By Ali Movahediān ‘Aṭṭār. Qom, Iran: University of Religions and Denominations, 2022. Pp. 226. Paper, 2,000,000 IRR.
Questions related to the purpose of life have long intrigued thoughtful individuals. When asked about the meaning of life, many people struggle to provide a satisfactory answer, often admitting that they have given insufficient consideration to this crucial issue. Albert Camus famously described this question as the most urgent and important philosophical inquiry.
In the interim, numerous works have been written on the subject; however, what distinguishes this particular work is its exploration of whether the Qur’anic narrative theory about human life can be articulated in a manner compatible with naturalism. Specifically, it investigates the potential of presenting this theory independently of belief in God and the spirit, making it applicable and effective for individuals who do not hold such beliefs.
This work comprises a main section along with an introduction and appendices. In the introduction, the author explains why, instead of discussing the purpose of human creation or the criterion for human happiness, the question of the “meaning of life” is posed in this work, emphasizing that a meaningful life is not necessarily synonymous with an ethical and happy life. The introduction also highlights the importance of contemplating and discussing the meaning of life, as many individuals overlook this issue. The author then delves into the general concept of “meaning” in the subject of “the meaning of life” and identifies three meanings for this concept: the purpose of life, the value of life, and the function of life. Any theory regarding the meaning of life derived from the Quran and narrations should consider all of these meanings. Furthermore, in this discourse, the term “life” refers to two aspects: the individual life of human beings and the collective life of humankind. The final part of the introduction states that all theories regarding the meaning of life can be categorized into five groups: agnostic theories, nihilistic theories, supernaturalist theories, naturalist theories, and non-naturalist theories. The book’s main body is dedicated to examining the meaning of life as presented in the Quran and narrations. According to these verses and narrations, the meaning of life consists of the realization of one’s truth through faith and righteous deeds, fulfilling God’s will, achieving a superior life through faith and acquiring goodness, servitude to God, and knowledge of God. The author asserts that the acquisition of goodness is the most fundamental characteristic of meaning, understandable to most humans and not limited to believers. Subsequently, Quranic and narrational strategies for making life meaningful are discussed, highlighting how the Quran and narrations have provided a framework for making human life meaningful through the purposefulness of the universe, belief in God, belief in the Hereafter, and monotheism in deeds. The final part of this section discusses some questions regarding the Quranic and narrational theory of “acquiring goodness” concerning the “meaning of life.” In the final section of the book, i.e., the appendices, the author elaborates on the concepts of “meaning” and “life” in the context of “the meaning of life,” discussing the expression “meaning of life” and presenting existing perspectives and theories on the subject.
One notable aspect of this work is the repetition of certain topics. Although the author discusses the concepts of “meaning,” “life,” and the phrase “meaning of life” in the introduction, these topics are revisited in the appendices. This redundancy could have been avoided by consolidating all related discussions into a single section. Additionally, this issue extends to presenting attitudes and theories related to the “meaning of life.” While the appendices provide detailed and alternative perspectives on these attitudes and theories, such separate treatment may be unnecessary for the reader.
