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The Islamic Bulletin
The Purpose Of Life
T
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P
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mental and important question, they will not tell you
what they have concluded through observation or
analytical reasoning. In most cases, they will certain-
ly tell you what someone else said... Or they will tell
you what is commonly presumed by others. What my
father said the 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.
If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating,
“Why do we eat?” Most people will answer, in one
word or another, “It’s for nutrition!” Because nutrition
sustains life… If I asked anyone why they work? They
will say, because it’s necessary in order to support
themselves and to provide the needs of their family. If
I asked anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why
they dress, etc., they will answer - “This is a common
necessity 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, in any place in the world, simple! “Why
is it, that when we ask the question, ‘What is the goal
and the purpose of life?’, that we get so many differ-
ent answers?” That’s because people are confused,
they don’t really know. They’re stumbling in the dark.
And rather than saying, “I don’t know,” they just offer
any answer that they’ve been programmed to answer.
Let’s think about this. Is our purpose in this
world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some
material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our pur-
pose? Why are we born? What is the object of our
existence, and what is the wisdom behind creation of
man and this tremendous universe? Think about that
question!
Some people argue that there is no proof of
any divine origin, there is no proof that there’s a God,
there’s no proof that this universe has come about
through any divine purpose. There are people who
believe this way - and they say that perhaps this world
came about by chance. A big bang, and this whole
great world with all of its orchestration just came
together. And they argue that life doesn’t have any
definite purpose and that there’s nothing that can be
proven through either logic or science that there is
a God, or purpose, or any divine reason behind this
world.
Here I would like to mention a few verses from
the Quran that address this subject.
“Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there
are indeed signs for men of understanding, who
remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down
on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the
heavens and the earth, (and conclude), “Our Lord!
You have not created all this without purpose, glory
to You! Grant us salvation from the torment of the
Fire.”
[Quran 3: 190-191]
I’m very honored to have this opportunity
to address you here. And I want to say that this is
not a lecture…I don’t think that I’m prepared to
lecture. But it’s sort of…advice to myself. Because I
see myself sitting in these chairs in front of me. Just
a few days ago, few years ago, just a little while ago
- I was sitting right there where you are, whatever
nationality - it doesn’t matter. A human being that
was not aware of Islam. And at that particular time,
I was someone who did not really understand… the
purpose of life!
So with that note, I would request you to
think of what I’m saying to you just as information
and as advice - not a lecture. The information which
I wish to share with you, it may seem a bit extensive.
When you consider the capacity of the human brain
and the amount of information it can store and that
it can decipher - then with the few pages of informa-
tion today, I’m sure it will not overburden you.
It is my responsibility to address the topics
of our discussion today - what is the purpose of our
life? And also ask the question - “What do you know
about Islam?” I mean - what do you really know
about Islam? Not what you’ve heard about Islam;
Not what you’ve seen as actions of some Muslims,
but - what do you know about Islam?
I’m honored to have this opportunity, and
I would like to begin by saying that all of you have
an equal responsibility… And that responsibility is
to read or listen - with an open heart and an open
mind.
In a world filled with prejudice and cultural
conditioning it is very hard to find people that are
able to take a moment to think. To think about life
objectively, to try to arrive at the truth about this
world and the real purpose of our lives. Unfortunate-
ly, when you ask most people the question - “What
is the purpose of our life?” which is such a funda-