Every human being, at some point in their life, is struck by the weight of one fundamental question: Why am I here? The modern world offers distraction but no real answer — entertainment, wealth, and status that fill the hours yet leave the soul restless. Islam cuts through that noise with unmistakable clarity: life is not a cosmic accident, nor a playground without purpose. According to the Quran, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) — al-Hakeem, the Most Wise — has created the heavens, the earth, and every human soul with profound intention. As Sheikh Ibrahim Zadan explains in this episode of The Deen Show, every word we speak, every action we take, every relationship we navigate is part of one grand, divinely designed test — and passing it leads to the greatest reward imaginable: eternal Paradise in the company of Allah’s pleasure.
The Wisdom Behind the Test: Why Allah Created Life and Death
The Quran is unequivocal: “Did you think that We had created you in play, without any purpose?” (Al-Mu’minoon 23:115). The test of life is not arbitrary hardship — it is the very mechanism by which a person’s true character, faith, and devotion to Allah are revealed to themselves and to creation. Just as no one would hand a surgeon’s scalpel to someone who merely claims to be a doctor, Allah does not grant Paradise on the basis of words alone. The test separates sincere belief from hollow declaration. Crucially, the test is not confined to difficulty — prosperity, relationships, health, and even joy are all forms of divine examination. Key insights from the Quranic framework on life’s purpose include:
- Creation is never in vain: Allah says He has not created the heavens, the earth, or mankind without purpose — to believe otherwise is described in Surah Saad (38:27) as the attitude of those who disbelieve in their Lord.
- Life and death are a test: “Who has created death and life that He may test you — which of you is best in deed” (Al-Mulk 67:2) — every moment of existence is an opportunity to demonstrate sincerity before Allah.
- The primary purpose is worship: “And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me alone” (Al-Dhaariyaat 51:56) — worship encompasses not just ritual prayer but every conscious act of obedience, gratitude, and remembrance.
- True love of Allah is proven through following the Prophet ﷺ: The Quran instructs: if you truly love Allah, follow the Messenger ﷺ — and Allah will love you in return. Faith must align words, heart, and deeds in one direction.
- Trials manifest Allah’s Beautiful Names: Through hardship and ease alike, divine attributes such as al-Ghafoor (the Oft-Forgiving), al-Tawwaab (the Accepter of Repentance), and al-Raheem (the Most Merciful) are actively experienced by the sincere believer.
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding — those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, saying: Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose, glory to You!” — Quran, Aal ‘Imraan 3:190–191
How Islam Transforms Trials into Elevation — and Happiness Into Its True Source
One of the most powerful illustrations Sheikh Ibrahim shared was of a brother named Khalifa — fully paralysed, dependent on others for his every need, yet radiating a peace and joy that shamed the spiritually comfortable. When found stranded alone in a wheelchair on a snowy sidewalk in the dead of winter, battery dead, unable to move, his response to the Sheikh’s worried greeting was not panic or complaint — it was alhamdulillah, all praise is for Allah. Contrast this with the person who loses five million dollars of a ten-million-dollar fortune and loses the will to live entirely. The contrast reveals one of Islam’s most profound truths: happiness is not external. It is not determined by wealth, health, or worldly circumstance — it flows from the depth of one’s relationship with Allah alone. This same wisdom is sealed in a beautiful hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ described two men on the Day of Judgement: the most luxurious man on earth, dipped once in the Hellfire, immediately forgetting every pleasure he ever tasted; and the most miserable man on earth, dipped once in Paradise, immediately forgetting every hardship he ever endured. The takeaways for the believer navigating this life are clear:
- Patience during calamity earns unlimited reward: Unlike other acts of worship that carry set multipliers, the Quran states that the patient ones are given their reward without account or limit — a figure no human mind can comprehend.
- Hardship expiates sins: No calamity strikes a believer except as a result of what their hands have earned — and Allah pardons far more than He holds us accountable for in this life, giving us time and respite to return to Him.
- Relief always follows tightness: The Quran and Sunnah both promise that with every difficulty comes ease — and waiting faithfully for Allah’s help is itself a form of worship, practiced by every prophet from Ibrahim to Musa to ‘Isa to Muhammad ﷺ.
- Wealth and comfort are not measures of divine favour: A person in a wheelchair with no material wealth can be the most content soul on earth, while a millionaire who loses half his fortune may see no reason to live — proof that contentment is a gift Allah places inside the heart of the one who turns to Him sincerely.
“The most luxurious person on the face of the earth will be dipped one time in the Hellfire and asked: ‘Did you experience any goodness?’ He will say: ‘No, by Allah, I never experienced any goodness.’ And the most miserable person on earth will be dipped one time in Paradise and asked: ‘Did you experience any misery?’ He will say: ‘No, by Allah, I never experienced any misery.'” — Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Three Questions in the Grave: Living With Your Destination in Mind
The ultimate test, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught, is not an exam we can cram for at the last moment — it is the examination of the grave, where three questions will be posed that cut to the very core of how a person lived: Who is your Lord? Who is your messenger? What is your book? These questions can only be answered truthfully from the heart of one who has spent their life living the answers — turning to Allah alone in ease and in calamity, following the way of the Prophet ﷺ in word and deed, and taking the Quran as a guide rather than an ornament. This is the complete, coherent framework that Islam offers — not merely a religion of rituals, but a total way of life that aligns the soul with its ultimate destination. The greeting of as-salamu alaykum — peace be upon you — passed down through Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the final Prophet ﷺ, is itself a supplication: a prayer that the one before you be safe from all harm in this life and the next. That aspiration for peace, the Sheikh reminds us, can only be truly realised when a person submits their will entirely to the One who created them. Whether wealthy or poor, in health or illness, every soul that sincerely walks this path will discover — as Brother Khalifa demonstrated from his wheelchair in the snow — that genuine tranquillity is not found in a bank account or a diagnosis, but in the unshakeable certainty that the Most Wise is in full control, that every test has a purpose, that every hardship carries relief in its shadow, and that this entire fleeting world, with all its pleasure and pain, will be forgotten in an instant upon the first glimpse of what Allah has prepared for those who believed and were patient.
