Many people have difficulty recognizing any purpose behind the creation of the universe. This leads to a wandering life, where people either disbelieve or ignore the existence of an afterlife. Those who wake up in the morning and go through their daily cycle of working, eating, sleeping, and having fun without having any sense of purpose also may not feel the need to acknowledge any higher responsibility. To them, life is without any meaning or purpose. Everything will come to an end as soon as we die. Secular ideologies, such as existentialism (a philosophy that considers human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's act), are unable to give us a sense of purpose and direction, and thus, leads us to ignore such issues.

Only religions provide a sense of purpose and direction. Islam is more clear about this issue with very especial emphasis on recognizing and understanding the purpose of the creation. The whole universe is offered by the Qur'an as an open book for unmistakable signs (ayah) from Allah. "In all God's creation, not only is there evidence of intelligent purpose, fitting all parts together with wisdom, but also of supreme Goodness and cherishing Care, by which all needs are satisfied and all the highest and truest cravings are fulfilled. These are like beckoning signals to lead on those who pray and search in Faith, those who with intensest desire of their soul can pray,"¹ for the guiding light of the Benevolent Rabb (creator, sustainer, nourisher, and evolver). "As far as man is concerned, the highest issues for him hang on his behavior in this life. ... We must therefore earnestly search out God's Truth, encouraged by the fact that God's Truth is also, out of His unbounded mercy, searching us out and trying to each us."²

Did you then think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to us (for account)? [23: al-Mu'minoon: 115]

Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth, and all that is in between. [21: al-Ambiya: 16]

He Who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-forgiving. [67: al-Mulk: 2]

Allah created the heavens and the earth for Just ends (haqq), and in order that each soul may find the recompense of what it has earned, and none of them be wronged. [45: al-Jathiya: 22]

It is He Who has created for you all things that are on earth; moreover, His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He has perfect knowledge. [2: al-Baqarah: 29]

Since humankind occupies a unique place in the universe of creation, the recognition and understanding of its purpose is all that important to us. Allah created us, the humankind, for His Ibadah (worship, service, and obedience). For those who recognize this fact, their entire life must be a life of Ibadah. What they do and what they refrain from must be in accordance with the divine guidance.

It is through this life of Ibadah that we become able to fulfil the responsibility entrusted by Allah to us as Khalifah (vicegerent, representative, successor). Our honor and status as Khalifah in this universe come with responsibility and mission. Our life and death, in this context, are integrally related to the reality that Allah has given us the opportunity to ascertain - for ourselves - as to who among us are virtuous and righteous.

He has endowed us with the best of mould and stature. We are not the biggest or the strongest in this universe of creations, but we are molded in a unique fashion to serve as the Khalifah. Just as Allah has given us the potential to be the noblest of the creation, He has also given us the opposite potential to abase ourselves by defying the divine guidance and mission.

It is with the juxtaposition of these opposite potentials that He has shown us the two highways. One highway represents truth, goodness, virtue, justice, and knowledge in this life leading to success (Falah) in the life hereafter. The other highway represents falsehood, evil, vice, injustice, and ignorance in this world leading to eternal doom. The former is the path of submission and peace (Islam), accepting the supremacy of Allah and His divine guidance in our life to fulfill the role of Khalifah. The latter is the path of rejection and rebellion (kufr) and of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) denying the supremacy of Allah and His divine guidance. Those who reject the truth, in effect, disavow the responsibility of Khilafah. By doing so, they either inevitably adopt Khilafah of others or tend to make themselves parallel to Allah as false gods (Taghoot).

