Purpose of Life by Zakir Naik

reading time ~14 mins

These are notes taken from the lecture given by Zakir Naik on the Purpose of life

1. Should we even ask the question what is the purpose of life?
2. Humans Act like Sheep
3. Who is the best to tell what is the Purpose of life?
4. Does Allah Need Worship? 
5. Why should we Praise Allāh 
6. Humans should be grateful
7. Humans and Free Will – What is Success 
8. Life is a Test
9. 4 Criteria for Jannah
10. How to Follow 
11. How to set Goals
12. What is our centre 

Should we even ask the question what is the purpose of life?

1. Humanity always needs goals. Think of some examples
2. A man was travelling and asked at a crossroad where the road goes? The other said where do you want to go, he said anywhere. The other guy said then take any road, what difference does it make. The man has no goal
3. A builder digs the foundation of a building but when you ask him how many storeys or size of building he would say I don’t know. He has no goal
4. When the dog chases the car you wonder when the dog catches the car what will he do? It has no goal or purpose 

Humans Act like Sheep

1. We just copy goals of others without studying or research
2. We start studying a certain degree because everyone or our friends are doing it
3. We buy products because celebrities and influencers endorse them
4. Even people who want to become good Muslims just change their clothes and appearance and don’t necessarily seek knowledge and make internal purification

Who is the best to tell what is the Purpose of life?

1. It is the Creator

 I have not created jinn and men but to worship me (Quran 51:56)

2. The Arabic used is ‘Ibadah (worship) from the root word ‘Abd which means Slave. To Obey Allah is Ibadah (worship). To submit to Allah is Ibadah (worship). To abstain from what Allāh has forbidden is Ibadah (worship) 
3. Small Helping of Neighbor is Ibadah (Quran 107)
4. Every act of human can be converted to a worship as long as
   1. Do it for pleasure of Allah (intention)
   2. Do it according to Sunnah of Prophet ﷺ 
5. Instruction manual for human beings is the Quran

Does Allah Need Worship? 

O mankind it is you who need Allah. Allah is free of all needs, The Praiseworthy (Quran 35:15)

1. This is for our own benefit. When we say Allāh u Akbar it does not affect the greatness of Allah. Whether all humans say it or not
2. And whoever wants to understand how al-Ghani (free of need) Allah is should read the 24 Hadith Qudsi from Imam Nawawis collection which says among other things
   1. If all humanity were pious this would not add to Allah’s dominion by even an atoms worth 
   2. If all humanity were evil this would not remove from Allah’s dominion even an atoms worth 
   3. Allah is far far above anything wrong we associate with him. 

Abu Dharr reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:

“O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My dominion in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My dominion in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I record for you and then recompense you for. So let him who finds good, praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.“

Sa’id said that when Abu Idris Khaulini narrated this hadith he knelt upon his knees. (muslim 2577a)

Why should we Praise Allāh 

1. It is our psychology to praise Allah. Whoever we praise most, we follow them most. If you need a doctor you will find the most praiseworthy doctor and take his advice or medicine 
2. When we say Allāh is the greatest, the wisest, most knowledgeable. We will follow his advice
3. Think of the doctor who gives free advice. As a patient whether you listen or not does not affect the doctor. He may get pleased or displeased if you listen or don’t listen because it benefits the patient to listen. It does not benefit the doctor
4. Worship of Allah will help you in earthly life (Dunya) and in the hereafter (Akhira)
5. Worshipping and praising Allah teaches us to be thankful which gives us happiness 

Humans should be grateful

If you count the favour of Allah you would not be able to count it. Man is unjust and ungrateful (Quran 14:34)

Indeed humans are to their Rabb very ungrateful (Quran 100:6)

1. Allah forgives and is most Merciful 
2. Even though you disobey him, the moment you repent Allah forgives you  immediately
3. Only sin not forgiven is Shirq (associating partners with Allah) (Quran 4:86)

Humans and Free Will – What is Success 

Verily We have created humans in the best of Moulds (Quran 95:4)

