What is the purpose of life? “And I have not created the Jin and man but that they worship Me”– (Quran 51:57) This is what Allah says abut our purpose of liiving, and this should end your confusion. Life  is like a long walk you have in a narrow street. You come across potholes and darkness, but also you encounter light caused by passing cars; some may dash quickly giving you only a short snap of lighting, too short for you to grasp, feel or make use of.  And some are not in much haste, they pass by slowly; blessing you with longer de-lightful time. But in general you never go really far from yourself, you’re still your own company, but it’s an absent presence. You’re there but not really there. A silent companion you are- and your walking partner, that’s also yourself, is yearning to share a bit of his own self, needs, worries, hopes, and all that you may refer to as “thinking”, it’s that other being that is yearning for attention and acceptance … I see the passing by cars providing light as people you encounter in life, the presence of which is sometimes helpful and gains you insight, while there are others that don’t help you much  … How would be the case had you had a torch in your hand? Would you still need the passing cars to provide you with a source of light? Sure not. Allah is the prime source of light that you’ve long been ignoring. The reason I’m bringing up this analogy is to tell you that you can avail your own source of light, by refering to Almighty Allah; asking for support, protection, inspiration, insight, and love. It’s just the Divine Bond you need to develop. And surely it is you who creaters it, you trigger it from within, same way you create your own life experiences, nurturing needs or building independence. How Dependant or Sovereign you are is decided by your own perception of life coupled with the way you look up or down on yourself. We build our needs and nurture them, or avail the tools to get over them. A need is not necessarily a weakness, but a state that requires fulfillment lest it keeps you weak. What determines your ability or inability to address a need is who you really are, your true potential, in contrast to who you think you are. And here again you need to resort to your Creator, the only One who has your “guiding manual”. But how can you detect your need, recognize your potential and boundaries? Is it an easy job? By far it’s not. It needs a better relation with thyself,  a better understanding of  You, and certainly a stronger spiritual bond with Allah Almighty. Where has your bond with your Creator gone? When and why have you decided to walk out on it and forsake such link with your sole Source of Light and Support.. And traded it for what.. for the buzz  surrounding your life? None of us is in a position to sever ties with our own selves. It’d cost us dearly and leave us wandering trying to figure out what brought us here, on this planet earth, and what’s the role meant for each one of us… What are our capabilities and what are our drawbacks and weaknesses? Some may ask so what’s expected to be the very positive outcome of answering what I came to realize as an intriguing question “What’s the role meant for each one of us in life?” It does entail a lot… Fathoming our role in life would also mean exploring our true potential, and accepting our limitations. But be careful for you need a loving eye of your own self to do that, otherwise you will be asserting your weaknesses and doubts, instead of boosting your self esteem and love for your being. As you think and feel you shall live- and as you expect of yourself you shall prove to be. So rise up and shine, celebrate your existence and appreciate your being. Embrace the role intended for a strong you. Wassalaam, By: Maha Youssuf maha@muslimtribune.org