reading time ~31 mins

An Islamic Paradigm

1. Summary
   1. Purpose in 5 seconds
   2. Purpose in 20 seconds
   3. Purpose in 3 minutes
2. Introduction to Islam
   1. Purpose in Quran
   2. Purpose in Sunnah
   3. Submission to the Creator is Ease and not a burden
   4. Journey of the Soul
3. Individual Purpose
   1. The Bird and the Fire
   2. How to find your purpose 
   3. Think Global
   4. Imagine your Last minutes
   5. Comfort vs Cause
   6. Some personal questions to ask
   7. Priority list
   8. Be Ambitious
4. What is not the purpose
5. Observe the machine to understand Purpose
6. Does God need our submission?
   1. Mankind is needy – God is free of need
   2. Why submit to God when He does not need it

Summary

Purpose in 5 seconds

Life is a test and the purpose is to do well in this test given your circumstances

Purpose in 20 seconds

Spend your time wisely by doing good deeds and staying away from evil deeds. Additionally, inspire others to do good deeds and stay away from evil

1. Find, love and happily submit to your Creator
2. Love & serve the creation (this includes self care)

Purpose in 3 minutes

The purpose of life cannot be fulfilled during this life, it goes on until death. Life on Earth is a test and the purpose is to succeed in this test. If the purpose could be achieved in this life, then once it is achieved there is no more reason to live anymore

Human beings have natural inclinations. In the ideal world we 

1. seek ease, pleasure, love and comfort
2. avoid pain, difficulty, resistance and discomfort
3. desire everlasting youth, health and beauty
4. want fame, authority, influence & being in control (have what we want, when we want it)

Sounds perfect doesn’t it? It’s called Paradise. These things are achievable in the afterlife forever (in Paradise in closeness to the Creator) but must be partially given up during our time on Earth as part of the test

The greatest mistake of man is to try to recreate paradise on earth. Earth is not meant to be paradise, it is a testing ground

In order to achieve these things, we have been sent to the Earth to forego our own desires and become humble slaves who voluntarily submit to the will of our Creator. If we spend a small amount of time (~70 years) by doing well in this test, we can attain what we desire in the afterlife forever

We agreed to this test with the Creator (but were made to forget). The Quran tells us about this, and forgetting is part of the test. Messengers are sent to remind us since the beginning of humanity, and after the last messenger, it is our duty to remind our fellow human (as I am trying to do now)

Imagine being told to go to a test center tomorrow for eight hours and do your best to perform in physical, written and oral activities. Based on your performance you will get a reward (or punishment). This is the basic psychology of being on Earth. It is a place of tests and tribulations, where absolute freedom, justice, comfort and pleasure can NEVER be fully achieved. All pleasures of this world are temporary and fleeting 

However, you will have comforts, sleep, companionship and enough pleasures to keep going. But NEVER make your being on the Earth the “be all and end all”

This is the only logical truth that makes sense. Every other explanation falls short

These are facts that all human beings are born with in their inner self. We forget them as we grow up. Such knowledge is part of our innate nature (called Fitra فطرة in Arabic) 

Anyone who desires other than this, will always remain in a state of internal discord because their actions are not aligned with their inner self

Introduction to Islam

Islam is unique and not like anything else 

• It’s not just a religion like Christianity or Judaism. Religions focus solely on rituals and separate state, personal dealings, politics and individuals
• It’s not just an ideology or system like democracy or capitalism. They do not focus enough on individual responsibilities and practices and tend to ignore minorities
• It’s not just a movement like minimalism or feminism. Movements continuously change with time and usually have start and end dates

Islam is a complete & perfect idea/system/way/guidance of how to live your life prescribed by your Creator (and includes all aspect like your thoughts, actions, responsibilities, morality, governance and institutions)

Just like there is no one like your Creator. There is nothing like Islam in the universe

Islam was presented to humanity from the beginning of time starting from the first human (and prophet) Adam (peace be upon him) all the way until the last messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). After him, the responsibility to share the message resides with each human who learns about it

Islam has answers to all questions and it is the only path to true success in this world and the next. The goal is to inform but not convince or force anyone. Every human has free choice and we don’t want or seek anything in return for sharing this message

• All influencers or people in TED talks are trying to figure out how to live life successfully or ideas to improve themselves and they keep searching and coming up with ideas. Instead the first step should be to look in Quran and Sunnah because it has all the answers already
• Trigger your curiosity. Open your mind and see Islam for more than it actually is reduced to by ignorant people today 

All of this has been the same message since the beginning of humanity on earth. I am merely repeating it here

