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Who are we?…

“Was there not a period of time when man was nothing to speak of?” The Qur’an, Chapter 76, Verse 1

One of the biggest barriers between us and God is arrogance; the idea that the whole world revolves around us, that we are completely independent, invincible and unstoppable. We look at ourselves daily in the mirror almost convinced that the self that stares back at us is the way we have always been. This type of self-worship is pushed in the world that we live in today, however this could not be further from the truth.

In the Qur’an, God constantly reminds us of our both humble origins and inevitable demise. Where we came from and where we are going. If we were to honestly reflect over our origins it would leave us in a state of utter humility, emptying the heart of clutter and making room for guidance. In the verse above, God takes us right back to where we came from: “Was there not a period of time when man was nothing to speak of?” We know the answer.

Without a shadow of a doubt there was a time where we were not a thing mentioned. We were insignificant and nonexistent, at least from a material perspective. This should make us ask who brought us into being? If we ask this question we will rationally and intuitively conclude the answer is God.

What’s my purpose?…

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” The Qur’an, Chapter 51, Verse 56

At some point in our lives we all ask questions related to our ultimate purpose: Who am I? Why am I? What will happen to me when I die? Sometimes you are able to brush these questions away until they re-emerge again later! For others these questions become so troubling and persistent that finding the answer becomes the ultimate quest in life! If we think deeply we can conclude that the answer cannot come from us as we did not create ourselves! Only the one who created the Universe and gave us life and purpose God can tell us.

In the verse above, God tells us that he did not create us for any other reason except to worship Him, clarifying that we were indeed created for a very specific purpose removing the unintuitive notion that we have no purpose and that we are just an accident! It is important to delve a little deeper into the meaning of “worship” in the Quran as it is different to what many understand worship to be.

Normally when we think of worship we think of rituals. When God speaks to us in the Qur’an, telling us that He created us to worship Him this in fact incorporates every aspect and dimension of our lives. The purpose is to try to do everything in our lives in a way that God loves and is pleased with and avoid everything that will distance us from His love.

Everything we do in life becomes a form of worship. This understanding elevates the human being. No longer are we lost and confused but now we know not only who we are but why we are. We are a creation of God, created to worship Him, and as the Quran also tells us that we have a responsibility to take care of the world and everything within it. Just this short verse not only informs us of our purpose but elevates and empowers us to make the most of this life.

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