help your neighbors, orphans needy etc.
These are all acts of worship, when we should to his commands, we are doing ibadah.
In the contemporary society, people are driven by various goals and objectives. All of us pursue wealth as one of our main objectives in life. Wealth allows us to obtain the comforts and luxuries we need- and sometimes simply want. Through wealth, we can obtain what we think is important for our well- being and also what society excepts us to have as a measure of being prosperous, for example owing a house or a car. Wealth also gives us respect in the society and generally, wealthy people are considered as being important. It is also useful during an illness ana injury so we can obtain the beat possible health care. Wealth gives us a sense of power and control over the physical world and gives us self confidence.
Purpose of life:
Praise to be Allah SWT we as Muslims have a clear purpose in our lives to go earn the pleasure of our creator.
I read a lot of information about happiness for my work but as Muslims, our true goal is not happiness. Our true goal is to grow nearer to Allah SWT.
Many psychology articles about happiness give great ideas and techniques to follow, but few actually talk about Allah SWT, I am so thankful to be a Muslim and to have a goal much greater than being " happy".
In my book, I say that the real source of our happiness is having a positive relationship with Allah SWT. My book goes on to say that we can learn other skills and techniques in order to cope with this challenging world, which support our journey to Allah SWT. Feeling positive feelings helps us to be better Muslims. Positive feelings such as inner peace, joy, gratitude and hope all help you do more good deeds for the sake of our creator.
Feeling happy is a great thing, but as Muslims we must never forget our real purpose in life.
1.Did you then think that we created you in arrogant, and that you would not be returned to us?
The Quran Kareem
2. And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship me ( alone).
The Holy Quran Kareem
The purpose of our life is the worship our creator in the many ways there are to worship him.
3. Who has created life and death so that he may try you which of you are best in deeds.
The Quran Kareem
Who will do the best works for the sake of him?
4. And we have not created the heaven and earth and what is between them.in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve. And woe to such disbelievers because of the fire.
The Quran Kareem
The believers will not fave the afterlife as the corrupters. The pious will not be treated the same as sinners.
5. And among the people there us he who sells himself for the pleasure of Allah SWT, and Allah Subhan o Ta'ala is kind to his worshippers.
The Quran Kareem
The pleasure of Allah SWT should be our goal.
6. There has come to you from Allah SWT a light and a glowing book, though Allah SWT by his grace guides all who seek his good pleasure on the path of peace, and brings them out of the depths of darkness into light and guides them unto a straight path.
The Quran Kareem
Allah SWT has guided people to the purpose of life- worshipping him and seeking his pleasure - by sending his Messengers, books and other means. But we have to want to please Allah SWT to receive this guidance.
Among the many creations of Allah SWT, the creation of humans holds a very unique position. In a world where both good and evil exits, humans are directed to establish a morally honored designation and improve their life with worldly and spiritual pleasures. Allah SWT says in the Quran Kareem, " And I have created Jin and men so that they should worship me".
It is to act upon the commandments of Allah SWT and to follow him seeking his pleasure. Detailing on this, Hazrat Hakeem Maulawi Nur- ud-din gives the example of commandments related to fasting and praying. If these acts themselves were part of worship, doing more of them would be beneficial and a source of reward. However, we are prohibited to pray at certain times of the day, and also forbidden to keep a fast on certain days like Eid ul Fitr and Eid UL Adha. Giving the example of the relationship between a man and a woman, Huzoor says that the acts of walking together expressing love, private conversations and intercourse when done with one's partner are a mean to gain reward from Allah SWT. But when a man does the same things with a woman who he has not married, it becomes something deserving of punishment, the acts are the same, but in one case they are rewarded and in the other case they are punished. This means themselves are not worship. Worship is essentially obedience to Allah SWT.
Life goods great value in Islamic philosophy. As creatures of Allah SWT, human beings enter a world where the potential to advance in both spiritual and worldly terms is endless. Humans do not have the authority to appoint the true purpose of their life, as they did not enter this world with their own will nor will they depart with their own will. Simply put the purpose of life fir God's creation is to find God and lose oneself in him. This can be accomplished by two means. Firstly, humans must strive to attain absolute moderation in their worldly pursuits and work tirelessly for the service of humanity. And secondly, humans are to use the external and internal limbs bestowed on them to establish an everlasting and sacred attachment to Almighty Allah.
That then is the ultimate goal and the true fulfillment of the purpose of existence. All acts of righteousness, or articles of faith, hold importance but they are only means to an end. The end is to connect with Allah SWT. The practice of the ritualistic prayer should never be just that a ritual. That us not what defines the purpose of life. The true purpose of life can only be fulfilled when humans actively utilize these practices of worship and other virtuous acts as aids to find Allah SWT and dedicate their heart to pleasing him.
One's life can only be fulfilled when man reaches his Spiritual peak and is in divine communion with Allah SWT. This is very goal forms the foundation of Islam. Believers are encouraged to present themselves before Allah SWT in the utmost humility and desperately seek his mercy in order to create an deep bond with their master. Thus relationship, between man and his creator, is one that cannot be mirrored by any other relationship in this world.
Some individual take Allah's SWT love for granted. For example, they may offer the obligatory prayers to Allah SWT yet they do the uncovered minimum in terms of helping humanity to attain his pleasure and do not try to heighten their spirituality when times are good. However at the first sight of trouble, the intensity and passion in their prayers increases exponentially and they change their actions to win Allah's SWT pleasure for the time being. It is simply foolish to turn to Allah SWT only during times of hardship.
Conclusion:
The purpose of life is to worship and obey Allah, not only through rituals, but through every aspect of daily living. Human beings are created to recognize Allah’s oneness, live according to His guidance, and act as stewards (khalifah) on earth by upholding justice, compassion, and moral responsibility. Life is a test, where faith is demonstrated through intentions, actions, and character, with the ultimate goal of attaining Allah’s pleasure and success in the Hereafter. Through worship, ethical conduct, and service to others, Islam provides a clear, balanced framework for a meaningful and purposeful life.
