What Is the Purpose of Life?
“what is the purpose of life”
Islam
The Qur'an states that God created humans and jinn so that they should worship Him, and made life and death as a test of deeds. Humanity is appointed as God's deputy on earth, and life is not purposeless: all will be resurrected and held to account. I1I2I3I4
- "I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me." I1
- Life and death were created "so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds." I2
- God announced He would "create a deputy on the earth," appointing humankind to that role. I3
- Humans were not created "for nothing," but will be "brought back" to God for judgment. I4
References
- I1Qur'an 51:56 (Adh-Dhariyat) · Qur'an · Mufti Taqi Usmani
- I2Qur'an 67:2 (Al-Mulk) · Qur'an · Mufti Taqi Usmani
- I3Qur'an 2:30 (Al-Baqarah) · Qur'an · Mufti Taqi Usmani
- I4Qur'an 23:115 (Al-Mu'minun) · Qur'an · Mufti Taqi Usmani
Christianity
Scripture and catechism teach that man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, fulfilled by loving God with all one's heart, soul and mind and keeping His commandments. Humanity was created for God's glory. C1C3C4C6
- "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." C6
- God says of His people, "I have created him for my glory." C4
- "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." C1
- The greatest commandment: "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." C3
References
- C1Ecclesiastes 12:13 · Bible · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
- C3Matthew 22:37 · Bible · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
- C4Isaiah 43:7 · Bible · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
- C6Keach's Catechism, Q. 2 · Keach's Catechism (Baptist) · Public Domain
Judaism
The Tanakh teaches that the whole of man's purpose is to fear God, keep His commandments, and love and serve Him with all the heart and soul. Rabbinic tradition frames this service as done from love or fear, and formalizes it especially through prayer. J1J3J5J6
- "The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man." J1
- To "fear the LORD... walk in all His ways, and love Him, and serve the LORD... with all thy heart and all thy soul." J3
- The Talmud distinguishes those who "serve God out of love" from those who serve "out of fear" - both counted righteous. J5
- Maimonides identifies commanded "service" of God with prayer: "you shall serve God, your Lord." J6
References
- J1Ecclesiastes 12:13 · Tanakh · JPS 1917
- J3Deuteronomy 10:12 · Tanakh · JPS 1917
- J5Talmud Sotah 31a:12-14 · Babylonian Talmud · William Davidson edition (Koren/Steinsaltz)
- J6Mishneh Torah, Positive Mitzvot 5:1 · Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) · Eliyahu Touger
Hinduism
The sources searched do not address this question directly.
Buddhism
The Dhammapada describes the perfected ones (arahants) as having reached "journey's end," free of sorrow, craving and attachment - the completed state toward which the Buddhist path is directed. B1
- "At journey's end, rid of sorrow; everywhere free, all ties given up, no fever is found in them." B1
References
- B1DHP 90-99 7. The Perfected Ones · Khuddaka Nikaya (Minor Collection) · Bhikkhu Sujato (SuttaCentral)
Sikhism
Sikh scripture teaches that all things unfold by the Lord's Hukam, the Divine Command by which the world was formed and to which the soul returns. Life's aim is loving devotional surrender to that Command, which ends the cycle of reincarnation. S3S4S5S6
- "By His Command we come, and by His command we merge into Him again... By His Command, the world was formed." S5
- "Coming and going in reincarnation cease, O Nanak, when He links them to His devotional worship." S4
- God created the earth as "the true home of Dharma," sustaining all by His Hukam. S6
- Naam Dev's longing exemplifies loving devotion: "so does Naam Dayv love the Lord." S3
References
- S3Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 874 — Raag Gond, Bhagat Naam Dev Ji · Sri Guru Granth Sahib · Sant Singh Khalsa (BaniDB)
- S4Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 962 — Raag Raamkalee, Guru Arjan Dev Ji · Sri Guru Granth Sahib · Sant Singh Khalsa (BaniDB)
- S5Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1036-1037 — Raag Maaroo, Guru Nanak Dev Ji · Sri Guru Granth Sahib · Sant Singh Khalsa (BaniDB)
- S6Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 785 — Raag Soohee, Guru Amar Daas Ji · Sri Guru Granth Sahib · Sant Singh Khalsa (BaniDB)
