Non-believers are unable to
provide any convincing reason for the existence of this universe or of human
life. People who believe there is a Creator assume that creation occurred
by His will. But in a world where everything is shown to have a purpose,
it is natural for a human being to wonder about the purpose of his own
creation. One is surely justified in expecting the Creator who put us on
this earth to inform us why He did so and what He expects of us.
The Qur’an
informs us that He did just that. It says God created us for a test here
on earth, conveying His words:
"Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ عَبَثًۭا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ ١١٥
{Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?}
(Surah Al Mukminun: 115)
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Surah Al Mukminun: Ayat116]
A
non-believer might decide that the objective of his life will be to collect
wealth, obtain a position, or pursue pleasure to the greatest extent
possible. But none of this will benefit him in the long run.
According to His final scripture, God created man to test him with certain
responsibilities [As stated in 18:7, 67:2, and 76:2]. He did not
intend life on this earth to necessarily be comfortable or satisfying but
merely a trial of limited duration, the punishment and rewards of which will be
due in the Hereafter.
As
mentioned previously, most of creation is "muslim" in that it is
programmed to obey the physical laws set by God, and this is why the universe
functions with balanced equilibrium. Man, however, was given a free will
and the ability to either obey or disobey. But God will not allow His
universal balance to be upset indefinitely by defiant, corrupt and sinful
people, so He only grants human beings a measure of freedom in a temporary
world. The scheme of birth, development, decline and death provides each
with the opportunity to prove to himself without a doubt what he will deserve
on the Day of Judgement, which God created for the manifestation of His
ultimate justice.
This life
is very meaningful and purposeful to the believing Muslim because he realizes
that it will determine his outcome and permanent position in the next
life. He lives to earn the approval of his Creator in preparation for the
final return to Him.
We all
recognize that people make things to perform specific functions for them, in
other words, to serve them. God has made us to serve Him, but with one
major difference; it is not for the benefit of the Creator Himself but for the
benefit of us, His creation. The purpose of our existence is thus stated
in the Qur’an:
"I did
not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." [51:56]
But man's
worship of God is not automatic like the vast majority of created beings but by
his own choice and effort, and this is what entitles him to honor and reward.
"How should one worship God
in order to fulfill that purpose?" This question can undoubtedly
best be answered by Him. God has provided every element of His creation,
living and inanimate, with guidance. We can thus expect that He would
provide us with guidance as well. His revelation instructs humanity what
to do, what to avoid, and the reason for it. It informs man what is
expected of him, how to accomplish it, and the results of continual positive
effort. Through Prophet Muhammad, God revealed to man the ways of worship
suitable to his physical and psychological nature and individual talents, and
in harmony with his particular role on the earth. These, in combination,
are what enables him to fulfil the purpose of his creation.
Every individual is born into a religious environment that is not necessarily in accordance with his or her choice; children are raised to follow the religion or ideology of their family, society or culture. Even as newborns, they are assigned either the religion of their family or the ideology of the state; in some countries, the child's assigned religion is even recorded on the birth certificate. By the time individuals reach their teens, they have usually accepted the beliefs of their parents or their particular society, feeling that they have little choice in the matter.
However,
individuals often encounter or are exposed to various beliefs and
ideologies throughout the course of their lives, leading many to question
long-held beliefs, traditions,or philosophical ideas. They begin to
question the validity of their own beliefs. Seekers of truth often reach a
point of confusion, especially upon realizing that the believers of every
religion, sect, ideology, and philosophy claim to profess the one and
only truth. There are only three possibilities: either everyone is
correct or everyone is incorrect, or only one is correct and the rest
are incorrect. All of them can't be upon the true religion as the
fundamentals of all religions are different.
On
the other hand, to claim that they are all incorrect is to deny
that Allah {Subhdnahu wa Ta'dld - Glorified and Exalted is
He) revealed His will to humankind. This proposition will seem absurd
to those who believe in a Wise Creator. After all, why would Allah create
human beings and not reveal a way to the truth? So, which religion is the
right one and how can the seeker of truth come to know it? This is the
main subject of this work.
When
beginning the search for the true religion, one should keep the following
four things in mind:
Firstly,
Allah has given us the ability and the intellect to discover the answer to
this crucial question, which is also a life-changing decision: What is the
true religion?
Secondly,
Allah, the Most Compassionate, has not left us to go astray without any
guidance. Indeed, He sent us prophets with scriptures to show us the right
path.
Thirdly,
always remember the underlying reason for this search: the ever-lasting
life to come depends upon finding the true religion in this life. This
should be your ultimate motivation, and a driving force to keep you
searching until you are completely satisfied. 2
Fourthly,
one can only determine the true path and make a rational and correct
decision if one willingly puts aside all the emotions and prejudices,
which often blind one to reality.
Muslims believe
that the existing form of the Bible contains elements of the original true
message, although it has been altered significantly.
رضي الله عنه
Rasulullahﷺ
Allahﷻ
رَحِمَهَا ٱللَّٰهُ,
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