The Islamic lifestyle and ontology

Ontology contains two important elements: studying the origin of nature and eschatology.

A) Studying the origin of nature

Three critical and important questions in this field which have a key role in the issue of lifestyle are as follows: Is man a creature which has been created accidentally without any cause or not? Id creation of man is not accidental and inevitably there’s a cause is he the creator of himself or another creator has created him? And if he’s not the creator who has created him? The almighty God or another creator?
These three questions are about human creation which each of them has its particular necessity. The holy Quran has mentioned the three aforementioned views in two verses: first in the verse 35 of Surat At-Tur [verse 35] it says: “Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?” and in the verses of 58 and 59 of Surah Al-Waqi'ah it says: “Have you seen that which you emit?” * “Is it you who creates it, or are We the Creator?
The first two views, randomness and that man is the creator of himself which leads to human autonomy, is a wrong attitude which forms the belief system of humanism; but the third approach that considers the human being dependent on God, believes that many steps and stages were passed in the process of creation so that his existence was completed.
The divine lordship
Now this question comes to mind that after the creation of man, who will manage his affairs? Is the man provider and trainer of himself or he has another God that directs him? This profound scientific is true about those who do not believe in God and also about those who have accepted the God's creativity.
A person who believes that man has no creator will not accept the lordship and management of another person too; but those who have accepted the God’s creativeness based on knowledge, may not recognize his attributes of provider at least in action. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran that: “If you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?" they would surely say, " Allah ." Then how are they deluded?” Surat Al-'Ankabut [verse 61]. Although this group do not deny that God is the creator but they believe that managing some affairs has been entrusted to them and man has the authority over his affairs and doesn’t need anyone else to help him in material and spiritual life. This considered as ignoring the divine monotheism and denying the Allah’s attributes of provider and delegation of authority to man is much more dangerous than determinism.
These two kinds of attitudes that one of them which considers the human identity both in creation and managing the affairs dependent on another one (God) and the other one which accepts the human dependency to another creator just at the stage of creation and suppose that he is independent in managing his affairs have two completely different results regarding the topic of lifestyle. A person who believes in religion since he considers his origin from the almighty God, he cannot ignore the source of his creation for a moment and regarding the issue of lifestyle he cannot act independently from his origin (God). But a person who has just accepted the God’s creativeness and does not believe in His attributes of provider in fact sets his lifestyle based on his lust and desires: “Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire” Surat Al-Jathiyah [verse 23].
This is the humanist thought and culture which human has replaces the Allah’s far-reaching arguments i.e. the Holy Quran and Ahl al Bayt with his own desires and arranges his lifestyle based on those tendencies and desires.

