Muslim Beliefs about Life and Death » Iman, Ibadah and Akhlaq: The Purpose of a Muslim Life
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 2.2 (Islam)
- What Muslims believe life is for, and how salvation is reached
- Iman, ibadah and akhlaq: the three parts of being a Muslim
- How Shi'a Muslims set out their faith
- How Muslims reply to the view that life can have meaning without religion
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Unlock This CourseThe purpose of life
What Is Life For? Meaning, Purpose, Salvation and Liberation showed that many religions answer in terms of knowing, serving and worshipping God. This lesson gives the Muslim answer.
For Muslims the clearest statement is in the Qur'an, where Allah says he created jinn and human beings only to worship him (Qur'an 51:56). Jinn are beings made by Allah from fire, who also have a choice to obey or not. Worship here is not only prayer. It means living every part of life in a way that pleases Allah.
The second part of the purpose is to be Allah's khalifah, his trusted steward on earth. Allah's Creation and Humans as Khalifah explained this. In short, people are given the earth to look after, and they will be asked how they did.
Key terms:
- Iman: faith. Believing in Allah and the other things Islam teaches, and trusting in them.
- Ibadah: worship and obedience to Allah, in prayer and in daily actions.
- Akhlaq: good character and behaviour.
- Five Pillars: the five basic acts of worship every Muslim is expected to carry out.
Salvation in Islam
Salvation here means being saved from Jahannam and entering Jannah, paradise (see Akhirah: Resurrection, Judgement, Paradise and Hell). Muslims believe it depends on three things working together:
🌟 Allah's mercy
Salvation is never earned alone. Remember the hadith from Sin, Unbelief and Shirk in Islam: nobody enters paradise by deeds alone, unless Allah covers them with his mercy.
📖 Faith
The Qur'an says that those who believe and do good deeds will have the gardens of paradise (Qur'an 18:107). Faith comes first.
🤝 Good deeds
Faith is shown in action. Prayer, honesty, charity and kindness are signs that faith is real. Most Muslims teach that faith and deeds go together.
No saviour is needed. Islam does not teach original sin, the idea that every person is born guilty because of Adam's mistake. Body, Nafs and Qalb: Human Nature in Islam showed that Adam was forgiven, that nobody carries another's burden, and that every baby is born with fitrah, a natural leaning towards Allah. Anyone can turn back to Allah through tawbah (repentance), so nobody has to die for another person's sins.
Being a Muslim: iman, ibadah and akhlaq
Qur'an 2:177 describes true righteousness as believing in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the prophets, giving to those in need, praying, and keeping promises. In one verse it covers all three parts below.
💡 Iman: what a Muslim believes
As Al-Qadr: Free Will and Predestination in Islam showed, Sunni Muslims list six articles of faith: belief in Allah, the angels, the holy books, the prophets, the Last Day, and al-Qadr (Allah's decree). Angels are beings made of light who obey Allah. The books include the Qur'an, and the prophets include Muhammad, the last prophet.
🕌 Ibadah: how a Muslim worships
The Five Pillars are the core of ibadah. They are the Shahadah (the declaration of faith), salah (the five daily prayers), zakah (giving a fixed part of savings to the needy), sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a lifetime if able). They are studied in detail later in the course.
❤️ Akhlaq: how a Muslim behaves
Muslims are expected to be honest, kind, patient and fair to everyone. Muslim Nurture, the Qur'an and the Sunnah explained that Muhammad's example is the sunnah. The Qur'an describes him as having great moral character (Qur'an 68:4), and he said he was sent to perfect good character.
Muslims see the three as one whole. Iman without ibadah would be belief that changes nothing. Ibadah without akhlaq would be prayer from someone who is cruel to others. A hadith says that even smiling at another person is charity, so good character is itself a form of worship.
