Page 28 - Spirit of Islam-May'17

EXPLAINING CREATION
Purpose of Life

HY is there a contradiction between the two worlds—the
material world and the human world? The material world is
Wa complete world. There is no defect in it. But the human
world is apparently an incomplete world.
When we study the material world, we find that it is well planned,
intelligently designed and flawless, while the human world is one
in which there are problems aplenty and many kinds of unwanted
situations. For man, happiness seems to be an unachievable goal. If
God is perfect and all-powerful then why this contradiction in nature?
If God is perfect and powerful, the world ought to be a world in which
there are no contradictions.
This kind of observation as noted above is based on appearances,
but if one tried to explain nature according to God’s scheme of
things, we would discover that the apparent
contradiction is a part of the different aspects
Paradise will be of the scheme of the Creator.
accorded on the The fact is that, the material world was created
basis of merit. Only as a supporting world. It is a custom-made
those individuals who universe. The universe was made for man and
pass the test will gain not vice versa, hence we find stability in the
entry into Paradise. world. Man, on the other hand, was created
according to quite a different scheme. It is
required of man that he develops himself as
a self-made man. For this purpose, man has
been given total freedom. It is this total freedom that creates all kinds
of problems and not creation itself.
According to the Quran, man was created according to a special
scheme. God Almighty created Paradise as man's eternal abode. But
this Paradise will be given to mankind on a purely selective basis. God
will watch man's behaviour in the present world, then, according to the
record prepared by the angels, Paradise will be accorded on the basis
of merit. Only those individuals who pass the test will gain entry into
Paradise. o

26 Spirit of Islam Issue 53 May 2017