Islam teaches a two-fold existence

by **samirisaoui** Tue Dec 03, 2013 3:27 am

a. A life rooted in the worship of God Almighty.
b. To fulfill the demands of stewardship, that is leading a responsible life full of productivity directing human affairs in justice according to the divine revelations.
The first and primary role of the human being is profound upon reflection in that the reality of life is summed up concisely in this end. How so one may ask? Well the human being is not independent rather the human being is a dependent being not to mention a creature. So the human being has a beginning and depends on other than his or herself in order to continue his or her existence. The question is- Upon whom or what does human existence depend? And in this state of awe we see that the human as well as everything else depends on God regardless of whether he or she acknowledges such a truth.
What is understood through this role of the human being is that the human being has a point of origin and point of departure [death]. In sum, the human being is finite, a creation, although the most honored in the Earth. Although humans are finite, they are possessed of intellect and freewill. This leads us to ask a question: if we have a beginning and an end what is after death and what is the aim of life?
The Muslim is very optimistic regarding life and death and sees life as an opportunity. Despite it being a test, it is the opportunity to be the best possible in character and action. To prove oneself through good action and that materializes in realizing one’s limits and acknowledging a higher order and higher set of objectives at play in the universe. This in turn leads us to the Governor of the universe and that being is the One Eternally Living God. The universe is governed by two realities one mathematical in process and that is the command of God. God’s governance over the universe to which it (the universe) submits without freewill and the second reality is more directed to human beings as they are being possessed of freewill. The message of Islam is the command of God presented to man’s freewill.
The Human being is possessed, in the Islamic understanding of limited and not absolute freewill as proposed by various philosophers. The biological reality of the human entity is governed by a mathematical like process whereas the power of intention and action is clothed with an air of freedom of choice. Islam is a twofold reality. Islam means submission in Arabic and likewise indicates peace, peace or tranquility and this is a result of submission to the will of God this submission is intrinsic to the Universe. If we look to the sun as well as to the moon and stars and the seasons they all follow a course these creations are submitted to a purposeful command and carry out clear and defined roles in the drama of the Universe.
On the other hand the human being is partly governed by mechanics and partly free, the question is to what purpose is he or she left free and to what degree is this freedom? Here Islam holds that there is a two-fold reality to human existence. Without the approval of humanity we are “subjected” and “limited” this is our biological reality it works in a state of submission and is as the rest of the Universe but the human being is not reserved to just that he, she is also possessed of intellect and choice.
What Islam proposes is that you have two lives in space and time one of which you have no control and that is biological existence and likewise you possess the life of intellect and choice which involves moral action.
The way of Islam holds that the purpose of life is the worship of God alone. In the worship of God we find purpose and learn where harm and benefit lie. In knowing that God created the Universe and that we human beings, just as the Sun and Moon, are guided. In this realization the human being directs his free-will to this guidance thus submitting his will to God. This guidance is contained in the Qur’an which is word of God and the preserved teachings (Sunnah) of Muhammad the final Prophet sent as a mercy to all human beings. Because God is just and has honored the human being with stewardship over the creation the human being must choose to worship God. And in choosing to worship God one is guided to the proper course of life, of action, for one if guided by the creator and governor of the Universe who created human beings with a purpose.

by: Yusuf Rios
source
http://www.the-faith.com