The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 469
The Purpose of Creation 469. It means that the man of God dedicates his life in the path of God and, in return, earns the pleasure of Allāh. . These are the people who receive the special mercy of. Allāh. . In short, this indeed is the spirit of the steadfastness which we have described and which leads to the God. Let him who wills, grasp this point. . Seventh Means. The seventh means of achieving the purpose of life is keeping company with the righteous and to follow their example. One of the needs of the advent of Prophets is that man naturally seeks a perfect example, for it fosters eagerness and resolve. He who does not follow a good example becomes slothful and goes astray. This is indicated by Allāh the Glorious in the verses: 253 كُونُوا مَعَ الصُّدِقِين 252 صرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِم. Keep company with the righteous, and adopt the path of those on whom Allāh's favours have been bestowed before you. . Eighth Means. The eighth means of achieving the purpose of life are pure visions and dreams and revelation from God Almighty. To travel towards God is to tread upon a very delicate path which is attended by diverse types of calamities and sufferings. It is possible that a person may be overtaken by forgetfulness in pursuing this unfamiliar 252 Al-Tauba, 9:119 [Publisher] 253. Al-Fatihah, 1:7 [Publisher]