Purpose in Quran

• “And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne had been upon water – that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, “Indeed, you are resurrected after death,” those who disbelieve will surely say, “This is not but obvious magic”” (Quran 11:7)
• We were not playing a pointless game when We created the heavens and earth and everything in between; We created them for a true purpose, but most people do not comprehend. The Day of Decision is the time appointed for all; (Quran 44:38-40)
• God created the heavens and earth for a true purpose: to reward each soul according to its deeds. They will not be wronged (Quran 45:22)
• [He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving – (Quran 67:2)

• “I created the jinn and humans for nothing else but that they may serve Me;” (Quran 51:56) The word “serve” is translated from the Arabic word Ubudiya (عبودية). Ubudiya means servitude; complete & voluntary submission to the will of the Creator. It is not just observing rituals, it includes all actions and dealings on a personal and societal level according to the will of the Creator. Even if you sleep hoping to wake up energized to serve God and others, that sleep is counted as an act of Ubudiya. A mother’s feeding her child according to the laws of God, is also an act of Ubudiya. Any act in obedience to the Creator is an act of Ubudiya (servitude)

• “Is there not a period of time when each human is nothing yet worth mentioning? ˹For˺ indeed, We ˹alone˺ created humans from a drop of mixed fluids, ˹in order˺ to test them, so We made them hear and see. We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺ be grateful or ungrateful.” (Quran 76:1-3)
• Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would never be returned to Us?” (Quran 23:115)
• Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to God. He will repay those who do evil according to their deeds, and reward, with what is best, those who do good. (Quran 53:31)
• Every soul is certain to taste death: We test you all through the bad and the good, and to Us you will all return. (Quran 21:35)
• “Do people think they will be left without purpose?” (Quran 75:36)

Purpose in Sunnah

• The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah will say to the person who will have the minimum punishment in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, ‘If you had things equal to whatever is on the earth, would you ransom yourself (from the punishment) with it?’ He will reply, Yes. Allah will say, ‘I asked you a much easier thing than this while you were in the backbone of Adam, that is, not to worship others besides Me, but you refused and insisted to worship others besides Me.”‘ (bukhari 6557)
• Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah said, ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” (bukhari 6502)
  • A slave comes close to Allah by performing obligations (Fardh). Allah loves the obligatory deeds
  • The slave continues to go beyond the obligations by performing the voluntary (Nawafil). Allah loves the person who performs the Nawafil. 
  • Obligations bring you close to Allah. Nawafil make you beloved by Allah
  • If tests come after this, they do not burden the believer. Allah makes it easy to go through tests

Submission to the Creator is Ease and not a burden

1. When you start to live life submitting to your Creator you will realize that what God wants from us is easy brings ease to our life
2. You will be freed and unshackled from the unrealistic burdens and made up expectations of social norms and peer pressures. A lot of fake and first world problems for keeping up appearances will go away
3. Do not think that submission means a life of deprivation or asceticism. Certainly, you are allowed to enjoy many things
4. Whatever you are commanded to do (or stay away from) is only beneficial to your own self (if only you would trust)
5. All worldly pursuits within those boundaries are ok as long as they are not the end goal. The real purpose is to obey the Creator and help others around you. The real goal is collecting good deeds for the hereafter (because when you die, the only thing that remains are your good deeds)

Journey of the Soul

When we say worldly life, we are usually talking about the time spent on earth from birth until death 

In reality, the human soul goes through 5 phases in its journey (and earthly life is just one of the phases)

1. Creation: Soul is created and close to the Creator (we have no memory of this) We were in the presence of the Creator. We were happy and now want to fill the empty void which cannot be filled without Him 
2. Earthly Life: Soul enters the physical vessel of a body and is sent to earth with free will. This is the testing ground. We are given tools and guidance for help. Mercy always prevails over the wrath of the Creator. We chose to came here but forgot about it
3. Barrier Phase between earthly death and day of judgment: Soul leaves the body at the time of death and waits for the day of reckoning in a waiting state. This is called barzakh (meaning barrier) in arabic. More on Islamqa There are exceptions e.g. those who are martyred 
4. Day of Reckoning: A very long and difficult day when all humanity will be gathered and all deeds are weighed and compensated
5. Eternal Life: this is the final phase where one is either close to the Creator (blessed in Paradise) or away from the Creator (being punished) based on performance of deeds on earth

Individual Purpose

Each individual has unique abilities, strengths, environment, time and place where he is born as well as own challenges & opportunities. Your Creator has carefully chosen all those aspects for you individually to see how well you perform in those circumstances. The scope and size of your purpose is based on all those factors and you must find your own path.

