What is the meaning of life, and why did God create us?

God created human beings so that they may come to know Him and serve Him freely and consciously. Life is a journey on which, through our own choices, we can draw ever closer to God.

Why does a flower bloom and spread its fragrance? It does not do so on purpose. It simply shows what lies in its nature. Human beings, too, constantly display what is within them. We see, hear, speak and think. Anyone who has qualities and is conscious will express them.

God is always conscious and living, and His attributes are perfect. He is the Creator, so He creates. He is the Forgiving, so there must be beings who can go wrong and seek forgiveness. That is why He created human beings with a real choice between good and evil.

This freedom is what makes us human. Angels are good because goodness is their nature. They have no choice, and so they are not rewarded for being good. A human being, however, can follow God’s guidance or turn away from it. If we follow it while we could have done otherwise, we earn a reward. If we reject it while we could have obeyed, we are responsible. The second verse above describes exactly this test.

In a sense the whole Holy Qur’an is about this question. In short, life is a long journey from lifeless matter to consciousness. That consciousness is meant to grow and develop towards God. It is meant to learn to understand more than the senses can grasp directly, until it is able to recognise God Himself.

In Islam, serving God therefore means more than prayer. It means reflecting God’s attributes in our own lives, such as kindness, justice and forgiveness. Whoever lives in this way finds the purpose for which they were created.