Article appeared Friday, March 11th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (170) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Animals eat, sleep, drink, live in communities, fight, kill, do the toilet and mate. Human beings
eat, sleep, drink, live in communities, fight, kill, do the toilet and mate. Should human beings
have a higher purpose in life? There are a lot of people who have thought about this and a few
that have penned their thoughts. The American evangelical Christian minister and author Rick
Warren (born 1954) has made this the subject of his best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven
Life: What on earth am I here for?” Warren (2002) has used over 350 references that amount to
about 1200 verses and quotes from the Bible {1} to draw his conclusions. To help us
understand, he emphasizes on page 17 of his book:
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of
mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your
wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet,
you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.” {2}

Why should God, our Creator, be more important than our personal ambitions? It is our Creator
who has given us whatever we enjoy as well as the ability and opportunity to achieve. It is He
who grants success and fulfillment. Our Creator has carefully made each person unique and
given individual skills. Each person has his or her own status, rank or position in society. Each
position carries its own gifts and responsibilities. Having done so much and given us so much, is
it improper to give a thought to our Creator and ask what could be His Purpose in placing us on
earth? The most recent Revelation, the Qur’an guides us:
“It is He who has made you (His) agents inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in
ranks some above others: that he may try you in the gifts He has given you:...” [6.165]

“O you people! Adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those who came before
you that you may have the chance to learn righteousness.” [2.21]

What should be the right attitude of a created being towards its creator? Should one be grateful
and do as required? To help us understand how to be grateful the Anglo-American Catholic
writer, Thomas Merton (1915 – 1968) wrote:
“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us--and He
has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of
existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.” {3}

To help current generations on earth model their behavior towards the Creator, Jesus (pbuh)
recommends following the example of Abraham (pbuh). The Bible guides:
“"Our father is Abraham!" they declared. "No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the
children of Abraham, you would follow his example.” [John 8.39, NLT] {4}

The most recent Revelation, the Qur’an explains why we should all follow the example of
Abraham,
“Abraham was indeed a model devoutly obedient to Allah (and) true in faith and he
joined not gods with Allah: He showed his gratitude for the favors of Allah Who chose
him and guided him to a straight way. And We gave him good in this world and he will be
in the Hereafter in the ranks of the righteous....Follow the ways of Abraham the true in
faith as he joined not gods with Allah.” [16.120 – 16.123]
During his lifetime, what did Abraham do? In the words of Rick Warren, did Abraham practically
demonstrate that he was born by His purpose and for His purpose? The purpose of all
prophets from our Creator has been the same – to demonstrate that the Creator has absolutely
no equal (in any sense, e.g. Jesus did not preach the concept of Trinity) and that we should
fulfill the purpose for which we have been temporarily sent to earth. To further help understand
this concept of exclusive surrender to the Creator, Warren (2002) (page 59) writes,
“If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to
resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship
God and if you fail to worship Him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to.
You are free to choose, what you surrender to but you are not free from the
consequence of that choice.” {2}

To help understand, no prophet even placed personal injury above the Creator’s Purpose. For
example, even when Prophet Muhammad was wounded (in the Battle of Uhud) as a result of
greed and disobedience demonstrated by the followers, he was gentle in his dealings with them.

3.159 “It is part of Allah’s Mercy that you deal gently with them. Were you severe
or harsh-hearted they would have broken away from you; so pass over (their
faults) and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of
the moment). Then when you have taken a decision put your trust in Allah. For
Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
Created beings are reminded that,

3.160 “If Allah helps you none can overcome you: if He forsakes you who is there
after that that can help you? In Allah then let believers put their trust.”
What is the Covenant given to the prophets? Can any prophet suggest that anything other than
the Creator has any power? Can a prophet suggest that he himself is the creator or part of the
Creator?

3.161 “No prophet could (ever) be false to his trust. If any person is so false He
shall on the Day of Judgment restore what he misappropriated; then shall every
soul receive its due whatever it earned and none shall be dealt with unjustly.”

3.162 “Is the man who follows the good pleasure of Allah like the man who draws
on himself the wrath of Allah and whose abode is in hell? A woeful refuge!”

3.163 “They are in varying grades in the sight of Allah; and Allah sees well all that
they do.”
What was the common attitude of Abraham, Jesus and all other prophets towards the Creator?
How can each of us follow this attitude?
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{Notes}:
{1} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Purpose_Driven_Life
{2} Warren, R. (2002). The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here for? Zondervan,
Michigan.
{3} http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/quotes/quotes-thankful.html
{4} http://bible.cc/john/8-39.htm