1. Bismillah-ir Rahman-ir Raheem The Purpose of Life Abdul-Haleem P. Baña CMU, FTC Hall Feb.24.2007

2. Creation Our Universe is like a factory of life, everything works for the production, preservation and sustenance of Life

3. So What? What is there in this Life? That our creator designed the universe for the sole purpose of producing, preserving and sustaining this Life?

4. Then Life should have a PURPOSE The sense of purpose gives true value to everything; the sense of purpose defines the value and worth of both the designed and the Designer, the created and the Creator.

5. VALUE If human life dont have a definite purpose, then a pair of shoes is more valuable than man.

6. Imagine… If man dont have a definite purpose, it will not only render him valueless, but will consequently (God Forbid) insult the wisdom of his creator.

7. Definition Before defining the purpose of mans creation, it will be better to know the Creator first, because knowledge of the creator is vital in understanding the purpose of Life.

8. Knowledge of God Al – Ilah (the Praised God) Allah

9. Teachers The knowledge of our Creator was taught by 4 teachers: Scriptures: Torah (Moses [pbuh]) Zabur (Psalms of David) Injeel (Gospel of Jesus) Quran (Muhammad [saw])

10. Teachers Prophets Book of Universe Book of Man

11. Maw arafa nafsa, fagad arafa rabba! Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord

12. Understand Understanding man is a way to knowledge of our Creator, … and define the purpose of man. Mans nature will define the real purpose of his existence.

13. How to understand? If we will leave the definition of mans purpose to himself, basing on his limited knowledge, understanding and judgement, his definition will be biased.

14. The Authority So what is really the purpose of mans creation? There is no other authority on this than the Creator, because the Creator Knows best the Purpose why HE created Man.

15. Quran 51:56 And I created not the Jinn and Mankind, except that they should worship ME.

16. First Purpose To weigh up on the scales of the senses put in your being, the Bounties stored up in the treasures of the Divine Mercy and to offer Universal gratitude of thanks.

17. Second Purpose Through the feelings, tendencies and faculties embedded in your nature, discover the hidden treasures – the works and manifestations of the divine sacred names and then recognize the most holy one through those names.

18. Third Purpose Through taking as units of measurement the small samples of attributes like the partial KNOWLEDGE, POWER, and WILL given to your life, it is to know through those measures the absolute attributes and sacred Qualities of the all Glorious Creator.

19. Fourth Purpose To consciously display and make known through your life in the view of the creatures in this exhibition of the world the wondrous arts and subtle manifestation which the divine names have attached to you

20. Fifth Purpose To understand through your impotence and weakness, your poverty and need, the degrees of the divine power and dominical riches. So you should understand the degree of the infinite divine power and riches through your infinite impotence and poverty.

21. Peace! Wa Salaaam!