Behold! Your Rabb said to the angels: "I will create a Khalifah on earth..." [2: al-Baqarah: 30]

He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-forgiving. [67: al-Mulk: 2]

We have indeed created human being in the best of moulds. --

Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low. [95: at-Tin: 4-5]

Have We not . . . shown him (the human being) the two highways? [90: al-Balad: 8-10]

An effective way of life (Deen) must be based on simple precepts that are easily understandable by all people, yet, in its richness, depth, and sophistication, can address the varying needs and interests of people of diverse background. Such basic or simple precepts are like seeds out of which grow trees with firm roots and widely extended branches. Even though Islam is a complete code of life, its one primary strength is simplicity. If that simplicity of Islam or its essence can be summed up in one sentence then, it must be the Kalima at-Tayyibah: La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur Rasulullah. (There is no Ilah except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger). This is the foundation of Islam, the seed of Islamic life. The pursuit of any Muslim is to build and lead a life that blossoms both at the individual and collective level as the embodiment and reflection of this fundamental precept. This precept offers a uniquely holistic way of integrating life in all its dimensions. Thus, the individual and the society in it social, cultural, economic, political and other dimensions blend in a coherent fashion without sacrificing all the diversity and richness the human life has to offer.

It brings forth its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Rabb. So Allah sets forth parables for people, in order that they may receive admonition. [14: Ibrahim: 24-25]

One cardinal aspect of Kalimat at-Tayyiba is pure monotheism (Tawhid), an integrating concept and philosophy - a worldview - which affirms oneness of the Creator and Sustainer, oneness and indivisibility of our way of life, and oneness and indivisibility of the Ummah. Tawhid, as expressed by La ilaha illallah, is the universal and constant message of salvation delivered by all the prophets. These prophets and divine messengers invited people to submit wholeheartedly and completely to their Rabb and build their life based on Tawhid.

Today's society, similar to many societies of the past, are fragmented and compartmentalized in so many ways. With specialization of knowledge and wide array of ideologies and systems, human life is confused and in disarray. Sometimes people are seeking economic solutions from capitalism or communism, political solutions from democracy, dictatorship, or monarchy, spiritual solutions from religions or cults, social solutions from experts in modern social sciences, etc. Undeniably, there is no coherence in these solutions the society is seeking, because there is no integrating principle behind these solutions and approaches. That is why society is debating in an unending fashion whether death penalty is appropriate or not, whether increasing violence can be combated with more police in the street or not. Islam is unique in this regard, distinguished from all other religion, based on an integrating principle it structures the entire life with coherence, balance, and effectiveness.

We sent Noah to his people. He said: "O my people! Offer Ibadah to Allah. You have no Ilah but Him..." [7: al-A'raf: 59; 23: al-Mu'minoon: 23]

We sent Hud (with the same message)... [7: al-A'raf: 65; 11: Hud: 50]

We sent Salih (with the same message)... [7: al-A'raf: 73; 11: Hud: 61]

We sent Shu'aib (with the same message)... [7: al-A'raf: 85; 11: Hud: 84]

While Tawhid provides the integrating principle to build our lives, the second part of the Kalima at-Tayyibah -- Muhammadur Rasulullah -- provides the practical model and mechanism. Those who would like to submit to the Divine Will and successfully integrate their life leading to harmony and balance will find the best model in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (p).

He was divinely chosen, in succession to the prophets before, to give the Good News about eternal life of peace and happiness and to warn about the eternal doom. As it applied to each of the prophets including Hadrat Muhammad, those who submit to the divine will and guidance are to obey and follow the respective prophet of their time. Similar to the other prophets, the role of the prophet Muhammad were threefold: (1) to give invitation (da'wah) based on the good news and the bad news; (2) to provide a complete model of transforming the lives of those who would accept this way of life; and (3) to organize his followers into a community and institutionalize the way of life. Thus, he sanctified those who accepted Islam and educated them in Scripture and Wisdom, and organized them to build a functional and dynamic society -- all these for the betterment of the humanity.

