We are indeed created for a purpose beyond that of simply play and enjoyment in this life. We have the purpose of life that we should know and must live life according to that purpose. God created man to serve Him, meaning that men should believe in the One Lord and worship him. This is the main objective of human life. God says in Quran about purpose of Life:
“I have not created men except that they should serve Me” (Quran, 51:56).
“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose) and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Quran, 23:115).
God further states in Quran that He made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned:
[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving (Quran, 67:2).
In another verse of Quran God says that:
“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children .. (Quran, 57:20).
God reveals our ultimate purpose in the Bible.
God has a purpose for everything he creates, including us. (Isaiah 45:18).
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil Ecclesiastes. 12:13–14 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.(Matthew 6:33)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
In Exodus 9:16, God declares that He has a purpose for each of us, telling Pharaoh through Moses, "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). We should do “all things with an eye single to the glory of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:19).
We should love and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Doctrine and Covenants 59:5).
God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need.
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; (Surah Al-Ikhlas, 1).
And your Allah is One Allah. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. (Surah Al-Baqara, 163).
Allah. There is no god but He, -the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal. (Surah Al-Imran, 2).
It is He Who is Allah in heaven and Allah on earth; and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge. (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 84)
Verily, I am Allah. There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise. (Surah Ta Ha, 14).
God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God. Even Jesus himself rejected this. God is All Mighty and All Knowing, but Jesus is not. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:30).
‘But of That Day or That Hour no man, neither the angels, nor the son, but only the father’ (Mark 13:32).
God doesn’t need to Pray, but Jesus did: ‘And he (Jesus) went a little further and fell on his face (Sujud) and prayed.’ (Matt 26:39).
Jesus never said, ‘I am God, worship me’. God says in the Quran: We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened with the holy spirit (Quran, 5:75).
The case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam. He created him from dust, and then He said to him, “Be!” and he came into being (Quran, 3:59).
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam, including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them). Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)." (Surah Al-Imran, 84).
Muslims believe Muhammad (PBUH) is the last prophet sent by God, as God has said: We have only sent you as a mercy to the worlds (Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 107).
O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a Witness, and a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, (Quran, 33:45).
Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance for them.
“Verily We revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and We (also) revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isac and Jacob and the Tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron, and Solomon, and We gave David the Psalms.” (Surah Al -Nisa’, verse 163)
Among the book is the Quran, which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
“With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad SAW) the reminder and the advice (the Quran), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.” (Quran, 16:44)
God has guaranteed the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion. God has said:
“Indeed, We have sent down the Quran, and surely We will guard it (from corruption).” (Quran, 15:9)
Muslims believe in death and eternal life which comes after death. Muslims also believe on Judgment day, Heaven (Paradise) and Hellfire. Allah says about final hour in Quran:
“When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake. And when the earth throws out its burdens, And man will say: “What is the matter with it?. That Day it will declare its information (about all what happened over it of good or evil…” (Quran, Surah Al-Zalzalah 99:1-4).
“And says man: What! when I am dead shall I truly be brought forth alive? Does not man remember that We created him before, when he was nothing?” (Surah Maryam 19:66-67).
So, this life is our only chance to win Paradise and to escape from Hellfire, because if someone dies in disbelief, he will not have another chance to come back to this world to believe. If you could but see when they are set before the Fire (Hell) and say:
“Would that we might return (to the world)! Then we would not reject the verses of our Lord, but we would be of the believers!” (Quran, 6:27).
In Islam, it is believed that angels were created out of light, before the creation of humans. Angels are naturally obedient creatures, worshipping Allah and carrying out His commands.
“They do not disobey Allah's commands that they receive; they do precisely what they are commanded” (Quran, 66:6).
Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” (Surah Al-Baqara, 30).
“Those who reject Faith, and die rejecting, - on them is Allah’s curse, and the curse of angels, and of all mankind;” (Surah Al-Baqara, 161)
Say: “The Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls: then shall ye be brought back to your Lord.” (Surah As-Sajda, 11)
“Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee – chosen thee above the women of all nations.” (Surah Al-Imran, 42)
The Qur’an, which is the literal word of God was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad fourteen centuries ago, mentioned facts only recently discovered or proven by scientists. Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them.
The Quran mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God has said:
“He has set free the two seas meeting together. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress.” (Quran, 55:19-20).
“He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.” (Quran, 25:53).
Modern science clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’. God has said in the Qur’an:
“Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke...” (Quran, 41:11).
Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have underlying roots. These roots are deeply embedded in the ground; thus, mountains have a shape like a peg. This is how the Qur’an has described mountains:
“Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?” (Quran, 78:6-7).
Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth. They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said in the Qur’an:
“And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you...” (Quran, 16:15).
In the Holy Qur’an, God speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development:
“We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed substance).” (Quran, 23:12-14).
Modern scientific knowledge has shown that our galaxy revolves on its own axis.
“God is the one who created the night, the day, the sun, and the moon. Each one is traveling in an orbit with its own motion.” (Quran, 21:33).
The Quran mentions the Big Bang theory and the expansion of the universe, among other facts. These were not scientifically proven nearly 1400 years after the Quran was revealed.
“Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the Earth were meshed together then We ripped them apart? And then We made of water everything living? Would they still not believe? (Quran, 21.30).”
“And the heaven, We built it with craftsmanship and We are still expanding.” (Quran, 51.47).
The orbit of the sun was discovered in the 17th or 18th century. Amazingly, the Quran stated this fact 1000 years before science discovered it. God says:
“And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all in an orbit are swimming” (Quran, 21:33).
Modern scientific data indicate water is the major component of the living cell.
“And We got every living thing out of water. Will they then not believe?” (Quran, 21:30).
How could Muhammad (PBUH) have possibly known all this about fourteen hundred years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time?
Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.” Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Allah says about Islam in Quran:
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” (Quran, 3:19).
“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed my favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion. (Quran, 5:3).”
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers (in the Hellfire).” (Quran, 3:85).
ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF JUSTICE
“Truly God commands you to give back trusts to those to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice.” (Quran, 4:58).
“And act justly. Truly, God loves those who are just.” (Quran, 49:9).
“And let not the hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety.” (Quran, 5:8).
ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF KIND TREATEMENT
“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side.” (Quran 4:36).
“Indeed, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.” (Quran, 16:129).
ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE
“And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope; Surely, Allah's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.” (Quran, 7:56).
Islam helps in developing a close relationship with Allah by first telling what to believe in (six articles of faith) and then explaining how to implement these beliefs in our lives (the five pillars if Islam).
ARTICLES OF FAITH.
Muslim believes in six Articles of Faith:
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM.
The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Five Pillars consist of:
This life we live today is a very short life. The unbelievers on the Day of Judgment will think that the life they lived on earth was only a day or part of a day, as God has said in Quran:
“He (God) will say: “How many years did you stay on the earth?” They will say: “We stayed a day or part of a day....”” (Quran, 23:112-113).
Real happiness and peace can be found in submitting to the commands of the Creator and the Sustainer of this world. God has said in the Qur’an:
“Truly, in remembering God do hearts find rest.” (Quran, 13:28).
On the other hand, the one who turns away from the Qur’an will have a life of hardship in this world. God has said:
“But whoever turns away from the Qur’an, he will have a hard life, and We will raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Quran, 20:124).
When someone converts to Islam, God forgives all his/her previous sins and evil deeds and enter him/her in Paradise. We strongly believe that Guidance comes from God.
“You cannot guide those you would like to but God guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.” (Quran, 28: 56).
To become a Muslim, you need to recite the “Shahada” – the testimony of faith:
“I bear witness that there is no God except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and messenger)”.