Shi'a Muslims. Shi'a Muslims set out their faith differently. They teach five roots of religion (Usul ad-Din): Tawhid, Adalat, Nubuwwah (prophethood), Imamah (the leadership of the Imams) and Ma'ad (the afterlife). They also follow the Ten Obligatory Acts, which include prayer, fasting, zakah and hajj. Adalat means the justice of Allah. Shi'a Muslims also believe in the angels, the holy books and the prophets, so the two lists overlap. Sunni and Shi'a Muslims share the same Qur'an and the same purpose of life.
Can life have meaning without religion?
Non-religious views, such as the humanist idea that people create their own meaning, were covered in What Is Life For? Meaning, Purpose, Salvation and Liberation. Muslims respond in several ways:
- Meaning comes from the Creator. Many Muslims argue that if Allah made life on purpose, the deepest purpose can only be found by knowing him. A life without Allah may be happy, but they say it lacks a final goal.
- Non-Muslims can live good lives. Many Muslims agree that people of no religion can be kind, loving and hard-working. Akhlaq is something all people can admire, and fitrah means every person has a natural pull towards goodness. Allah alone judges what is in a person's heart.
- Purpose is lived, not just thought about. Many Muslims would say the big questions do not get in the way of life. Work, family, charity and caring for the earth are all ibadah. Living the purpose is how a Muslim lives life to the full.
Common mistakes
Do not write that Muslims earn paradise by good deeds alone: Allah's mercy is always part of the answer. Do not say Islam teaches original sin. Do not mix up the Five Pillars (acts of worship) with the six articles of faith (beliefs). Do not say that all Muslims list the same roots and articles: Sunni and Shi'a set out their faith differently.
Exam-style question
Paper 1 style. Parts (a) and (b) test AO1. Parts (c) and (d) test AO1 and AO2.
(a) Identify three of the Five Pillars of Islam. [3 marks]
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about the purpose of life in this religion. [4 marks]
(c) Choose one religion. Explain how a person can achieve salvation in this religion. [6 marks]
(d) 'Life can only have a purpose for religious people.' Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]
Model answer
(a) 1. Shahadah (1). 2. Salah (1). 3. Sawm (1).
(b) Islam teaches that the purpose of life is to worship Allah (1), because the Qur'an says he created human beings to worship him (1). Islam also teaches that humans are Allah's khalifah (1), which means they must look after the earth as his trusted stewards (1).
(c) Muslims believe salvation means entering Jannah. It begins with Allah's mercy, because a hadith says nobody enters paradise by their deeds alone, so Muslims depend on Allah's forgiveness.
It also needs iman, as the Qur'an says those who believe and do good deeds will enter the gardens of paradise. Sunni Muslims list six articles of faith, including belief in Allah and the Last Day, and Shi'a Muslims set out their faith through the five roots.
Faith must be shown through ibadah and akhlaq, for example by praying, giving zakah and being honest and kind. Muslims also say no saviour is needed, because there is no original sin and a person can turn back to Allah through tawbah.
(d) Plan. For: a Muslim would say the purpose of life is set by Allah, who made it, so it is found by worshipping him (Qur'an 51:56); without a creator, the universe may have no built-in aim; nihilism (see What Is Life For? Meaning, Purpose, Salvation and Liberation) says life has no purpose; a religious purpose comes with a final goal, paradise, and a motive to act well.
Against: humanists say people create purpose through relationships, learning and helping others; many Muslims agree that non-religious people can show good akhlaq and live good lives; fitrah suggests everyone has a pull towards goodness; some religious people may still feel their life has no purpose.
Possible conclusion: judge each point as you go, then pick a side. For example: I partly disagree. Religious people have a clear, ready-made purpose, but the word 'only' goes too far, because non-religious people can find real purpose in what they do and care about, even if a Muslim would say that the deepest purpose is still missing.
Exam tip
In part (c), do not just list the pillars or articles. Link each one to salvation with 'because' or 'this means', and always mention Allah's mercy.