What does a person want from life?
Episode 1
What is the meaning of life in Islam?
When a person asks about the meaning of life, he is not looking for a linguistic definition, nor for an abstract philosophical idea, but for something deeper than that; he is looking for a reason that makes him wake up every day, and for an explanation of pain, joy, loss, and the end that he knows is inevitably coming.
In Islam, meaning does not begin with the human being himself, but with the broader question: Who created this human being? Because meaning is not understood from within alone, but from the relationship between the Creator and the created, and between the will that created and the existence that was realized.
Islam presents humanity as an honored being, created neither in vain nor abandoned. Its existence is not a result of chance, nor a fleeting experience in a blind universe, but rather part of a purposeful system with a beginning and a purpose. From this springs meaning: that humanity has a role, and that its life has a value that transcends the present moment.
Meaning in Islam is not reduced to pleasure, nor to pain, nor to success or failure. These are all states, but meaning is the framework that gives these states their value. Pain in Islam is not a sign of futility, but may be a path to understanding, a means of self-discipline, or a reminder of a deeper truth. And blessings are not an end in themselves, but a trust and a test.
Islam views humankind as living in a state of testing—not a test of hardship, but a test of awareness. It is a test of the freedom granted to humanity, and of the choice between good and evil, between truth and desire. Thus, every action acquires meaning, every decision carries weight, and every moment has value.
In Islam, the concept of servitude is linked to God, not in the distorted sense many people have of it, but in its true sense: that a person knows their origin and is thus freed from subservience to anything else. When a person is not a servant of God, they become a servant to their desires, to other people, to fear, or to emptiness.
Hence, meaning is inseparable from responsibility. Islam does not promise a life free from pain, but it provides an explanation for pain, a direction for life, and a horizon that transcends this world. Death, in this understanding, is not the end of meaning, but a moment of transition in which the truth of what a person has lived, not what they have possessed, is revealed.
Meaning in Islam is not merely an idea to be discussed, but a lived experience. It manifests itself in one’s relationship with God, in honesty with oneself, in justice towards others, and in kindness even in the smallest details. It is a meaning built day by day, not through grand slogans, but through small, conscious choices.
This is not the end of the discussion about meaning, but rather its beginning. In the upcoming episodes, we will delve deeper into humanity’s fundamental questions: freedom, pain, good and evil, death, and the afterlife, and how Islam views all of these within a unified framework.
What does a person want from life?
Episode – 1 – What is the meaning of life in Islam?
Episode – 2 – Man between freedom and choice in Islam
Episode – 3 – Pain and evil: How does Islam explain them?
Episode – 4 – Death: an end or a transition?
Episode – 5 – The afterlife: justice and ultimate meaning
Series conclusion. How does this understanding change in human life?
