Page 4 The Islamic Bulletin Volume XXV No. 29 The Purpose Of Life Some people argue that there is no proof of any divine origin, there is no proof that there’s a God, there’s no proof that this universe has come about through any divine purpose. They say that perhaps this world came about by chance. That there was a big bang and this whole great world with all its orchestration just came together. And they argue that this life doesn’t have a definite purpose and that it cannot be proven through logic or science that there is a God, or purpose, or any divine reason behind this world. Here I would like to mention a few verses from the Quran that address this subject. “Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and conclude), “Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose, glory to You! Grant us salvation from the torment of the Fire.” [Quran 3: 190-191] In the above verses, Allah first draws attention to the creation of our own being. He (SWT) then draws attention to the heavens and the alternation of the night and the day. And then He (SWT) says to us that He has not created all of this for any foolish purpose! . My dear respected guests- I ask you one more question. When you see a bridge, a building, or an automobile, you automatically consider the person or the company that constructed it. Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. What about the human body? Think about the brain— how it analyzes, stores information, retrieves information, distinguishes and categorizes information in the millionth of a second! This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ship, the boats, and so on. Think about the heart-- how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years, taking and discharging blood throughout the body, and maintaining that steady precision throughout the life of that person. Who regulates that? Human beings? No. What about this universe? The Earth is one planet in our solar system. And our solar system is one of the systems in the Milky Way. And the Milky Way is one of the constellations in that galaxy. And there are millions of galaxies like the Milky Way. They are not colliding with each other. Did human beings set that into motion? No! For instance, let’s say you take ten marbles and number them one to ten. All the marbles are different colors. Let’s say you put them in a bag and you shake the bag. And then you close your eyes and reach inside that bag. What if I told you. “Pull out marble number one. And then pull out marble number two. And then pull out marble number three , in order.” What is the chance of your pulling out those marbles in order? Twenty-six million to one! So what’s the chance of the Heavens and the Earth being thrown together in a big bang and orchestrated like they are? What’s the likelihood of that? Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, bacteria, the chemical elements that have not been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet, each one of them has a law which they follow. Did this happen by chance? No. The being that is deserving of praise and gratitude is God. God created all of this and maintains all of this. Therefore, God deserves praise and gratitude. Is God not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of worship and recognition? My brothers and sisters, that is the purpose of life. I’m very honored to have this opportunity to address you. First of all I want to say that this is not a lecture. I don’t think that I’m prepared to lecture. But it’s sort of advice for myself. Just a little while ago I was where some of you are. Christian, non-Muslim, whatever - it doesn’t matter. I was not aware of Islam. And I did not understand the purpose of life! So I request you to think about what I’m saying as information and suggestions--not a lecture. It is my responsibility to address the topic: what is the purpose of our life? And to ask the question: What do you know about Islam? I mean what do you really know about Islam. Not what you’ve heard about Islam. Not what you’ve seen in the action of some Muslims. But, instead. What do you know about Islam. I would like to begin by saying that all of us have an equal responsibility. And that responsibility is to read or listen with an open heart and an open mind. In a world filled with prejudice it is very hard to find people who will think about life objectively and try to arrive at the truth and the purpose of our lives. Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question, “What is the purpose of life?” They will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. Instead, in most cases, they will tell you what is commonly presumed by others-- their father, their minister or their teacher. If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating, “Why do we eat?,” Most people will answer, in one word or another, “It’s for nutrition!” If I ask anyone why they work? They will say in order to support themselves and to provide for the needs of their family. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc., they will answer, “This is a common necessity for all human beings.” Why is it, that when I ask the question, “What is the goal and the purpose of life?,” that I get so many different answers? That’s because people are confused. And rather than saying, “I don’t know,” they offer an answer that they’ve been programmed to answer. Let’s think about this. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Is this why we were born? Think about that question!
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