The High Purpose of
Human Life
God created man with superior capabilities to recognize the Truth conveyed through the prophets, and live a God-oriented life so that he may receive God’s eternal blessings.
Chapter 95 of the Quran states: “By the Fig and the Olive, and by Mount Sinai, and by this secure land, We have indeed created man in the best of mould, then We cast him down as the lowest of the low, except for those who believe and do good deeds—theirs shall be an unending reward! What then after this, can make you deny the Last Judgement? Is not God the greatest of the judges?” (95:1-8)
Fig (tin) and olive (zaytun) are the names of two hills in the vicinity of Jerusalem where Jesus did God’s work. Mount Sinai (Tur Sinin) refers to that hill where God made His revelations to Moses. The ‘secure land’ (al-baladul amin) refers to Makkah where the Prophet Muhammad was born.
These places are historical reminders of the reality, that God is keeping a watch over human beings. He communicated what He liked and what He disliked through His trustworthy messengers. In this way, God told everyone in advance that he should lead his life in this world in such a way as to save himself from dire consequences and have his share in the eternal blessings of God.
God has created human beings with superior capabilities. These capabilities have been given to a person so that he should be able to recognize the Truth conveyed to him through the prophets, and to shape his life in accordance with it. Those who do so, will reach a high position of honour, which will be theirs for all eternity. On the contrary, those who do not make their God-given capabilities subservient to God’s will, shall have even the existing blessings taken away and they shall have no place to take refuge. Their lot shall be total deprivation. The raising of prophets and the end-results of their mission, bear testimony to the veracity of this fact.
Elevation of purpose alone can be the object of human life. That high purpose is an individual’s making proper use of his abilities so that he may attain realization of God and leading a life approved of by God. Such people deserve great reward from God. Those who fail to live up to this criterion can have no fate but total loss.
