Paradise Is the Goal, but What Is the Purpose? - Part 1

 

Most Muslims will tell you, without hesitation, that the goal of life is Jannah. That answer is correct—but incomplete. Wanting paradise is easy. Understanding the purpose that leads us there is where the real work begins.

Islam does not call us to vague spirituality or blind hope. It calls us to responsibility, awareness, and obedience. To understand our purpose, we must return to the very beginning of human creation.

Allah informed the angels that He would place a successor on earth—a vicegerent entrusted with responsibility.

Allah says in the Qur’an (2:30) – interpretation of the meaning:

“Indeed, I will place upon the earth a successive authority.”

Human life was never meant to be accidental or self-serving. It was purposeful from the outset.

When Adam (peace be upon him) was created, Allah commanded him not to approach a specific tree. The test was not merely about eating—it was about obedience. Adam and Hawwa (peace be upon them) knew Allah, yet in a moment of forgetfulness, they slipped.

From this moment, we learn something essential about ourselves. Human beings sin for three primary reasons:

• forgetfulness,
• ignorance,
• or arrogance.

Forgetfulness is human and corrected through repentance. Ignorance requires learning. Arrogance, however, is the most dangerous—it is rejecting the truth once it is known.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ explained:

“The one who has even a mustard seed of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.”
Pride, he said, is rejecting the truth and looking down on people. (Sahih Muslim)

Speaking about the religion without knowledge, or refusing correction, is also a form of pride.

Conclusion

The question is not whether we sin—we all do. The question is why we sin, and whether our lives align with the purpose Allah created us for. Paradise may be the prize, but purpose is the path that leads us there.

 

There is much required of us to bring back justice to this world. However, while collectively we neglect Allah’s commands, we must take responsibility for the state of this world. The Palestinian issue gives us a reminder. What improvements have we made individually, as a society and as an ummah?

see part  2: The Cape Muslim Dialogue: Paradise Is the Goal, but What Is the Purpose? - Part 2

Entry Level

 

“Jam and bread” are often considered the minimum to survive on when times are tough. This got me thinking what the minimum needs are to get through life.

It is a tricky question. Parents today look at their kids and it as if they are merely providing them with a base. Daily they send them to school and then the kids return. Some kids go to “slamse skool” or madressa or madrassah in the afternoon. Others might go on a weekend. Some never go. The parents are proud when the pass this grade and the next and so on. So, some parents sit with the kids with their homework and even do their projects. Then there is that thing called exams. However, considering all this, many parents do not really have a clue what their kids learn, whether they fulfil their potential and where they are headed. Of course, people are more clueless when it comes to Islamic studies. The question is still “what is the minimum requirements to get through life?”.  Can you articulate this with respect to yourself and your children? Dare I say that if there is focus, then it is in the wrong place. Were you created to avoid eating jam and bread so that you are not at the poverty line? That is the physical aspect? What is the bread and jam on the religious and spiritual front?

The Muslims have been in the Cape for over three hundred years. How is there no plan, a culture in place that sets the basis for Muslims and those that share similar ethics and morals?  Are we in equipped to pass through this world and exit it into paradise? Are we lacking resources or is it about whether you and I are teachable and are prepared to work together for mutual benefit in this world and beyond? Perhaps, for starters let each one assess his and his family’s situation whether they meet the minimum requirements to go through life. A time to brainstorm, don’t you think?

 

Others also clicked this and read

Suicide at the Cape (capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com)

Authentic us (capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com)

 

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