What is life?

Life seems eased, but the burden in life are of desires. But desire is life-giving energy; without it, nothing can materialize, and nothing can be achieved. Without desire, there is no evolution in human beings.

When friends meet after a long time, they usually ask this question, “And tell me, how is life going?” This is a common question we often ask. Though no one can describe life what it is? People have thought about this question for a long time. The question, “What is life?” is challenging and complex. There is so much to understand about this question that our minds cannot grasp it completely. We came into this world because of life, but why do we live here? Many people search for meaning in life. Thus, life is about finding meaning, but we can learn more about it if we first look at “meaning” itself.

The meaning of life is to live, exist, and survive. Life/spirit is encapsulated in our physical body. We live in this world for a certain time till our soul is separated from our body. About life, we can just say, neither the beginning is decided by man’s consent nor the end. If we observe the life cycle, beginning with a cell, which is the basic unit of life, turns into a full-fleshed man. One universe is inside a human being, another universe is in the outer world.

Every individual looks at life through his lens and understands the philosophy of life. However, one should ponder upon the question, “Who I am? Why did we come here and from where? What is the purpose of existence? Will I have to leave this world? If we examine the creation of the universe, we realise that every creation serves some purpose, so our existence also has some purpose that we have to search for. Research has shown that asking and answering your questions helps you learn and that helps you understand reality. The more you ask, you will get replies. But its life indeed has beautiful things to offer. It is our attitude towards life that makes our life beautiful or miserable. It has little to do with situations that come up in life. Things and situations are not good or bad in themselves; rather, it is how we view them.

Life is a great teacher through which we learn all kinds of subjects. Each person learns the lessons as per his ability, capacity, and intellect, but the bitter tragedy is that by the time we get acquainted with life, it is over. Undoubtedly, life is a great charm where we “learn” something new every day and experience it with a new perception.

Life is full of uncertainties. The only aspect of life that we can be truly certain about is death. Everything must, eventually, come to an end. Life is a game run by God, and this life is a test for mankind. They will receive certificates for all their achievements in the next life. Destiny is written for everyone and will occur as planned, but we have to play our role consciously. For instance, rain is destined to happen and it will happen, but whether to go out or not is your choice.

Success and failure are just the ups and downs of life. You can not give up your whole life because of failure today, nor because success comes so easily that you consider yourself better than others. Don’t let them control your life, but find a way to control them as you please. Success and failure seem to be two opposite aspects, but they always go hand in hand. Knowing to rise after failure is a kind of success, and after success but easily giving up, that is a failure.

Life is full of colour; it is full of surprises, happiness, and sorrow. Every day, new assignments and new projects are allotted. By the time we learn, pages get turned inexorably. But don’t get disheartened that change is necessary to grow, just as different things give different pleasures and experiences. But at the same time, life is full of challenges too. We have to live our lives with these principles, and then only we can achieve the best of the best. Everyone has to taste death so you can leave your mark on this world, a mark of love, humanity, kindness and compassion. So it is easy to follow your legacy for the next generation. Life’s contribution to humanity makes long-lasting memories.

Life – Is it a Test from Allah?

“We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast,

those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and Him, we shall return.’

These will be given blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided”. (Qur’an 2: 155 / 156/ 157)

This life is a trust (Amaanah) from Allah and whatever abilities, time, wealth, or understanding we hold, it is a gift from Allah. And every one of us goes through trials and tests. Then out of sheer disappointment, we sometimes question ourselves why “Me” or “Why did this happened to me?” only when we are stricken by calamities and our faith is shaken, we usually uttered such statements out of ignorance.

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, ‘We believe’, and that they will not be put to the test?” (Quran 29:2)

There is a difference between trial (test) and aggression. Trials are from Allah, whereas transgression is from humans. For instance, if one falls sick, the sickness is from Allah, testing their faith. How do we respond to that situation? What is our attitude towards it? Are we blaming Allah or making supplication to him?

But if one is in an abusive situation, he/she should not compromise, but rather rectify the situation, and not tolerated any injustice.

There are a lot of things that we can talk about when it comes to the topic of trials and tests two basic questions arise :

1.Why does Allah test us?

2. What should our attitude be when facing a test from Allah ?

Life is a test and a trial; we are tested every day in this life. Everyone has a different level of the test. Our wealth is a test; the spouse is a test; the children are tests; poverty and wealth are tests, and disease and illnesses are tests. We are tested in everything we possess and in that which we encounter in this life until we meet Allaah, the Highest.

It’s an incorrect perception that Allah punishes us if we displease Him. Here, obedience and disobedience are not the criteria. Allah can test anyone. All the great Prophets had gone through extreme tests this shows that sometimes we are blissful having everything, then what is our attitude towards it? Are we becoming Pharoah denying Allah’s favour or are we becoming Prophet Sulaiman (pbuh).

The test started from Adam A.S when Allah prohibited him not to approach the tree. But he failed the simple test. Why? He was living in Paradise merrily. Actually Adam pbuh was a test for the satan and satan was a test for Adam pbuh. Allah created Adam and ordered the Angels to prostrate to him who all succeeded but Satan refused.

When we read the Quran again, we will find that Adam failed the test because of two main reasons;

1- The presence of Iblis who carries in his heart absolute hatred for Adam and his offspring due to his enmity.

2- The weak will of Adam or the weak human soul, forgot the order of Allah and could not resist the satan.

We are tested from time to time and satan will always try to destroy our faith. So, how do we cope in such situations? Whether we give heed to satan’s whisper or turn to Allah for help. For example, if we suffer from health or other difficulties. These tests are inevitable but how do we take them? Success and failure depend on our attitude. Though Adam got trapped in Satan’s web, after realising his mistake and repented. Similarly, we should first take help from Allah to pass that test. And second, be firm in the faith. What does it mean? We are weak souls, so we can’t change the situation. It is not in our hands so we must bear it patiently till the clouds of gloom will disappear by trusting Allah’s plan.

Forgetfulness and lack of determination are part of human nature. Both these weaknesses lead to getting caught in the whispers of Satan. A man can overcome this weakness by constantly seeking help from Allah, which is essential for his spiritual growth. So, weaknesses also turn out to be a blessing for a man. Keep reminding ourselves the following verse :

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286)

May Allah keep us safe from hardships. However, if we face any, may Allah then allow us to face them with patience and with the right attitude. Amern !