1. We have a choice to obey or disobey. If a human obeys Allah he can become superior to Angels
2. If one disobeys Allāh they are like the shayateen (devils)

Allāh has created death and life to test which of you is good in deeds. And He is the exalted in might The forgiving (Quran 67:2)

Every soul shall taste death. Your final recompense is on day of judgement. Whoever is drawn away from the fire and admitted to paradise is successful. And what’s the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion (Quran 3:185) 

Allāh will say, “This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.” For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allāh being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment (Quran 5:119)

Life is a Test

Allah will test with fear, hunger, loss of possessions, health or life. Or the fruits of your effort. Give good tidings to the patient (Quran 2:155)

He has raised some higher above others. He has bestowed gifts on some so that He may test them through what He has given them. Your Rabb is swift in penalty but indeed He is forgiving and Merciful (Quran 6:165)

Your wealth and your children they are a test for you (Quran 8:28)

Let not the love of your wealth or children take you away from remembrance of Allah. (Quran 63:9)

Do the people think that they will be left to say “we believe” and they will not be tried. But We have certainly tried those before them and Allāh will surely make evident those who are truthful and He will surely make evident the liars (Quran 29:2-3)

4 Criteria for Jannah

By time. Man is in a state of loss, except for 

    1. Purity of Faith Those who have believed 

    2. Piety and done good deeds

    3. Promote Good and advice each other to truth 

    4. Patience and Perseverance and advice each other to patience

(Quran 103:1-3)

This is necessary to please Allāh, bring peace in worldly life (dunya) and attain paradise 

How to Follow 

1. Do your part with action and effort, and seek help from the Creator with positive hope and prayer
2. Tie your Camel, strive and ask people of knowledge 
3. The Prophet ﷺ said tie your camel and then trust in Allāh. One must do his best to follow guidance of Allah and perform all necessary actions in worldly sense

If Allāh helps you no one can overcome you, but if Allāh forsakes you who is there to help. Let the believers rely on Allah (Quran 3:160)

If you strive in the path of Allah He will open up your pathways (Quran 29:69) 

If you don’t know, ask the persons of knowledge (Quran 16:43) (Quran 21:7)

How to set Goals

1. Goals should be (ISLAMIC)
2. Based on Islam (Quran and Sunnah)
3. Specific 
4. Lucrative / Profitable for afterlife (akhira) and secondly this world (dunya). Let not the profit of dunya take away from hereafter
5. Appropriate or achievable 
6. Measurable 
7. Intention to please Allāh
8. Consistent and Regular. Prophet ﷺ said Allah loves those deeds which are done consistently even if they are small (ibn majah 4240)

What is our centre 

People will find a reason to live. Who are we living to please? Humans always find some reason to focus on 

1. Self centred – Just want to please yourself
2. Family centred
3. Parents centred 

It is enjoined upon humans to be good to parents (Quran 31:14) 

But if your parents make you worship someone else other Allāh don’t obey them yet live with them with love and compassion (Quran 31:15)

4. Children centred
5. Spouse centred – live only to please spouse
6. Society centred – live their life to please people in society. Or live to show to other people how great we are
7. Friend centred or enemy centred – live entire life to please friends or to be better than enemies or obsess about enemies. 
8. Fame centred – Just want fame and no laws
9. Material centred – obsessed with possessions especially among the rich. Brands and status symbols become an obsession
   1. Cannot afford but takes loans. This is wrong
   2. Can afford but entire life revolves around it. This is wrong
   3. You own things but you do not depend on them and understand your obligations, give charity. It is ok to own material things but you don’t depend on them
   4. Best example is of our Prophet ﷺ who could afford luxuries but was not interested and used to pay forward
10. Best is being Allah centred
    1. This does not mean you give up living or start treating family or society badly. If you fulfil the laws of Allah every other obligation is fulfilled
    2. If someone throws stones at you, raise yourself so high that they don’t reach you. 

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allāh, Lord of the worlds (Quran 6:162)