The meaning of life

Human beings are perfectionist and purposeful and strongly avoid banality, meaninglessness and purposelessness.

Banality and vanity does not satisfy such a being, therefore if life does not have meaning and purpose, being alive has no value, even if all facilities are available. 'Failure in welfare' is not the reason for dissatisfaction with life. Even a simple but hard life can be lovely. What makes one disappointed is 'failure in seeking meaning'.

A young American man says, "I was 22 and was following the path which society suggested to achieve prosperity. I completed my gradation in chemical engineering, also worked in a company, earning high income. What else did I want in my life? I had all which may lead to prosperity; I owned all means of prosperity: car, recorder, luxurious apartment, a few real friends. What else do you want?

However, I had never felt such misery in my life. The first year after graduation as an engineer of chemistry, my mind was preoccupied with identity crisis as well as the crisis of life values. Although, I had followed all suggestions which society dictates for prosperity, I had no reason to continue my life...

I did not know why I was alive and why my living could be important. Life had no meaning for me, this crisis of doubt and anxiety had been ruining my entire life.

I was pondering whether life was truly relative? Is that all our life could be? To live fifty or eighty years in pains and pleasure? Is it just working, sleeping, and eating, enjoying and then it is as if you had never been born? If this is the case, why should we live? Why should not we commit suicide and finish all these banality? Why should we suffer for a banal life? Why should we remain good people? Why should we think about our health? If all our lives are going to vanish sooner or later, why should we bother ourselves? With the passage of time, life became more sufferable and I was concluding that life had no value to live."

Meaning and its different aspects

This is indicative of the crucial impact of meaning on our happiness in our life.

The issue of meaning has different aspects. One of these aspects is 'meaninglessness'. There are some people who consider no meaning for life from the very beginning of creation and imagine that life is banality.

There are also people who believe in 'incompleteness of meaning'. They consider a purpose for their lives, but the moment they achieve it, they think it does not have enough value to live for. This perspective must be considered within a broader framework. Islam maintains that life's real philosophy directs us towards paying attention to the goals beyond worldly life. Otherwise 'loss',will happen.

In Islamic worldview, this world is part of a life, which in regard to its duration, is a very short part of human life. Considering its value, this world is also a trivial issue compared to the Hereafter.

Allah (swt) considers this world as more trivial than its being as the purpose of human effort.

"Say, The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah."

Imam Sajjad (as) said,"How poor son of Adam is! Every day, he is inflicted with three misfortunes.

Nevertheless, he does learn lessons from any. Had he learnt a lesson, all the misfortunes of this worldly life would have been easy in his sight.

The first misfortune is that the day which comes upon him decreases his age. If a decrease occurs to his wealth, he will become so depressed, while he can cover the decrease of wealth, but he cannot regain the decrease of his age.

The second misfortune is that he takes the sustenance that is decided for him completely.

If he gets it in a legal way, he will be interrogated about it, and if he gets it in an illegal way, he will be punished for it.

The third misfortune, which is the most calamitous, is that each day that ends takes him a stage closer to the Hereafter, while he does not know whether his fate will be Paradise or Hell."

Imam Baqir (as) said,"Let not people deceive you in matters regarding yourself, because you exclusively will encounter your own matters.

Do not spend your days with gossips and nonsense, for there are the angels who accompany you and record all your deeds.

Do righteous deeds, because I have not seen anything better in result and remedying than a new good deed after an old sin."

Imam Sadiq (as) said, "Be tolerant in the acts of obedience to Allah and steadfast against the acts of disobedience to Him. This world is no more than an hour.

You will not find the pleasures of what has passed away and you will not be able to recognize what is coming. Be patient in that hour and you will attain bliss."

A wise man said, "Man is like a traveller who has to pass by six stations.

He, however, has already passed by three: the first is the transition from nonexistence to his father’s loins and mother’s ribs.

The second is the transition to the mother’s womb.

The third is the transition from the mother’s womb to the world.

The three stations that man has not passed by yet are the grave, the field of the Resurrection, and Hell or Paradise."

We are now living in the third station whose distance takes our lifetime.

Hence, days of our ages are miles, hours are meters and breaths are steps. Some of us have only few miles, others have only few meters, and others have only few steps.