The purpose of human life according to Islam can be seen in the verses found in the Quran and Hadith. In the Quran, it is explained that indeed, humans are created by Allah from the essence of the earth, which is then turned into a drop of fluid and stored in a secure place. That drop of fluid is then formed into a clot, which later becomes bones. These bones are then covered with flesh, which eventually becomes a living being.
Every creature created by Allah has its own purpose in life. After being born into this world, the purpose of human life according to Islam is also mentioned in the Quran, which also explains how a person discovers their purpose in life.
The purpose of human life according to Islam is explained in Surah Ali Imran, verse 191, which states,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًۭا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
The Holy Quran, Ch. Al Imran (The Family of Imran) verse 191
The existence of life bestowed upon us by Allah often leads us to contemplate our purpose in life. Why were we created? Why do we exist in this world?
The Purpose of Human Life According To Islam In the Quran
In the Quran, Allah says:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَأَوْ تَقُولُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَشْرَكَ ءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةًۭ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
And [remember] when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify regarding themselves. [Allah asked,] “Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes, You are! We testify.” [He cautioned,] “Now you have no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’ Nor say, ‘It was our forefathers who had associated others [with Allah in worship] and we, as their descendants, followed in their footsteps. Will you then destroy us for the falsehood they invented?’”
The Holy Quran, Ch. Al-A’raf (The Heighs) verse 172-173
From the above verse, it is clear that when Allah creates the souls of all human beings, the first thing He does is to take an oath from the entire human race, where they testify to His Lordship. This oath signifies the fact that all humans are made aware of the fact that Allah is their Lord, and they need to remember it.
This verse and the actions of people during the oath and when they come to this earth provide the primary purpose of human existence in Islam, which is to know God or acknowledge His existence. Knowing and recognizing Allah as the ultimate purpose of human existence is the main goal in Islam.
Allah also says in the Quran:
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ عَبَثًۭا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would never be returned to Us?
The Holy Quran, Ch. Al-Mu’minun (The Believers) verse 115
From the above verse, we can conclude that we are created for a purpose that goes beyond mere play and amusement in this life. We have a purpose in life that we must know and live in accordance with.
In another verse of the Quran, Allah says:
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ وَزِينَةٌۭ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّۭا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَـٰمًۭا ۖ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ ۚ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ
Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children. This is like rain that causes plants to grow, to the delight of the planters. But later the plants dry up and you see them wither, then they are reduced to chaff. And in the Hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness and pleasure of Allah, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.
The Holy Quran, Ch. Al-Hadid (The Iron) verse 20
In the above verse, Allah declares that the reality of this life is one of deception, and we must not fall into it solely for temporary pleasures.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.
The Holy Quran, Ch. Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) verse 56
From the above verse, it is evident that the creation of humans, as well as jinn, is for the purpose of worshiping Allah. When a Muslim worships Allah, they truly acknowledge His divinity, just as they did in the oath taken before their birth. Therefore, the more a Muslim worships Allah, the closer they become to Him, and the meaning of their existence begins to emerge.
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ فِى ٱلْخَمْرِ وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ
Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah and praying. Will you not then abstain?
The Holy Quran, Ch. Al-Ma’idah (The Feast) verse 91
In the above verse, Allah informs us and explains that when humans indulge in mutual hatred, they will surely incline towards making others their purpose in life, thus diverting themselves from their true purpose, which is to remember Allah. Therefore, to fulfill the purpose of knowing God, a Muslim needs to restrain themselves from evil as far as they tend towards doing good.
In summary, Allah has guided humans towards the purpose of life, which is to worship Him and seek His pleasure. The Quran, in this regard, is one of the best ways to learn the ways in which one can fulfill this purpose, pleasing Allah, and giving meaning to their life. The primary reason for our creation is worship. We must fulfill this purpose by following the commands of Allah given in the Quran.
What is the true purpose of life according to Islam?
It is quite clear that Allah sends every living being to this world for a specific purpose. There is no uncertainty that we must return to Him, and Allah may ask us next whether we have achieved our purpose or not. From the previous explanation, it is known that our purpose in life is to know and worship Allah.
What does worship mean?
Worship is described as everything in Islam that a person does out of love and obedience to Allah. It entirely depends on the right or wrong actions of the individual performing it.
What are the correct acts of worship?
Any action done in accordance with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW is known as worship. Worship includes giving charity, visiting the sick, helping others, praying for others, performing prayers, and so on, as guided by the teachings of the Prophet.
What is the message of Islam regarding life?
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods.” But some of them were guided by Allah, while others were destined to stray. So travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers!
The Holy Quran, Ch. An-Nahl (The Bees) verse 36
The message to determine the true purpose of life is found in one of the revelations from Allah, which was bestowed upon all Prophets from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad SAW. It has been a continuous message conveyed to every Prophet, reminding us to always remember the will of Allah.
