RSSIslam Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence
Islam Beliefs
Islam Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence
Islam teaches that the purpose of existence is to love and serve God through loving and serving others. People can forget this, but prophets bear God's revelation, which shows people the way.
Islam is a monotheistic religion like Judaism and Christianity, and like those religions, it teaches that God created the whole universe and everything in it. God is the master designer who put order and purpose in his creation, and he rules over it with compassion and mercy. Everything in creation depends upon God, the Sustainer, for its existence. The purpose of all creation, including humans, is to love and serve God.
The very name of the religion, Islam, means submission or obedience to God, and the Muslim is one who submits or surrenders to God. All created things fulfill their assigned purpose by serving God. Plants and animals, rocks and minerals, rain and wind, stars and planets all naturally fulfill the purpose for which they were designed. By doing so, they worship and serve God. Everything in nature, by acting according to its design, serves God's will. In a sense, the whole universe is Muslim.
| The Opening Chapter of the Holy Quran |
| 1. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious and Most Merciful. |
| 2. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; |
| 3. Most Gracious, Most Merciful |
| 4. Master of the Day of Judgment |
| 5. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek |
| 6. Show us the straight way, |
| 7. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go no astray. |
Islam teaches that God created humans from clay and breathed the spirit of life into us. He separated us from the rest of creation by giving us three divine gifts: intelligence to distinguish the true from the false, a will that can freely choose between them, and the power of speech to worship. Because of these gifts, people are the noblest of God's creatures, superior to the rest of nature. However, people are not perfect. Although we are not sinful by nature, we are vulnerable to temptation. Because we are rebellious and proud, we often forget that we are dependant on God.
The Quran stresses the mercy and compassion of God, and the words "merciful" (rahmah) and "compassionate" (rahim) come from the same root, rahma, which carries the meaning of forgiveness, and abundant mercy that sustains, protects, and rewards us. Because He is our sustainer and protector, God has given us a well-regulated and ordered universe in which night regularly follows day so that we may rest, and the sun and moon follow predictable patterns, creating seasons so that we may cultivate plants for food. God also gave us animals to assist us in fulfilling our needs for warmth and food. Those who remember this fulfill their purpose by worshiping and serving Him by being stewards of His creation.
