If everything in this universe -from the tiniest atom in the human body, through galaxies, to what is yet to be discovered in this spacious universe- is evident that it is NOT a coincidence, it -also- indicates that it is there for a purpose, and there is no absurdity in its existence.
Negating the absurdity and purposelessness is more than just a matter of negating coincidence and arbitrariness. Negating coincidence only means that there is an accurate cause for occurrence, while negating absurdity means that this cause has a prudence, goal and intention in the existence of the creation. Therefore, it is not pointless.
If you look at this magnificent universe, you will find that it has:
- Astonishing mastery.
- Miraculous perfection.
- Fascinating beauty.
- Wonderful harmony.
- Regularity of cosmic rules and constants, which compelled scholars to open their eyes wide in amazement by this infinite preciseness.
- Perfect order in the finest and tiniest thing -such as the astonishing work in cells, and the DNA it carries.
- Endless evidences of preciseness in humans and cosmos.
All of the above, for a rational and contemplative mind, banishes pointlessness and lack of purpose regarding the existence of life. As what Allah (SWT) said:
﴿ لَوْ أَرَدْنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لاَّتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا إِن كُنَّا فَاعِلِين ﴾ [الأنبياء17]
“Had We intended to take a diversion, We could have taken it from [what is] with Us – if [indeed] We were to do so” [21:17]. What for is this terrific perfection if it were only for a pastime or for tampering with creation?
﴿أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ (115)فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ﴾
“Did you then think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned. So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne”.[23:115-116].
The existence of a great purpose and wisdom is evident by meditating in the creation through applying the innate principle of cause and effect. The question remains: What is this great purpose? and how do we figure it out?
If we proved the existence of the Almighty All-knowing, All-wise Creator, and proved with evidence (more on these later) that He sent messengers with scriptures to clarify for people what the Creator wants from them; then the search for the answer is well sought in the message sent by the Creator Himself and in the guidance of knowledge with which He sent his messengers. This truly is the correct path. If a man seeks a source of guidance to answer this important question while he knows for sure about the source of all knowledge and wisdom and the origins of existence, it would be total ignorance and arrogance to ignore it and look for an alternative.
As Allah (SWT) made signs and rules to guide people in land, sea, and sky, for them to manipulate so as to reach great materialistic prospects, he also made signs for people to approach major cognitive teleological facts based upon which the universe was created.
Why would man wander in dismal valleys far from the shining lights of the revelation that Allah sent to enlighten the human mind and soothe his soul?
Man tried to look for a conclusive answer about the great facts of the universe depending on and solely following his own way of thinking, and rejecting any external evidence, yet he failed to reach a sufficient answer.
If man has a consistent reasoning, and an objective mind, he can conclude that there is a Creator to this universe, and this Creator must have certain characteristics, and He -The Creator- did not create the universe for pastime. But, is this everything?
If we believe in the existence of a great purpose, with the absence of purposelessness, how would we determine it?
Man wants to reach a complete knowledge of his Creator and The Creator of everything to connect with Him and feel the glory towards Him as well. He wants this great Creator to console him, strengthen him, and enlighten his way.
A person wants to know his beginning and fate, and what the Creator wants from him. He needs a reasonable clarification from the one who knows it all (SWT); to make it easier for him to uncover the wonders of what’s beyond the concrete world.
Because the traits of The Creator (SWT) are perfect, his mercy and wisdom required that he clarifies to people these facts. This clarification must be delivered by certain men, who have reached the highest degree of honesty, integrity and piety. Allah chose them with his knowledge:
﴾ اللهُ أعلَمُ حَيثُ يَجعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ ﴿
(Allāh is most knowing of where [i.e., with whom] He places His message.)[الأنعام124]
and supported their message and prophecy.
The final message that Allah has given to mankind contains a great amount of A’yas(verses) that teach us about Allah (SWT). For those who contemplate in the Qura’n shall find it. Nevertheless, the greatest verse in Quran -A’yat Alkursi-, and the greatest Sura(chapter) in Quran is actually nothing but praising, thanking Allah, and seeking help and trust in him. There’s also the chapter which the prophet (PBUH) said to equal one third of the Quran -Surat Al Ikhlas-, which introduces Allah (SWT) and glorifies him.
Allah (SWT) said:
﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا﴾
(It is Allāh who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allāh is over all things competent and that Allāh has encompassed all things in knowledge.)[الطلاق12]
The final holy message of God teaches mankind about the glory, dignity, and perfection of their Creator. It also teaches them about their freewill and how it is a point of testing, for them to worship Him voluntarily and willingly; those who do so will be generously rewarded, and those who do not will be severely punished. Allah (SWT) said:
﴿تبَارك الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (1) الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ﴾
( Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent(1) [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) [الملك1-2] he said as well:
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ﴾
(And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne had been upon water – that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed) [هود7]
and also said:
﴿إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ بِالْقِسْطِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ﴾
(Indeed, He begins the [process of] creation and then repeats it that He may reward those who have believed and done righteous deeds, in justice. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment for what they used to deny)[يونس4]
Allah, in many verses, makes it clear to people that He does not need them, and those who obey Him and be devoted to Him will succeed. Others who disobey Him will face the opposite end.
The greatest evidence of Allah’s unique perfection whom the best of existents willingly submit to, is that He tells people what life is about and what comes after it. It is about differentiating good from evil, virtue from vice. Such division and contention of people brings out the best of the perfect creations in the existence, and the worst of the evil ones. Allah said:
﴿وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ (16) لَوْ أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نَتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَاتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا إِنْ كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ (17) بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ ﴾
((16) And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play. (17) Had We intended to take a diversion; we could have taken it from [what is] with Us – if [indeed] We were to do so. (18) Rather, we dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe.) [الأنبياء-16-17-18]
Allah also said:
﴿أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ (115) فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ﴾
((115) Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?” (116) So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.)[المؤمنون115-116]
He said as well:
﴿أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى ﴾
(Does man think that he will be left neglected?) [القيامة36] Ash Shafei explained: “Meaning, he will not be commanded and prohibited.”
Allah clearly stated:
﴿وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ﴾
(And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.)[الذاريات56]
And:
﴿وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ (118) إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذَلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ﴾
((118) And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ, (119) Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them.)[هود118-119]
Thus, the purpose of creation is:
- Knowing the almighty God.
- Getting willingly close to Him.
- Rewarding the good with the greatest pleasure.
- Testing people with good and evil to get the best and worst out of all creation and punish the worst of them.
- Seeing the impact of God traits, his knowledge, wisdom, competence, superiority, mercy and so on, without the need for them.
No one can uncover all His wisdom. For Allah cannot be asked about his actions; He knows best of His wisdom and we people try to understand what He uncovers to us. God is needless to us and our worshiping and understanding (SWT).
