Exploring Life’s Ultimate Question from an Islamic Perspective
Table of Contents
The Ultimate Purpose of Life in Islam: An Introductory Story
Let’s begin our discussion with a story.
There was a man who worked in the United Arab Emirates. He started by working in a bakery and a supermarket. As his business grew and he earned more money, he opened his own supermarket. For those who have been to the UAE, you know it’s extremely hot and humid. This man worked there for a long time, even before air conditioning was common.
He worked hard, exerted himself, and saved money. He began sending money to a relative in Jordan, asking him to build a palace for him in a beautiful area in Amman. He kept sending money, and his relative put great effort into making the palace magnificent.
One of his relatives said to the builder, “It’s a shame you’re spending money so extravagantly. It’s unreasonable”. The palace owner replied, “I’ve spent forty years abroad, and now I want to enjoy my money. I have the right to do so. I’ve worked hard all these years—forty years of labor—and I want to return and relax in my palace”.
An Unexpected Turn in the Journey of Life
As his time in the UAE was coming to an end, and before moving to his palace, our friend began experiencing some stomach issues. He visited doctors in the UAE, and they told him he had colon cancer. When he asked for a solution, they tried chemotherapy, but it didn’t help. They suggested he might try treatment in America.
When he went to America, they said, “You’re too late, my friend”. He asked, “So what should I do?” They told him, “There’s no hope; the cancer has spread”.
He returned and spent that night in his palace—the first time he saw it. He had gone from the UAE to America, then back to Jordan, and spent that night in his palace. The next day, he moved to his other palace, which was the grave. His condition was so severe that he didn’t stay in his palace more than one night.
His motto had been, “I’ve worked hard for forty years abroad, so I must enjoy my money”. In reality, the only enjoyment he had was spending one night in his palace, and he was sick and exhausted. Then he moved to his other palace, which is a hole no longer than two meters and not wider than half a meter or 60 or 70 centimeters at most.
Reflecting on the Story: Purpose vs. Wealth
What happened to our friend raises the question: Did he achieve what he wanted? What was his goal? His goal was to enjoy his wealth. Did he enjoy his wealth? I think the answer is clear to everyone.
Someone might ask, “Is it wrong for a person to aspire to gather wealth or to live in a luxurious house?” I won’t answer that now. What I want to say is that this man had a goal, and it appears he did not achieve it. This leads us to another story—a similar one—about someone who built a palace but died before he could live in it.
The Big Question: What Is the Purpose of Life?
This brings us to the big and important question:
What is the purpose of life?
Since there are people who strive and work hard and spend money but in the end do not achieve their goals, it is right for us to ask—and we must ask—Were these goals appropriate? And if they were not, what is the goal we should all strive for?
Poetic Reflections on Purpose of Life
These two stories remind us of some very beautiful verses. They illustrate the state of this world compared to the grave. The Andalusian poet Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr says:
Who has ever found peace of mind in his life,
In hardship or ease throughout his time?
The rich, to guard their wealth, endure
More toil than the poor do for their lack.
Meaning: The wealthy are burdened with protecting their wealth, making them more stressed than the poor who are distressed by their poverty
So one remains discontent in his scarcity,
And the other weary amidst his plenty.
Calamities are decreed, and every union must part,
Thrown into it in his day or month.
Don’t you see the man, mighty with his troops,
Still beset by worries despite his lofty rank?
Good news delights him, but soon after
A distressing report tightens his chest.
The father of children is the father of worries,
And the childless man’s sorrow hides in his heart.
Meaning: Many people with children are worried and troubled, and others deprived of children also feel sorrow
By ALLAH, even if a man lived among his people
For a thousand years, owning his affairs,
Enjoying every pleasure with them,
Delighting in life throughout his age,
No deficiency befalling his conditions,
Never would worries touch his mind,
All that wouldn’t compensate
For descending one night into his grave.
Meaning: If a person lived a thousand years in the best possible way but was among those who did not work for the hereafter, all that sweetness would vanish when spending the first night in the grave. When the two angels come to question him: “Who is your Lord?”, “What is your religion?”, and “What do you say about the man sent among you?” If he doesn’t have answers and hasn’t prepared for that moment, all his worldly pleasures won’t equal those first moments in the grave. None of the sweetness he lived for a thousand luxurious years will remain on his tongue or in his heart
So how can one escape, my brother, from what you see?
Be patient with the sweet and bitter of destiny!1
Questioning Our Existence: Beyond Material Goals
When you discover an unfamiliar object, the first question that comes to your mind is, “What is this?” The second question is, “What is its function?” “What are its uses?” “What purpose does it serve in this world?”
As humans, it’s in our nature that whenever we see something around us, we ask:
- “What is this?”
- “What is its function?”
- “What does it do?”
For example, when you look at your body:
- “What is the function of the cornea?”
- “What is the function of the retina?”
- “What is the function of the heart?”
- “What is the function of the ears?”
And so on.
Imagine that there are people who are very clever in knowing the functions of things in the universe and the human body, but the greatest question doesn’t occur to them:
“What is my function?” or “Why am I in this world?”
This question doesn’t cross their mind, and if it does, they avoid answering it.
In the Second Part, we will answer these questions, In Shaa’ ALLAH.
Sources:
- Dr. Eyad Qunaibi. الهدف من الحياة. YouTube Video.
