Question (agian)

[inhumility]

Originally Posted by Silas

Hi people!

Originally Posted by Silas

What do you guys think the purpose of life is? I'm especially interested in hearing the nonChrisitan answer.
Thanks,
Silas

I give hereunder a response of your post in the words of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 1835-1908, the PromisedMessiahImamMahdi, from his book Philosophy of the Teachings of Islamttp://www.alislam.org/books/philosophy/1q7.html
Different people being short-sighted and lacking high resolve, appoint different purposes for their lives and limit themselves to worldly goals and ambitions. But the purpose that God Almighty has appointed thou man in His Holy Word is as follows: I have created men and jinn so that they may know Me and worship Me (51:57). Thus the true purpose of man’s life is the worship of God, His understanding and complete devotion to Him.
It is obvious that man is not in a position to appoint the purpose of his own life, for he does not come into the world of his own accord, nor will he depart therefrom of his own will. He is a creature and the One Who created him and invested him with better and higher faculties than those of all other animals, has also appointed a purpose for his life. Whether anyone penetrates to it or not, the purpose of man s creation without a doubt is the worship and the understanding of God and complete devotion to Him.
At another place God Almighty has said in the Holy Quran: The religion which provides true understanding of God and prescribes His true worship is Islam (3 :20). Islam is inherent in man’s nature and man has been created in accord with Islam. That is the everlasting faith (30:30-31). This means that God has desired that man should devote himself to His worship and obedience and love with all his faculties. That is why He has bestowed on man all the faculties that are appropriate for Islam.
These verses have very wide meaning. A part of which we have set out in the third part of the answer to the first question. Here we wish to state briefly that the true purpose of the internal and external limbs and faculties that have been bestowed on man is the understanding of God and His worship and His love. That is why, despite occupying himself with diverse projects in this life, man does not find his true welfare except in God. Having had great wealth, having held high office, having become a great merchant, having ruled a great kingdom, having been known as a great philosopher, in the end he departs from all these involvements with great regret. His heart constantly rebukes him on his total preoccupation with worldly affairs and his conscience never approves his cunning and deceit and illicit activities.
An intelligent person can appreciate this problem in this way also, that the purpose of everything is to be determined by its highest performance beyond which its faculties cannot operate. For instance, the highest function of a bullock is ploughing or irrigation or transportation. Its faculties are not adapted to anything else. Therefore, the purpose of a bullock’s life are just these three things. It has no power to do anything else. But when we look into the faculties of man and try to discover what is their highest reach, we find that he seeks after God, the Exalted. He desires to become so devoted to God that he should keep nothing as his own and all that is his should become God’s. He shares with the other animals his natural urge towards eating, sleeping etc. In industry some animals are far ahead of him. Indeed the bees extracting the essence of different types of flowers produce such excellent honey that man has not yet been able to match them. It is obvious, therefore, that the highest reach of man’s faculties is to meet God, the Exalted. Thus the true purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open towards God.
Unquote
I am an Ahmadi - a peaceful faith in Islam working for unity of all revealed religions with peaceful means.

[Prober]

Originally Posted by Zagreus

As far as submitting to Divine Will, this is not always easy. Nevertheless, my experience has been - and continues to be - that periods of fasting, increased self-discipline and voluntary sacrifice (of our personal will and the interests of the little self) ... are well worth the reward when it comes to the Spiritual. There are also plateaus, where we are given an opportunity to stretch our legs, so to speak, and reflect on the trials that we have just been through.

Absolutely...and thank G-d for the plateaus! "You must be tried in the fire". Tempered steel requires heat and cold.

Above all, what must come to characterize our spiritual search, and also our commitment to the spiritual path (whatever that may be), is a tenderness towards others, a positive attitude in every situation which presents itself, and a genuine, heartfelt Joy ... so that we may become a conduit, an infectious agent, for God's undying & unconditional Love for all that lives and breathes.

Big Amen to that! Especially loved the last part...

I know these are high ideals. But blind obedience ... just sounds so empty, and impersonal to me. Still, I think I do know what you're saying. It is in the submission of our little wills that we can make space, and a way, for God's Will ... and although we do not expect to perfectly express this will, let's not rule out any possibilities. (As a good friend mine has often reminded me, Things are always a little bit better than you imagine them to be. )

Love and Light,

~Zagreus

I feel ya here...I don't have to be a robot. Most of the time G-d lets me do as I please (in keeping with His commandments). It's just that there are times when He says "Just do it" and I can accept that.

Love ya,
Mark

[mee]

The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the [true] God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole [obligation] of man ............ecclesiastes 12;13