Some will lead nations, others will flock sheep, but in all cases, the individual purpose should always align with the idea of spending time in obedience to the laws defined by the Creator and the pursuit of wellbeing of the creation (which includes living and nonliving things)

The Bird and the Fire

According to a parable, when Prophet Abraham was cast into a fire by the tyrant king Nimrod, the spectacle was met with horror by a small bird. It spread its wings and soared to a nearby river, where it filled its beak with water. The bird carried these meager drops to where the fire was lit before going back for more. The water it fetched was, of course, not enough to quell the raging flames.

An arrogant crow mocked the bird’s scurrying efforts and haughtily told him:

‘How can you hope to douse the fire with such little water? Surely you realize that there is nothing you can do?’

The bird remained unperturbed and calmly replied:

‘When I meet with God, He will not ask me whether I was able to put out the fire, He will only inquire whether I did my part to see that it was extinguished.’

The outcome is fully in God’s control. It is our blessing and positive psychology as a believer that we only do our part and don’t worry about the outcome

How to find your purpose 

Psychologists say find out the moral and ethical problems which bother you the most.  You are born to solve those problems. This is not about comfort,  pleasure or wealth, your problem can’t be that I am not rich enough. This is about the thing which affects your empathy and the injustice that disturbs you 

Self awareness and effort in three aspects is necessary 

1. Gaining Knowledge
2. Developing Skills (application of knowledge in practice)
3. Understanding Personal Attributes (natural abilities and strengths)

Align these to God. The soldier of God will not always be admired but will be helped

Think Global

If you think globally, you will at least win locally (home, street, city). Aim for the sky and you will pass the tree. Aim for the tree, and you may not even reach the tree

People follow a purpose not a person. They are associated with a purpose

Love of earthly life creates selfishness, weakness and fear of death. This repulses people. Your purpose should be greater than yourself and you should have no fear of losing earthly life. People will follow a person with such a purpose and fearlessness. Imagine today a group of people from Iceland stand up to injustice all around the world. Everyone will start loving and following them. This is the power of purpose

My purpose should be bigger than my life. The famous Ali Jinnah (who helped founding Pakistan) did not reveal his TB to his doctor (who was a friend of the British) to ensure that mount Betten would not delay or cancel the making of Pakistan

Imagine your Last minutes

Imagine the worries you will have at the time of your death. If someone shoots you right now, whose name will you utter in worry and what cause will you ask about. This should be for God. Make your purpose so that at the time of death you are concerned for a Godly purpose

Comfort vs Cause

Sometimes we have to make a choice between being comfortable or going after a cause which benefits us and others. This is a critical point in finding meaning and purpose 

In the past, true heroes were those who went out of their comfort to pursue a greater cause. Values like honor, nobility, generosity, knowledge and bravery were admired. These people were honored and looked up to. Imagine a warrior going out of his warm cozy home to fight against oppression

Nowadays, some of our heroes or idols are those who are living comfortable lives, showing their extravagant houses, clothes, bags, cars, etc as if that is the purpose of being alive

Some personal questions to ask

1. Who am I benefitting in this world?
2. Who will miss me if I leave this world? Are the people getting rid of me, or am I getting rid of the people?
3. Are we as a community an essential part of society (the country does not want us to leave) or are we a burden on the country where we live?
4. Are you consuming more from the world, or are you contributing more to the world?
5. How often did I or do I discuss the hereafter with my family, friends and acquaintances?
6. Do we think about and prepare for where we are going after we die?  NASA astronauts think about the environment of Mars and prepare before traveling to it

Priority list

1. Gain knowledge on what God wants and the way of the Prophet ﷺ 
2. Learn the Quran and Life of the Prophet ﷺ (seerah)
3. Speak the truth
4. Stand up against oppression & injustice, regardless of the victims being believers or non-believers 
5. Implement the law of God individually and on group / society 

Be Ambitious

There are two important principles which give us great hope 

1. A believer will be rewarded for good intentions even if he cannot fulfill them (bukhari 6491)
2. When a believer guides another to a good deed, he is rewarded the same as the one guided without anything taken away from the doer (muslim 1893)

Why are we being miserly in our goals? The real goal or question is 

1. If there is any good in the world anywhere until the day of judgment, how can I be a part of it?
2. If there is any effort in any corner of the world anytime in the future on removing evil, how can I be a part of it? 

