The Quranic Perspective on the Purpose of Life and the Meaning of Worship
The purpose of life is a very important and profound topic. There are many verses in the Quran that address this issue. For example, Allah says in Surah Adh-Dhariyat, verse 56:
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُونِ
And I created the jinns and men, only for them to worship Me.
How do you define worship? Is it just performing rituals and following rules? Or is it something more than that?
Worship is a comprehensive term that includes everything that Allah loves and approves of, both in words and deeds, inwardly and outwardly. Worship is not limited to rituals and rules, but it also encompasses beliefs, morals, ethics, manners, attitudes, intentions, actions, and reactions. Worship is the essence of being a Muslim, as Allah says in Surah Al-An’am, verse 162:
قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِی وَنُسُكِی وَمَحۡیَایَ وَمَمَاتِی لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ
Say, “Undoubtedly my prayers and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for Allah, the Lord Of The Creation.”
How can one worship Allah in everything they do? How can one live and die for Allah? What about the worldly pleasures and desires that tempt us and distract us from our true purpose?
Allah has created us with free will and has given us the ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, obedience and disobedience. He has also given us guidance through His revelation and His messengers, so that we can know what pleases Him and what displeases Him. He has also promised us rewards for our obedience and punishments for our disobedience, both in this life and the hereafter. He has also made this life a test and a trial for us, to see who will be faithful and who will be ungrateful. He has also made this life a means to attain the ultimate goal, which is the hereafter. Allah says in Surah Al-Mulk, verse 2:
ٱلَّذِی خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَیَوٰةَ لِیَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَیُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلࣰاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِیزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ
The One Who created death and life to test you – who among you has the better deeds; and He only is the Most Honourable, the Oft Forgiving.
Why did Allah create us only to test us and punish us or reward us? Why did He not make us all obedient and righteous? Why did He not make this life easy and enjoyable for us?
Allah is the Most Wise and the Most Just. He does not do anything without a reason or a purpose. He created us to test us because He wants to distinguish the true believers from the hypocrites, the sincere from the insincere, the grateful from the ungrateful, the patient from the impatient, the humble from the arrogant, the generous from the stingy, the merciful from the cruel, and so on. He created us to test us because He wants to purify us from our sins and shortcomings, and elevate our ranks and status in His sight. He created us to test us because He wants to show us His mercy and grace, His forgiveness and pardon, His bounty and favor, His love and care. He says in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 155-157:
وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَیۡءࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَ ٰلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَ ٰتِۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ
And We will surely test you with some fear and hunger, and with paucity of wealth and lives and crops; and give glad tidings to those who patiently endure. –
ٱلَّذِینَ إِذَاۤ أَصَـٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِیبَةࣱ قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّاۤ إِلَیۡهِ رَ ٰجِعُونَ
Those who say when calamity befalls them, “Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed it is to Him we are to return.”
أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ عَلَیۡهِمۡ صَلَوَ ٰتࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةࣱۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ
These are the people upon whom are the blessings from their Lord, and mercy; and it is they who are on guidance.
How can Allah test us with hardships and calamities, and then reward us with blessings and mercy? How can He cause us pain and suffering, and then show us love and care? How can He take away our wealth and lives, and then give us good tidings?
Allah is not contradictory or confusing. He is consistent and clear. He tests us with hardships and calamities because they are means of purification and expiation for our sins. He rewards us with blessings and mercy because they are signs of His generosity and compassion. He causes us pain and suffering because they are opportunities for us to turn to Him and seek His help. He shows us love and care because He is the Most Loving and the Most Caring. He takes away our wealth and lives because they are temporary and perishable. He gives us good tidings because He has prepared for us something better and everlasting. He says in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 216:
وَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تَكۡرَهُوا۟ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَهُوَ خَیۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡۖ وَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَهُوَ شَرࣱّ لَّكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
And it is possible that you hate a thing which is better for you; and it is possible that you like a thing which is bad for you; and Allah knows, and you do not know.
How can we know what is good for us and what is bad for us? How can we know what Allah wants from us and what He does not want from us? How can we know what is the purpose of our life and what is the meaning of our existence?
Allah is not vague or ambiguous. He is clear and explicit. He has given us the Quran, which is a clear guidance and a criterion for all matters of faith and practice. He has sent us the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who is the best example and the best teacher for all aspects of life. He has given us the intellect, which is a gift and a tool for understanding and reasoning. He has given us the conscience, which is a witness and a judge for right and wrong. He has given us the signs, which are evidences and proofs for His existence and His oneness. He says in Surah Al-An’am, verse 104: “There has come to you enlightenment from your Lord. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it. And [say], ‘I am not a guardian over you.’”
قَدۡ جَاۤءَكُم بَصَاۤىِٕرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَنۡ أَبۡصَرَ فَلِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَنۡ عَمِیَ فَعَلَیۡهَاۚ وَمَاۤ أَنَا۠ عَلَیۡكُم بِحَفِیظࣲ
“Enlightening proofs came to you from your Lord; so whoever observes, it is for his own good; and whoever is blind, it is for his own harm; and I am not a guardian over you.”