B) Eschatology

One of the important topics regarding the lifestyle is the goal of creation and the scope of human life. The main question in this regard is that whether the scope of human life is limited to this material world and worldly life? And is there any life after death or not? Or is the material life the beginning of human life and his death is a kind of transfer from the material creation to the divine creation?
When man considers himself as an immortal creature and his life is not limited to the material world rather he considers the resurrection as a true event and accounting of deeds as a certain action on the day of resurrection, his actions and behaviors should be based on this belief and his lifestyle should be set and arranged in line with it; but if someone does not believe in this kind of belief and considers his life temporary and limited to this world and summarizes human life just living from the cradle to the grave his lifestyle will be different.
Materialism believes that: “And they say, "There is not but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.” Surat Al-Jathiyah [verse 24]. In such kind of thinking, the limited material identity of man is seen as a principle and everything which is in line with his desires and wants is right, although it is really wrong. On the contrary, something that is unpleasant to him is void, however, it is really right. It is very obvious that to what extent accepting or rejecting this fact can affect the human lifestyle and have a decisive contribution.
Therefore, based on the belief in the resurrection, the lifestyle of a man who believes in teh resurrection forms based on the Hereafter; he knows that the world is not eternal and it is just a place for passing and reaching the destination which has a higher status and value; therefore, he sets his lifestyle is based on the beliefs of resurrection:
“Whoever should desire the immediate - We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will [enter to] burn, censured and banished* But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah]” Surat Al-Isra [verse 18 and 19].
3. Lifestyle and anthropology
Another foundation regarding lifestyle is anthropology. One of the factors which cause differences in the lifestyle of human beings is that there’s no precise definition of man’s nature. What we understand from the Holy Quran in defining man is that he is the “divine living creature”. According to this view, human is a living creature that lives based on a divine and monotheist attitude and his life is summarized to his character of being religious and deification means that he thinks and acts based on monotheism in his beliefs, behaviors, jurisprudence, rights and other aspects of life so a person without this kind of attitude is not alive and does not enjoy the truth of human life.
According to Islam, humans have excellent properties that can be used as a basis in forming an Islamic lifestyle, such as:
- Man, a two-dimensional creature; a human being has two aspects, material and immaterial: he has the body; “And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay” Surah Al-Mu'minun [23:12] and the soul; “And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.” Surat Al-Hijr [verse 29]. But man is not the combination of two separate things and this soul is not separate from the body; rather despite the basic differences, there is a strong relationship between them and they mutually influence on each other; in fact “body” and “soul” are the levels of a single and connected nature of an individual and these two aspects and dimensions of man constantly and mutually influence on each other.
- The genuineness of the soul and its quality of being immortal; The nature of man is the soul which is considered as an immortal and spiritual thing; the respondent of God is the man’s soul which is originated form Him and his life continues in purgatory and the hereafter after his death; Therefore, true perfection of human existence is related to the evolution of this aspect of existence.
- Human being, an idealist creature; Not only man loves himself, but also he has an innate desire and passion towards perfection and development; since man loves perfection, he decides to do any action that have a positive role in his development. One of the features of this innate desire and passion is that it is infinite; that is man seeks for absolute perfection.
- Autonomy of human being; God has created man free (with the power of choice and will in terms of voluntary actions), the Qur'an explains the freedom of man and emphasizes his power of choice; “Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful” Surah al-Insan: verse 3.
- Commitment and accountability; In the Islamic notions, while man is autonomous and free, he is responsible for his arbitrary behavior and actions; “And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned.” Surat As-Saffat [verse 24]. If the power of choice is given to man, he must be respondent for his choices and the means and opportunities that were given to him: “Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned” Surat Al-Isra [verse].
- Piety (the value system among humans); Islamic anthropology in addition to rejecting the illogical points and qualities related to credit such as racial superiority, wealth and gender, has established a particular value system based on man's acquired virtues and existential dimensions. In other words its fundamental principle is that all human beings are equal to each other and no one has over other people, but human beings can have some values for themselves by trying to gain virtues and reach perfection. The true nature of man is defined with piety the higher the degree of piety, the more steps man can take and gain more virtues; “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted” Surat Al-Hujurat [verse 13].
4. Lifestyle and sociology
A part of the human relationship with the world is human and social relationships which is the most difficult kind of relationship in terms of knowledge and also in practice. A true understanding of social life and its role and duty in this field is one of the most necessary kind of human knowledge that man and society can develop only by the reformation of these relations. Undoubtedly, the social life has controlled all human relationships, even their relationship with themselves and with their God; So that other human relationships are inspired by this fundamental relationship; In other words when social relations are formed based on wrong principles and when western and eclectic models control the society and its relations and when some correct norms are broken Of course, human beings will be confused in their relations with themselves and perhaps they worry and doubt in their relation with their God.
According to the divine worldview the aim of people in the divine society is not that based on the “Life is not but our worldly life” Surat Al-Mu'minun [verse 37] they just enjoy each other and the world, But the basis their life is formed based on the world and the Hereafter and the link between these two worlds: “Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward” Surat Al-Kahf [verse 46]. So that they can reach standing before Allah.
In Islam, man is a social and responsible creature; a social creature that in all dimensions of life is obliged to observe and maintain the issues related to man that his position as God's vicegerent has been was firmly mentioned. His personality is formed in the society and his real identity is realized in it; Therefore, Islam is a religion that not only emphasizes the society and human society, but also it introduces the best form of society and the most civilized form of it and defines it.
Thus sociology can be considered one of the most central issues in lifestyle because based on its principles and foundations human relationships and communication with others will be elaborated.
From what was mentioned above, that real life is not anything but living in the realm of servitude and faith in the power of God’s lordship and rightfulness. And real servitude is the essence that helps man to reach the desist status (the manifestation of the names of Allah) as Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Servitude is a precious thing which its true nature is lordship''.