For a Muslim, the purpose of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. It is believed that at puberty, an account of every person’s deeds is opened. This will be used at the Day of Judgment to determine his eternal fate. The Qur’an also suggests a complete doctrine of divine predestination.
The Muslim doctrine of salvation is that unbelievers (kuffar, literally “those who are ungrateful”) and sinners will be surely condemned. But genuine regret results in Allah’s forgiveness and entrance into Paradise in life after death.
The Qur’an teaches the obligation of both faith and good deeds for salvation at different places and from different aspects.
- “It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful.”(33:43)
- “Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah ” and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.” (41:30)
- “And fear the Fire, which has been prepared for the disbelievers.” (3:131)
The concept of the right path or the purpose of life in Islam is also described thoroughly in the Quran through the following verse:
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are righteous.” (2:177)
The concept of Salvation in Islam is also described in the following verses:
- “Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (57:21)
Obey Allah in this life as the Quran says,
- “These are the limits [set by] Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits – He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.” (4:13-14)
- “Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds [that] for them there is forgiveness and great reward.” (5:9)
- “But those who believed and did righteous deeds – We charge no soul except [within] its capacity. Those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.” (7:42)
- “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – indeed, We will not allow being lost the reward of any who did well in deeds.” (18:30)
It is clear from all the above-given verses of the Quran that Islam Is very clear in its points of Faith of a Muslim that result in his Salvation in the life of this world and in the Afterlife. Each good deed is like a single step, no matter how small or big our step is, it will make us even steadier on the Right path and make us more close to Heaven. InshaAllah.