Find the answer to this question, and expect God to reward you for this intention, even if you cannot find your answer. This is the legacy you have the potential to leave behind

What is not the purpose

I have heard so many versions of the purpose of life that I wanted to mention some thoughts on them below

These things are necessary and required to survive but definitely not the purpose of life. They are beneficial for the journey, but not the destination

• The purpose of life is NOT money. It’s a necessity and a resource. It is not the purpose. It brings ease and comfort, but those things are also not the purpose 
• It is NOT to become famous. Most people who become famous realize so many things they cannot do anymore. No human wants so much public scrutiny and people always judging everything they say or do 
• It is NOT to find your soulmate and live happily ever after as the culture industry tells you. These are relatively modern ideas. A supportive & respectful spouse is a great blessing, but not the goal
• It is NOT to make a career and be successful with a certain skill or art. These are also modern ideas. In the late 19th century, many abolitionists of slavery also considered wage labor a form of slavery (golden handcuffs) where you work for a corporation that tells you how to dress and what to do for 8-10 hours a day. What alluded is to make this the purpose
• It is NOT to acquire possessions (houses, cars, clothes, jewels, etc)
• It is NOT to look beautiful, young and fashionable as some influencers would tell you
• It is NOT to live a hedonistic life of pleasure from food, intimacy, travel and entertainment. No amount of physical desires will ever satiate life on earth
• It is NOT the pursuit of happiness. We don’t even know what happiness means. It is not even something we can fully understand. Ten years of hard work makes you happy and a bite of chocolate ice cream can make you happy. Seeking happiness is a paradoxical pursuit, the more you seek it, the unhappier you become. Happiness is a fleeting acquisition and it is necessary to survive but not the purpose. Research has shown that it is hard to retain dopamine pleasure for longer than 40 minutes. Real happiness is to love the one who created you and loves you (Your Creator)
• It is NOT to experience life and gain knowledge and wisdom. This is an incomplete answer. Why would someone gain knowledge and wisdom without any end or goal?
• It is NOT to make the best of the situation, and try to make benefit for yourself with whatever you have been given. This again is an incomplete answer, if you are thrown into the ocean and do your best to survive, this is not the goal. One would still wonder why I was thrown here & where am I going?
• The answer is also NOT that “there is no purpose of life”. This goes against common sense, how can we have the ability to find purpose and ask why without having an answer to probably the most important question for human beings

Observe the machine to understand Purpose

Any machine itself describes its own purpose. This can be seen by observing its characteristics. F16 vs Boeing 747. One is a fighter plane, the other carries passengers. Look at a watch, car, etc . What function are they serving? What does looking at a human being tell you? What are some human characteristics?

Human Physical Skills are strength, power, speed, flexibility, stamina, balance, etc. The ability to lift, walk, run, grab, swim, etc

Human spiritual skills are empathy, generosity, kindness, love

Human intellectual skills are creativity, communication, memory, eloquence, knowledge

Humans attracted to	Humans repulsed by
Kindness Love Generosity Courage Soft & easy going nature Humility & gentleness Knowledge Conscientiousness	Greed Cowardice Selfishness Arrogance Hypocrisy Irresponsibility Injustice Anger & aggression Violence
Purpose: Increase These ↑	Purpose: Work Against These ↑

Does God need our submission?

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

Mankind is needy – God is free of need

1. Mankind are al-Fuqara (plural of Faqir). A Faqir is one who needs
   1. Humanity is al Fuqara (The needy). We own nothing and have power over nothing. Faqir is needy. Ghani is one who has no need.
   2. The al (in al Fuqara) means we are needy in all matters. There is no change or power to change except with Allah (la hawla wala quwwata). We need Allah for every single matter every second. We do not earn health or wealth, it’s all a complete gift from Allāh
   3. All humanity is equally Fuqara to Allah
2. Allah is al-Ghani (free of need) and al-Hameed (praiseworthy)
   1. Allah is al Ghani and gives us. We should beg Him for each and every need. He is praised
   2. We make Dua to Allāh acknowledging our being Fuqara. Prophets made Dua acknowledging their fuqr. Lowering our head to Allāh brings ultimate honor.
   3. Al Ghani and Al Hamid together means Allah needs no one and yet He gives to humanity and is praised
3. The Aya 95:4 does not say that Allah needs our worship (we seek refuge in God from saying such evil). Allah is al-Ghani and absolutely free of need. We are the ones who need Him and any rule/ritual/way of life He gave us is actually for our own benefit 

Whoever does good only does it for the benefit of his own soul And whoever sins only sins to the deterrent of its own soul (Quran 41:46)

Why submit to God when He does not need it

Our submission to God is for our own benefit. When we say Allāh u Akbar (Allah is greater) it does not affect the greatness of Allah. Whether all humans say it or not, Allah is always the greatest

If you wish to understand how Allah is free of need (al-Ghani) read the see (Hadith Qudsi 24 Imam Nawawi’s 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