Secular Ethics
Humanist and secular statements hold that life has no externally imposed cosmic purpose; meaning arises from human desires, relationships, and the pursuit of flourishing through reason, science and cooperation. Purpose is thus built by human effort rather than decreed from outside. X1X4X5X7
- Russell: all "meaning" is rooted in "our primary desires"; an outside meaning "must always be disappointed." X4
- Humanist Manifesto III: humans "find meaning in relationships," and "working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness." X7
- Humanist Manifesto II: through reason and technology humanity can achieve "an abundant and meaningful life." X1
- The Amsterdam Declaration commits to building "a better world" through "free inquiry, science, sympathy, and imagination... for peace and human flourishing." X5
References
- X1Humanist Manifesto II — Preface · Humanist Manifesto II · American Humanist Association (1973)
- X4Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic (incl. A Free Man's Worship) — I · Mysticism and Logic (incl. A Free Man's Worship) · Bertrand Russell (1918), Project Gutenberg
- X5The Amsterdam Declaration — Amsterdam Declaration 2022 · The Amsterdam Declaration · Humanists International (2022)
- X7Humanist Manifesto III · Humanist Manifesto III · American Humanist Association (2003)
Comparison
| Aspect | Islam | Christianity | Judaism | Hinduism | Buddhism | Sikhism | Secular Ethics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate goal of life | To worship God and serve as His deputy on earth | To glorify God and enjoy Him forever | To fear, love and serve God, keeping His commandments | Not addressed in the sources | To reach liberation, freedom from suffering and craving | To surrender to God's Hukam and merge into Him | No fixed cosmic purpose; meaning built by human life itself |
| Source of purpose | Decreed by God, the Creator, in the Qur'an | Given by God, who created humans for His glory | Commanded by God through Torah and tradition | Not addressed in the sources | The nature of suffering and the path the Buddha taught | God's Hukam, the Divine Order governing all creation | Human desires, reason, and social cooperation |
| How purpose is pursued | Worship, righteous deeds, and enduring life's test | Loving God fully and obeying His commandments | Prayer and commandments, served from love or fear | Not addressed in the sources | Practice leading to freedom from craving and attachment | Loving devotion and surrender to the Guru's teaching | Reason, science, and cooperative effort for common good |
| Ultimate outcome | Resurrection and accountability before God | Eternal enjoyment of and fellowship with God | Distinction between the righteous and the wicked before God | Not addressed in the sources | Freedom from sorrow, rebirth, and defilement | Release from reincarnation, union with the Lord | A flourishing, meaningful life and improved society |
Conclusion
Across the Abrahamic traditions and Sikhism, purpose is defined in relation to a personal God: worship, love, service or surrender to His will. Buddhism, by contrast, locates purpose in liberation from suffering through practice, without invoking a creator, while secular ethics denies that purpose is externally given, finding meaning instead within human desire, relationship and cooperative effort. The Hindu sources supplied did not address the question directly. The sharpest divide is thus between traditions that see purpose as decreed by, or oriented toward, a divine reality, and secular ethics, which treats meaning as a human construction.
Where they agree
- Most traditions agree that life is not aimless but directed toward some further fulfillment - worship, glory, liberation, or flourishing.
- Several traditions link this purpose to transformed conduct: devotion, ethical action, or good deeds.
- Theistic traditions and Buddhism both frame ordinary existence as incomplete without pursuing this further goal.
Where they differ
- Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism ground purpose in obedience, love, or surrender to a Creator God.
- Buddhism grounds purpose in liberation from suffering through practice rather than relationship to a creator.
- Secular ethics rejects any externally imposed purpose, locating meaning in human desires, relationships and social cooperation.
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