Article appeared Friday, September 16th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (195)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Our judgment directs us to follow the manufacturers advice to get the best service out of a product. Can there be an exception to this rule? It is the manufacturer who designs the product to fulfill a particular purpose. Thus only the manufacturer knows how best to achieve the designed purpose of the product. On the contrary, what would you say to a person who wishes to ignore the manufacturers advice and instead prefers his or her own wisdom when using a previously unknown product? Furthermore, what would you say to a person who feels that he/she knows better than the manufacturer and instead offers his/her own concocted advice? If human beings are created, should they be considered as individual products? If we are products, it logically follows that each must have been designed for a purpose. Being the product ourselves, do we exactly know the purpose of our own life, or even the purpose for which we are enjoying the gift of existence? As quoted (p.19) in his ground-breaking book {1} Warren (2002) points out that when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing. In this connection, Warren discusses research by Dr Moorhead {2}: Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University, once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them, "What is the meaning of life?" He then published their responses in a book. Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others were honest enough to say they were clueless. In fact, a number of famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life! {2} Looking around, one might ask whether the purpose of a human beings life is simply the same as that of an animal eat, drink, sleep, do the toilet, mate, have children. Is that all that humans are also designed to do as well? In addition, what about answers to other pertinent questions like, What do I need to do to get the best from this product? Obviously, if we believe that we are created, our Designer and Creator would have the exact answers to all these questions. Has our Creator left us in the dark? Justifiably, and as pointed out (p.20) by Warren (2002): Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It's revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God. {1} Accordingly, while confirming previous Revelations, the most recent Revelation, the Quran completes the picture: To Allah (our Creator) belong all things in heaven and earth: verily Allah is He (that is) free of all wants (exclusively) worthy of all praise. [31.26] Why all praise? Do you not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth and has made His bounties flow to you in exceeding measure (both) seen and unseen? Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah without knowledge and without guidance and without a Book to enlighten them! [31.20] In response to the question on the purpose of each individuals life: O you people! Adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those who came before you that you may have the chance to learn righteousness. [2.21]

What is the first and foremost righteous behaviour? Justifiably, complete acceptance and adherence to the fact that our Creator knows what is best for us. Whoever submits his/her whole self to Allah and is a doer of good has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold: and with Allah rests the End and Decision of (all) affairs. [31.22] Logically, denying that Allah knows best is tantamount to denying that we are created beings and thereby is disbelief! What well known examples of disbelief has our Creator set before us? And behold We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam"; and they bowed down not so Iblis (Satan) he refused and was haughty he was of those who reject Faith. [2.34] Further: We said: "O Adam! Dwell with your wife in the garden and eat of the bountiful things therein as you will but approach not this tree or you will run into harm and transgression." Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden) and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been... [2.35 2.36] Disobedience together with self-assumptions of what is best for ourselves and others is the most heinous of sins. Our Creator informs us that such sins continue:

4.49 Have you not turned your vision to those who claim sanctity for themselves? Nay but Allah does sanctify whom He pleases but never will they fail to receive justice in the least little thing. 4.50 Behold! How they invent a lie against Allah! But that by itself is a manifest sin! 4.51 Have you not turned your vision to those who were given a portion of the Book (previous Revelation)? They believe in sorcery and evil and say to the unbelievers that they are better guided in the (right) way than the believers! 4.52 They are (men) whom Allah has cursed: and those whom Allah has cursed you will find they have no one to help. 4.53 Have they a share in dominion or power? Behold they give not a farthing to their fellow-men! 4.54 Or do they envy mankind for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? But We had already given the people of Abraham the Book and Wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom. 4.55 Some of them believed and some of them averted their faces from him: and enough is hell for a burning fire. 4.56 Those who reject Our Signs We shall soon cast into the fire: as often as their skins are roasted through We shall change them for fresh skins that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power Wise.
--{Notes}: {1} Warren, R. (2002). The Purpose-Driven Life: What on earth am I here for? Zondervan {2} Moorhead, H.S. (Ed). (1988). The Meaning of Life According to our Centurys Greatest Writers and Thinkers. Chicago Review Press. Chicago.