Title: Understanding the Aim of This World - Follow up Question Question/Comments: You write, Whether or not we remember to accept such responsibility (to undertake the Trust) and whether or not this was a wise decision made by man, are not relevant to this question and answer (we can discuss these in a follow up question if you like). I do not remember that I had accepted this test or responsibility. To be honest with you, if I had the choice, I would have rejected to accept the test. By rejecting to take the responsibility, would it mean that I had failed? This world is full of so many temptations. The reason being that I am a weak human being and have made mistakes in my life. Please explain how can I be responsible for something I do not even remember for taking up such a responsibility. Thank you. Answer: In this reply my assumption is that we both agree that the Qur'an is Word of God (let me know if this assumption is not true in which case we need to discuss more fundamental issues). With the above assumption in mind, I think we both can trust the words of God better than our memories. The Qur'an says very clearly that we did accept the responsibility. I do not think not remembering it gives us any right to complain. This is because although we do not remember it but it is recorded in a document that we believe is 100% accurate (the Qur'an). Is it not possible to think of other examples in our life when we do not remember something but we still feel the responsibility? Do you remember how much your respected mother suffered in the process of keeping you for 9 months before going to the painful process of giving you birth? Do you remember how much she cared for you when you were absolutely defenceless as an infant? Still you feel responsibility to be nice to her and to be there for her when she needs you. The reason you feel such responsibility towards your mother is not because you remember how she suffered and took care of you. I also do not think that the reason is that you know she is your mother. I think the reason is that you feel a connection and passion in between the both of you. It is this connection and passion that convinces you that you have responsibilities towards her. If we try to realise the connection and passion that is between us and our Creator, we can then appreciate the responsibilities we have to undertake as human beings. One of the ways of realising this connection is to clean up whatever that might act as a barrier. This cleaning up process is what the Qur'an has referred to as "Tazkia" (purification): "He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself. And remembereth the name of his Lord and prays." - Al `Ala 87:14-15 You write: "By rejecting to take the responsibility, would it mean that I had failed?" Not at all, but this is not the issue. The issue is that the Qur'an informs us that we (human beings) have indeed accepted the responsibility. This means if you had rejected the responsibility you would not be a human being now. You write: "This world is full of so many temptations. The reason being that I am a weak human being and have made mistakes in my life." My dear brother, what can I say in reply to the above when your Lord himself has talked to you about it: "Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful." - Al Zumar 39:53 Let us not forget that it is accepting this responsibility that can lead us to heaven and to reach the most pleasant thing that can happen to any creature, that is meeting our Lord. Let us also not forget that God has not and will not put anyone in a position that is beyond his capabilities: "God does not burden anyone beyond his capacity" - Al Baqarah 2:286 Considering all the above points, I think we can only be proud, happy and thankful to our Lord for giving us this position. Abdullah Rahim February 26, 2005