Epigraph:
“Very
exalted and very Benevolent is the [Lord] in Whose hands is the dominion [of
the world,] and He has power over all things. [He] Who created death and life
to test you as to which of you does better deeds. And He is also Mighty and
Forgiving.” Qur’an (67:1-2)
Reading Time:
(10 minutes)
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Purpose OF Creation: Why this Exercise?
The epigraph above mentions the exact purpose of our creation. He wants to test us through the conscience He has imbibed in us and reward us with a life of eternity described as God’s Eternal Kingdom of Paradise.
“Whatever
is on the earth, We have made it its adornment so that We test people that who
among them does good deeds.” Qur’an (18:7)
God
introduced Himself to us through His message, the Qur’an.
“All
that is in the heavens and the earth has glorified God, and He is the Mighty,
the Wise. It is He Who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth. He alone
ordains life and death and has power over all things. It is He Who is the
First (الاوّل)and
the Last (الآخر) as well, the Apparent and the Hidden too, and He has
knowledge of all things.” Qur’an (57:1-3)
The
attributes of God mentioned above are the First and the Last. This means He was
always present and shall remain present. He wished for us to be created and to
enjoy the bounties of life. Life has much to offer. The most outstanding aspect
is the beautiful mind we possess. It makes us appreciate life in its complete
glory and majesty. We pronounce this through prose, poetry, rhetoric, drama,
and all other facets of fine arts. This is such a profound arrangement that no
one is willing to die and leave these beauties of life. In fact, humans have
coined a phrase: My little paradise around me.
God
intends to bestow us with an eternal Kingdom, where human abilities shall be at
their highest. Where the fear of death shall disappear forever. There shall be
no regrets of the past and apprehensions of the future.
“…for
them their reward lies with their Lord and [in His gracious presence] they
shall have nothing to fear nor shall they ever grieve.” Qur’an (62:2)
It shall
be a place of Eternal reward by God for His righteous servants who, upon
leading a life of purification and development, shall be made to inherit this
Kingdom.
“On the
other hand, people who kept fearing their Lord shall be driven to Paradise
group after group. Finally, when they will reach it and its gates will be
opened [for them] and their guards will say to them: “Peace be to you; rejoice
and enter it forever,” and they will reply to them: “Gratitude be to God Who
fulfilled what He promised us and made us the inheritors of the land; now we
shall stay wherever we like in Paradise,” then this will be their reward. So,
what a befitting reward for those who labour.” Qur’an (39:73-74)
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How
does it work?
God wants
to reward us by being part of Eternity as enjoyed by Him! The difference is as
pointed above; He was the First. We are created. Henceforth, we do not perish.
Death is a transfer of our soul. It is transferred to another realm called a
Barrier (عالمِ برزخ).
“In
front of them will now be a barrier until that Day when they will be raised.” Qur’an
(23:100)
If we look
at the following Qur’an verse, it states human beings were created, being
lifeless, but once born, they shall live for eternity.
“How
can you deny God, whereas you were dead, then He gave you [O People] life? Then
it is He who gives death to you; then after this He only shall give life; then
towards Him shall you be returned.” Qur’an (2:28)
The Qur’an
describes the event of resurrection on the Day of Accountability, as the Day of
Winning/Losing, where the righteous servants of God shall be rewarded with a
life of eternity.
“Remember
the day when, for the Day of Gathering, He will gather you. That shall, in
fact, be the day of victory and defeat (یوم التغابن). And those who have professed faith in
God and have done righteous deeds, He will brush away their sins from them on
that day and will admit them to gardens below which streams flow. They will
abide therein forever. Supreme success, in fact, is this.” Qur’an (64:9)
The
question is, how does God’s Paradise fulfill and manifest the Purpose of
Creation? The Qur’an tells us that when God plans to execute His plans, He
says: Be, and it is (کن فیکون).
“He
alone is the originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees a
thing, He only says, 'Be’, and it is.” Qur’an
(2:117)
God shall
bestow us with this ability through Him. Whatever we want, shall be given to us
as a reward by God Almighty!
“Go,
enter Our Paradise with peace. This is the day of eternal dwelling, and they
will get there whatever they desire, and We have even more.” Qur’an (50:34-35)
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How
does God stress the purpose OF creation?
The Qur’an
describes the definition of ultimate success for us.
“Then
whoever is spared from Hell and is admitted to Paradise is truly successful,
and the life of this world is nothing but a deceptive deal.” Qur’an (3:185)
Therefore,
the Qur’an reminds us to strive for this ultimate success.
“…strive
fervently while outdoing one another towards the forgiveness of your Lord and
for a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth.” Qur’an (57:21)
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Conclusion
The
purpose of creation from the Qur’an’s perspective may be summed up as God
creating us to be rewarded for His Eternal Kingdom of Paradise, and for us in
striving to be the recipients of this incredible world to come through the
purpose of our existence, that is, through our purification and development,
here, in this fleeting world.
“Contrary
to this, those who come before Him as believers, who have done righteous deeds,
then it is such people for whom there are high ranks, orchards of eternal
residence beneath which streams flow. They shall live in them forever. And this
is the reward of those who adopt purity (پاکیزگی).” Qur’an (20:75-76)
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