There is a profound question that each and every one of us reflectson at some point during our lives:
"Whyam I here, what is my purpose?"
TheQuran puts forward a simple but powerful argument with regards to our origins:
"Werethey created without any agent? Were they the creators?" (Quran 52:35)
TheQuran engages its audience by inviting us to ponder some rational, logicalquestions which we can use to arrive at a conclusion about our origins. Thefirst question that the Quran poses to us is: were we created by nothing? Cansomething really come from nothing? This is impossible, as we know from ourown personal experiences of life as well as the laws of the universe that wecouldn’t have come out of nothing, because out of nothing, nothing comes!
Thisleads us to the next possibility that the Quran proposes: did we createourselves? Can something create itself? This is a self-contradiction, becausefor you to create yourself you would have to already exist, and you can't existand not exist at same time. This would be like saying that your mother gavebirth to herself!
Sincesomething cannot come from nothing, and self-creation is absurd, this leavesone final possibility: we have a creator. This is the best explanation notonly for our origins but also the universe and everything in it, because it isintuitive and also agrees with reality: whatever begins to exist has a cause ora creator.
Thiscause or creator must itself be uncaused due to the absurdity of a never-endingchain of causes. To illustrate this better, if the cause of the universe had acause and that cause had a cause and so on and so forth forever, then there wouldn’tbe a universe to talk about. For example, imagine if you were told that youcouldn’t read this book until you handed it to someone else, and then thisother person would also have to give it to someone else, and this went onforever, then would anyone ever read this book? The answer is no. If we applythis principle to the universe then we would have to conclude that the causebehind it is uncaused out of rational necessity. The Quran confirms theuncreatedness of the creator:
"He begotno one nor was He begotten." (Quran 112:3)
Now,having a creator is one thing, but how do we know we have a purpose? Everythingin this universe has a purpose. Even simple things like a chair, a bowl andeven the book you are holding in your hands serves a purpose. Wouldn't it besad if we didn't too have a purpose? If we reflect and look at the world aroundus, we can easily come to the conclusion that we must have a purpose. Thinkabout the vastness of our universe with all its billions of galaxies andtrillions of planets. The Qur'an tells us that God did not create all this forno reason:
"Wedid not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them playfully."(Quran 21:16)
Thesun gives us warmth, the clouds give us rain and the trees and animals give usfood. Since a lot of the systems that God has put in place in our universe areto ensure our survival and wellbeing then God must have a purpose in mind forus, too. This is what the Quran tells us:
"It isGod who created the heavens and earth, who has sent down water from the sky andwith it brought forth produce to nourish you; He has made ships useful to you,sailing the sea by His command, and the rivers too; He has made the sun and themoon useful to you, steady on their paths; He has made the night and day usefulto you and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you tried tocount God’s favours you could never calculate them" (Quran 14:32–34)
Sothat nagging question comes up again, what is our purpose? Again the Qur'anhas the answer:
"Icreated jinn (Quran spirits) and mankind only to worship Me" (Quran 51:56)
Now,what do you understand about 'worship'? Most will say prayer. This is correct,however in the Qur'an, worship is much more comprehensive than just praying. Itincludes all acts of obedience that are pleasing to our Creator. Even exerciseand eating can be an act of worship if our intention is to stay healthy as wecan’t stand up and pray if we are ill!
Whyperform worship? It's important to understand that our Creator does not needour worship. In fact the Qur'an tells us this; it is us who are in need ofworship. We as human beings are more than just flesh and bone, we have aspiritual side that also needs nourishing. Many people are wealthy materiallyspeaking but unhappy with their lives because they neglect their spiritualwellbeing. In order for us to experience true peace both our bodies and soulsneed to be in tune with our Creator:
"Trulyit is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace." (Quran 13:28)
Soby converting every aspect of our lives into pleasing our Creator, then we willbe in a state of constant remembrance of God and our hearts will be at peace. Thisis a revolutionary way of thinking but practically, if someone were to do this,a lot of their actions wouldn’t change; however their thought process behindtheir actions would and they would find the inner peace so needed in today’ssociety!
So,the question arises - what is the best way to worship God? Let's think aboutmobile phones. Mobile phones are obviously not as sophisticated as humanbeings, but we share many things in common. We both have a life span, we bothrequire energy to function correctly, and we can both be damaged if we are nottaken care of properly. When mobile phones develop a problem, the first thingmost people do is to refer to the instruction manual for the mobile phone. Why?Because it has been made to show us the best way of using it and we rightlylisten to the experts! The creator of the phone knows the best way to use thatphone and they have imparted their knowledge to us in the form of instructionmanuals. Similarly then, the Quran is like an instruction manual for humanityas it is from the one who made us. God, our Creator, knows us better than weknow ourselves and this is why His knowledge, His guidance for how we shouldlive will always surpass any human invented philosophies and ways of life.
As an expert in religious studies and the Quran, I can confidently share my knowledge and understanding of the concepts used in the article provided. The article delves into the profound question of our existence and purpose, drawing insights from the Quran to provide logical arguments and evidence.
The Quran poses thought-provoking questions to stimulate our thinking about our origins. It challenges the idea of something coming from nothing, highlighting that our personal experiences and the laws of the universe affirm that something cannot arise from nothing. Additionally, the Quran dismisses the possibility of self-creation, emphasizing the contradiction in creating oneself, as it would require existing and not existing simultaneously.
The article then asserts that the best explanation for our origins and the universe is the existence of a creator. It argues that this creator must be uncaused, as a never-ending chain of causes would render the existence of the universe impossible. The Quran affirms the uncreatedness of the creator, stating that the creator neither begets nor is begotten.
Moving on to the topic of purpose, the article highlights that everything in the universe has a purpose, from simple objects like chairs and bowls to complex systems that ensure our survival and well-being. The Quran asserts that God did not create the heavens, the earth, and everything in between playfully, indicating that there is a purpose behind our existence. It further emphasizes that God has provided us with numerous favors, ranging from water, produce, and useful tools like ships, the sun, and the moon.
The Quran reveals that our purpose as human beings is to worship God. While prayer is commonly associated with worship, the Quran presents a broader definition. Worship includes all acts of obedience that are pleasing to our Creator. The intention behind our actions, even mundane activities like exercise and eating, can transform them into acts of worship if they are aimed at maintaining good health.
It is important to understand that our Creator does not need our worship; rather, we are the ones in need of worship. The Quran asserts that true peace is found in the remembrance of God. By aligning every aspect of our lives to please our Creator, we can experience inner peace and harmony between our bodies and souls.
The article suggests that the Quran serves as an instruction manual for humanity, guiding us on the best way to live. Just as we refer to a mobile phone's instruction manual to understand its optimal usage, the Quran, being from our Creator, provides us with the knowledge and guidance for leading a righteous and fulfilling life. The Quran's wisdom surpasses any human-invented philosophies and ways of life, as God's knowledge of us is far greater than our own self-awareness.
In summary, the article explores the deep questions of our existence and purpose, drawing on the Quran to provide logical arguments and evidence. It highlights the impossibility of something coming from nothing and the contradiction of self-creation. It asserts the existence of a creator and emphasizes the purpose behind our existence. The Quran is presented as a comprehensive guide for worship and a source of divine wisdom surpassing human philosophies.
