The Meaning of Life: Life Is a Test

Assalamu’alaikum wr.wb. The "meaning of life" is very simple. Almighty God created us, placed us on earth, and gave us rules to follow. If we follow those rules, we will be rewarded with an eternal life in Heaven. If we disobey those rules, we will be punished for all of eternity in Hell. So, our existence here is "a Test". Every human being who has ever lived will either pass or fail this Test, and then we will spend all of eternity living with the consequences of our actions.

126. Do they not see that they are tried every year once or twice but then they do not repent nor do they remember?
- (Al-Qur'an, At-Taubah 9:126)

Almighty God gave us logical brains so that we would be able to think about Him and try to understand what He wants from us. He carefully selected numerous prophets as His spokesmen to give us guidance, gave them holy books so that we would have rules to follow, and then God allowed them to perform miracles to prove that they had been sent by the One True Almighty God. However, some people ignore all of those prophets, and their holy books, and their miracles, and those people then use the logical brains that God gave them to constantly wonder about the meaning of life. This becomes more complicated when they spend too much time reading the thoughts of various philosophers instead of trying to understand the clear teachings from all of God's prophets, who already told us that this life is a Test.

1. Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent.
2. [He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.
- (Al-Qur'an, Al-Mulk 67:1-2)

God also created the Rules that will apply in His Test. The Test applies to all of us whether we like it or not. We can either try our best to follow the Rules in order to be rewarded, or we can ignore the Test and not care about what will happen later on. When the people who do not believe in the Test finally meet their Creator on Judgment Day, they will be shocked and will ask God to send them back to earth to take the Test again.

12. If you could but see when the criminals are hanging their heads before their Lord, [saying], "Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world]; we will work righteousness. Indeed, we are [now] certain."
- (Al-Qur'an, As-Sajdah 32:12)

112. [Allah] will say, "How long did you remain on earth in number of years?"
113. They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate."
114. He will say, "You stayed not but a little - if only you had known.
115. Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"
116. So exalted is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
- (Al-Qur'an, Al-Mu'minun 23:112-116)

When the disbelievers try to plead for a second chance, it will already be too late. The time allocated for us to take the Test will have finished, and Almighty God will be checking the results (our record of good deeds and sins). But even before we get to Judgment Day, we will already know the result of our Test. After our bodies have died, our souls will remain alive, and so we will be conscious in our graves. Then every day, God's angels will give us a preview of the fate that is waiting for us.

Narrated by Ibn Umar: Allah's Messenger [Muhammad PBUH] said, "When any one of you dies, he is shown his seat (in the Hereafter) morning and evening. If he is among the inhabitants of Paradise (he is shown the seat) from among the inhabitants of Paradise, and if he is one from among the inhabitants of Hell (he is shown the seat) from among the inhabitants of Hell, and it will be said to him: 'That is your seat until Allah raises you on the Day of Resurrection (and sends you to your proper seat).'"
- (Hadith Sahih Muslim)

Life is a Test, and so we must make a choice. Anyone who did not follow the Rules of the Test will get a bad score, and this includes those people who refused to participate in the Test by ignoring God, ignoring God's Rules, or denying the existence of His Test. If we can accept that God created us and is now testing us, then we need to make sure we have the correct and legitimate Rule Book to follow, which is the Holy Qur'an. Or, we can reject Almighty God, ignore His prophets, ignore their warnings, and take our chances.

God has given us absolute freedom to choose whichever path we want to follow. We should choose wisely because there will be no second chances. We only have this one life to make the right choice, and as soon as we die, we will be shown the initial result of our Test before we get the formal results directly from God on Judgment Day. So, anyone with a logical mind should want to carefully consider the possible existence of this Test. They should care about what all of God's prophets told us, and they should try to understand the validity of the Final Prophet Muhammad PBUH and the validity of the Holy Qur'an that was given to him by Almighty God. And they should do that right now before they run out of time!

35. Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.
- (Al-Qur'an, Al-Anbiya' 21:35)

The "meaning of life" is that we are being tested by Almighty God, and as a result of His Test, we will either go to Heaven or Hell. This belief that God created us and placed us here on earth to test us was taught directly by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. This is one of the standard teachings of Islam and has not changed from the time of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH until now.

I hope this is useful for reflection and understanding.
Wassalamu’alaikum wr.wb.
-Gene Netto