We send the Messengers only to give good news and to warn: so those who believe and mend (their lives), upon them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. [6: al-An'aam: 47]

We sent not a Messenger, except to be obeyed and followed in accordance with the Will of Allah. [4: an-Nisa'a: 64]

Allah did bestow a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a messenger from among themselves, rehearsing to them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. [3: ale Imran: 164]

As the Prophet Muhammad (s) was the last prophet, the prophetic heritage of da'wah, sanctification and education, and community building must be carried on by his Ummah. This is a special Ummah, not based on any race, language, geographical nationality, color, gender, or any other artificial classification. It has been evolved by Allah for humankind for the express purpose of: enjoining good and forbidding evil (Amr bil Ma'roof and Nahi anil Munkar;) witnessing over humankind; and invitation to all that is good (Khair). This is the reason of the existence of this Ummah. All other aspects of being a Muslim are subservient to this role to carry on the prophetic heritage.

Thus, have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over the humankind and the Messenger a witness over yourselves ... [2: al-Baqara: 143]

Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining the Ma'roof and forbidding the Munkar: They are the ones to attain felicity. [3: ale-Imran: 104]

Muslim Ummah does not exist for its own sake. It has a definite mission, a divinely ordained service to render to humankind. "The logical conclusion to the evolution of religious history is a non-sectarian, non-racial, non-doctrinal, universal religion which Islam claims to be. For Islam is just submission to the will of God. This implies (1) faith, (2) doing right, being an example to others to do right, and having the power to see that right prevails, (3) eschewing wrong, being an example to others to eschew wrong, and having the power to see that wrong and injustice are defeated. Islam (the author probably meant Muslim Ummah) therefore lives, not for itself, but for mankind."³

Living for humankind implies a noble responsibility on the shoulder of the Muslim Ummah. The Ummah must be imbued with the spirit of being 'evolved for humankind.' Its goal and aspiration, dream and vision, commitment and endeavor, and attitude and conduct must be molded with a genuine touch of love and compassion for humankind and a deep, sublime sense of duty, the former emanating from the essence of rahmah (compassion) of its Creator and the latter from its Iman (faith) and its submission to God. Also it is a fundamental requirement of believers to act on what they preach. Vested with the mission of ensuring that justice prevails, the Ummah cannot be either unjust or indifferent to injustice, within or outside its fold. The Ummah cannot be low in virtue, while preach others about the nobility of virtue. It cannot teach morality, if the Ummah itself is submerged in corruption and vice. The Ummah will not be fit to show others how to fear only God, while itself is frightened by everyone who appears powerful in this world. It cannot play a preventive role among others, if it is involved in the same kind of wrongdoings. This role model is primarily based on the preeminence, excellence, and superiority of the Ummah over others in terms of its faith, morality, virtue, sacrifice, spirit of love and justice, and capable leadership.

Performance of this noble role also requires power and authority attained legitimately (that is, without coercion or deception) and exercised faithfully and accountably, according to Islam. Doing Amr bil ma'roof and Nahy anil munkar is not preaching or da'wah only. It requires full support of legitimate authority of 'Islamic State'; our beloved Prophet (p) could not escape this fact either. He had to secure an arrangement whereby an Islamic state could be established in Madinah. Only then the Ummah could effectively assume the role of khair-e-ummah for humankind. Indeed, the verse 110 of Ale Imran was not revealed until such a state came into existence.

If understanding of ma'roof and munkar is important, so is the understanding of AMR and Nahy. Amr means order, instruction, or command; not just preaching, admonishing, or advising. Similarly, Nahy means forbidding, prohibiting, or proscribing. Both of these two terms imply an 'authority' behind them. An individual or a group can only preach, call, or admonish. Without the relevant authority and power, it cannot command, instruct, or order; nor can it prohibit, forbid, or proscribe. Also noticeable is that all the verses about Amr-bil-ma'roof and Nahy-anil-munkar in the Qur'an were revealed after the establishment of the Islamic State in Madinah. Every Muslim must participate in the fulfillment of this collective duty of the Ummah. But to do so, internally within the Muslim Ummah and externally for mankind as a whole, necessitates, based on Islamic Shariah and under the institutional framework of Islamic State, legitimate political and moral authority to provide necessary means and support for this noble duty.⁴

1. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary; explanatory note #3470.

2. ibid., #2950

3. ibid., #434.

4. These last five paragraphs are excerpted from Mohammad Omar Farooq, World View of Islam: