the AIM of LIFE - Love Forum

one.m · #1 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 09:19 AM

the AIM of LIFE

What is your purpose in life? What is the rationale behind our life? Why do we live in this life? These questions frequently intrigue people who try to find accurate answers.

People provide different answers to these questions. Some people believe the purpose of life is to accumulate wealth. But one may wonder: What is the purpose of life after one has collected colossal amounts of money? What then? What will the purpose be once money is gathered? If the purpose of life is to gain money, there will be no purpose after becoming wealthy. And in fact, here lies the problem of some disbelievers or misbelievers at some stage of their life, when collecting money is the target of their life. When they have collected the money they dreamt of, their life loses its purpose. They suffer from the panic of nothingness and they live in tension and restlessness.

Can Wealth Be an Aim?

We often hear of a millionaire committing suicide, sometimes, not the millionaire himself but his wife, son, or daughter. The question that poses itself is: Can wealth bring happiness to one’s life? In most cases the answer is NO. Is the purpose of collecting wealth a standing purpose? As we know, the five-year old child does not look for wealth: a toy for him is equal to a million dollars. The eighteen-year old adolescent does not dream of wealth because he is busy with more important things. The ninety-year old man does not care about money; he is worried more about his health. This proves that wealth cannot be a standing purpose in all the stages of the individual's life.

Wealth can do little to bring happiness to a disbeliever, because he/she is not sure about his fate. A disbeliever does not know the purpose of life. And if he has a purpose, this purpose is doomed to be temporary or self destructive.

What is the use of wealth to a disbeliever if he feels scared of the end and skeptical of everything. A disbeliever may gain a lot of money, but will surely lose himself.

Worshipping Allah as an Aim

On the contrary, faith in Allah gives the believer the purpose of life that he needs. In Islam, the purpose of life is to worship Allah. The term "Worship" covers all acts of obedience to Allah.

The Islamic purpose of life is a standing purpose. The true Muslim sticks to this purpose throughout all the stages of his life, whether he is a child, adolescent, adult, or an old man.

Worshipping Allah makes life purposeful and meaningful, especially within the framework of Islam. According to Islam this worldly life is just a short stage of our life. Then there is the other life. The boundary between the first and second life is the death stage, which is a transitory stage to the second life. The type of life in the second stage a person deserves depends on his deeds in the first life. At the end of the death stage comes the day of judgment. On this day, Allah rewards or punishes people according to their deeds in the first life.

The First Life as an Examination

So, Islam looks at the first life as an examination of man. The death stage is similar to a rest period after the test, i. e. after the first life. The Day of Judgment is similar to the day of announcing the results of the examinees. The second life is the time when each examinee enjoys or suffers from the outcome of his behavior during the test period.

In Islam, the line of life is clear, simple, and logical: the first life, death, the Day of Judgment, and then the second life. With this clear line of life, the Muslim has a clear purpose in life. The Muslim knows he is created by Allah. Muslims know they are going to spend some years in this first life, during which they have to obey God, because God will question them and hold them responsible for their public or private deeds, because Allah knows about all the deeds of all people. The Muslim knows that his deeds in the first life will determine the type of second life they will live in. The Muslim knows that this first life is a very short one, one hundred years, more or less, whereas the second life is an eternal one.

The Eternity of the Second Life

The concept of the eternity of the second life has a tremendous effect on a Muslims during their first life, because Muslims believe that their first life determines the shape of their second life. In addition, this determines the shape of their second life and this determination will be through the Judgment of Allah, the All just and Almighty.

With this belief in the second life and the Day of Judgment, the Muslim's life becomes purposeful and meaningful. Moreover, the Muslim's standing purpose is to go to Paradise in the second life.

In other words, the Muslim's permanent purpose is to obey Allah, to submit to Allah, to carry out His orders, and to keep in continues contact with Him through prayers (five times a day), through fasting (one month a year), through charity (as often as possible), and through pilgrimage (once in one's life).

The Need for a Permanent Purpose

Disbelievers have purposes in their lives such as collecting money and property, indulging in sex, eating, and dancing. But all these purposes are transient and passing ones. All these purposes come and go, go up and down. Money comes and goes. Health comes and goes. Sexual activities cannot continue forever. All these lusts for money, food and sex cannot answer the individual's questions: so what? Then What?

However, Islam saves Muslims from the trouble of asking the question, because Islam makes it clear, from the very beginning, that the permanent purpose of the Muslim in this life is to obey Allah in order to go to Paradise in the second life.

We should know that the only way for our salvation in this life and in the hereafter is to know our Lord who created us, believe in Him, and worship Him alone.

We should also know our Prophet whom Allah had sent to all mankind, believe in Him and follow Him. We should, know the religion of truth which our Lord has commanded us to believe in, and practice it …

Frasbee · #2 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one.m

On the contrary, faith in Allah gives the believer the purpose of life that he needs. In Islam, the purpose of life is to worship Allah. The term "Worship" covers all acts of obedience to Allah.

This only reinforces my theory that religion is only for people that "need" it. For people that aren't quiet satisfied and are looking for something more.

bohemiandonut · #3 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 12:44 PM

Quote:

In other words, the Muslim's permanent purpose is to obey Allah, to submit to Allah, to carry out His orders, and to keep in continues contact with Him through prayers (five times a day), through fasting (one month a year), through charity (as often as possible), and through pilgrimage (once in one's life).

That sounds like a really, really sucky purpose.

Do you know what my purpose in life is, One.moron? This:

Have fun!

Now, doesn't that sound like just... more... fun?

I would actually love to discuss this with you, One.m, but I'm not sure you would be willing. If you would, respond to this post and tell me what you think about my meaning of life.

Peace. (not Jihad.)

Only-virgins · #4 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 01:53 PM

The goal, aim, purpose of life is to breed.

one.m · #5 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bohemiandonut

That sounds like a really, really sucky purpose.

Do you know what my purpose in life is, One.moron? This:

Have fun!

Now, doesn't that sound like just... more... fun?

I would actually love to discuss this with you, One.m, but I'm not sure you would be willing. If you would, respond to this post and tell me what you think about my meaning of life.

Peace. (not Jihad.)

worshipping god doesn't mean that you can't have fun.....

we have fun....but in the same time we pray for allah..

you can't spend your life ...only having fun......don't you thing so????!!!!!!

Raverboy · #6 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one.m

worshipping god doesn't mean that you can't have fun.....

we have fun....but in the same time we pray for allah..

you can't spend your life ...only having fun......don't you thing so????!!!!!!

Yes, maybe your right, but when your not having fun who says we have to pray? I'm rather positive there are other activities.

Imagine the aim of life is too see who can sustain life the longest? Lifes just a big game, now doesn't that sound fun?

Arrivederchi!

one.m · #7 (**permalink**) 22-03-05, 11:10 PM

actully we muslims believe in Paradise...and we believe that if we worship allah during our life ....after death we go to Paradise ...and the only thing that you do there is having fun and doing every thing we want to...for ever without getting old....and every beautiful thing that you love you well have it there.......every thing

take a look at this link
here

Frasbee · #8 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 01:11 AM

This is why I have troube believing in a "heaven" or "paradise".

What if you feel like going on a killing spree?

Can you do that up there?

What if your entire you life you did good things just so you could get up into paradise only to **** the first child soul you came across? A heavenly peodphile if you will. What then?

Only-virgins · #9 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frasbee

This is why I have troube believing in a "heaven" or "paradise".

What if you feel like going on a killing spree?

Can you do that up there?

What if your entire you life you did good things just so you could get up into paradise only to **** the first child soul you came across? A heavenly peodphile if you will. What then?

Yea, I agree with this. What about the free-will in heaven/paradise? I am not sure but even though I am a determinist and believe in strictly cause and effect ...I still have a hard time understanding on what would happen is an insane person reached this paradise.

Raverboy · #10 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Only-virgins

Yea, I agree with this. What about the free-will in heaven/paradise? I am not sure but even though I am a determinist and believe in strictly cause and effect ...I still have a hard time understanding on what would happen is an insane person reached this paradise.

Sarcasm all aside...

Look at it in this way, see life as a trial run for this so called Paradise, if by any chance, a "insane" person as you put it, makes his way to this Utopia, what makes you think they would under go, let's say the duration of 60 years of their life, doing only good things in order to reach this place...they would'nt.

Get back to me on this!

Ta ta!

Frasbee · #11 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raverboy

let's say the duration of 60 years of their life, doing only good things in order to reach this place...they would'nt.
Ta ta!

So would it be fair for one who truly does not have the ability to adhere to societies moral standard to be punished?

bohemiandonut · #12 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 11:16 AM

Yeah One.m, are you starting to see how easy it is to poke holes in your naive beach-ball of a thoery?

Good job Frasbee. (POP! POP POP!)

Only-virgins · #13 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frasbee

So would it be fair for one who truly does not have the ability to adhere to societies moral standard to be punished?

Exactly...what the hell is "good" anyways.

Either way...the simplest answer is usually the right answer....the right answer is...that this doesn't matter because there is no "paradise" in the first place. Period.

Frasbee · #14 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Only-virgins

Exactly...what the hell is "good" anyways.

Either way...the simplest answer is usually the right answer....the right answer is...that this doesn't matter because there is no "paradise" in the first place. Period.

I never said "good".

I said "does not have the ability to adhere to societies moral standard".

Only-virgins · #15 (**permalink**) 23-03-05, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frasbee

I never said "good".

I said "does not have the ability to adhere to societies moral standard".

I know what you said. Whats your point? I said it ...not you.