What is the Purpose of Life?

A Muslim Perspective

Dear friends, I greet you with the greeting words of paradise, As-salaamu ‘alaykum, warahma tullaahi wabarakaatuh! May the Peace and Mercy and Blessings of God, Allah, be with you!

These days, our busy lives have become so frenetic, many of us find no time for contemplation, for reflection, for taking in the Big Picture, and for asking the Big Questions. Our work, study, sport, recreation and family life keeps us constantly engaged in the detail. But we must occasionally step outside this routine. We must reflect and ponder what might seem imponderable. We enjoy learning about the natural world, watching David Attenborough documentaries. We look at the world around us, from the microcosmic to the macrocosmic, from spinning electrons in the realm of quantum physics to those spectacular galaxies viewed through the Hubble telescope. Where did all this come from? How did the cosmos begin? Where will it end, and most compelling of all questions, why? Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What’s the point of my life? An individual human life, set out on the enormous canvas of space and time, appears to be so infinitesimally small and insignificant. What is my own place in the great cosmic scheme of things? What happens to me when I die? Is death just a big black hole, or is there some form of conscious existence after death? Is this really important? Do I care? Should I care? Or, should I just push these thoughts out of sight and get on with the laundry, do the shopping, or rush to complete those work deadlines that must be met?

Now, we can bury those big questions under so many immediate priorities of daily life. But, like a nagging headache, they lurk in the back of our minds, and they resurface, time and again. Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life?

Science is very good at telling us how things work, but the why part is another matter. Programmes on science and astronomy, and David Attenborough’s award winning natural history films tell us about the fragile, complex relationships that sustain life on our planet. But they don’t tell us why we’re here. That question belongs to the realm of philosophy and faith.

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* This talk was delivered by Arshad Gamiet at the Experience Islam Week on Thursday 6th March 2008 in the Main Lecture Theatre, Royal Holloway University of London, UK.