Introduction

This book is about human life—in particular, about the purpose of human life. Why have we taken birth here, on Earth? What is death? What happens to us after death? These issues are a central focus of the Quran. In fact, one could say that a basic purpose of the Quran is to inform human beings about the purpose of their life so that they plan it accordingly.

We are born from our mother’s womb, enter this world, spend some years here, die and then move on to the next stage of life. The Quran describes this in a very clear manner.

The first and foremost task for each one of us is to discover the purpose of human life and to understand what happens after we die. We need to reflect on the reality of death. Being heedless of death, we set many goals such as pursuing material luxury, acquiring fame and honour, unceasingly working to defeat our rivals or opponents, trying to make others suffer losses at our hands. All the while we are ignorant of the truth that at death, we will not take any of these accomplishments with us to the afterlife.

We need to know for what eternal purpose we have come into this world. How should we plan for our life by rising above superficial considerations and achieve that which is abiding and permanent, so that it benefits us in the life Hereafter?

The Quran provides us the guidance we need in this regard.