Everything created in this world is for a fruitful purpose, whether it is the sky, the stars, humans, insects, birds, or anything else. Allah says in the Quran: “And I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (51: 56-58). It means that everything present in this world is not just the way it is, but there is a purpose to it. Not only humans but angels also have the same purpose in their life, and that is to obey their master.
Allah sent down many prophets from Adam to Prophet Muhammad (saw) and their message is that we should worship Allah alone. He is the supreme, the Almighty. If we look at the sky, the sun always rises from the east and sets in the west. It never disobeys its lord. The sun teaches us the lesson that we should obey our Lord, come what may. In that way, our life will become meaningful.
Sometimes we think that our purpose of life lies in collecting money and treasures of this world. To become a billionaire becomes our aim and when we achieve the aim, our life loses its purpose and suddenly we become restless, depressed. If the aim of life is collecting the treasures of this world, then why do we hear of millionaires committing suicide? Recently we heard news that the world’s richest person Bill Gates’s wife divorced him. Why? We often see that billionaires have everything but they lack peace. This proves that wealth cannot be the purpose of life. Wealth is important in life, but in collecting worldly treasures, we forget that the purpose of our life is closely tied to belief in the afterlife. Our worldly possessions will not last, but our good deeds done for God’s sake will.
Some of us think that this life is nothing, and we waste our lives doing ‘nothing’. We think life is meant only for enjoyment or that life is in vain. We also think that neither will be asked for what we are doing, nor will we return to God. Allah asks a question in the Quran: “Did you then think that we created you in vain, and that you would not be returned to us?” (23: 115). We should always remember that this life is a test and people are tested in different ways. Those who are true believers qualify this test easily and their life becomes meaningful and purposeful because they know that whatever they will do here will surely determine their position in the next life.
God made us to serve Him. It is not for the benefit of the creator Himself. He does not need anything from us, because He is the king of Kings, the superpower. It is for the benefit of us, because He doesn’t want that we live our eternal life in difficulties. Seeking the pleasure of God is the aim of every sincere believer. Even our difficulties have a purpose! Our hardships in life are a test of our faith, and they purify our soul. We cannot have control over what happens with us but we can have control over our reaction to what happens with us. If we are patient in difficult times, then we are getting closer to our God. A strong faith can help us hold our head high. When our faith seems to be shaking, we should get back to the Quran and remind ourselves that it’s only our Lord who can get us out of our difficult times. A strong faith can keep us focused on the fact that Allah alone controls our destiny. He alone has the power. If we keep these things in our mind, then can we achieve the real purpose of our life.

The writer is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Srinagar. [email protected]

Sufaya Yousf