Allah created life and death for a particular reason. He communicated this to man by sending Books which clearly differentiated between rightful and wrongful actions. This purpose of life is stated in the following verse:
He created Death and Life, that He might try which of you is best in deed: He is Exalted in Might and Oft-Forgiving. Surah Al-Mulk: 2
The essence of this purpose is to honour Allah with the honour that is due to Him, to observe the limits set by Him, to have an understanding of the temporary nature of this world and to reorient all the deeds and conduct of one's life in the light of the will of the Creator.
The individual who conducts himself responsibly towards his Creator will attain grace, comfort, security and also peace in this world. the most appropriate type of life, meeting all needs of the human soul is related in the Qur'an. Being heedful of following the commands of the Qur'an, he can turn his life into the very image of Heaven.
Whoever does what is right, man or woman, and has Faith, to him will We surely give a new life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such people their reward according to the best of their actions. Surah Al-Nahl: 97
In the aforementioned verse, Allah gives the glad tidings to the believers that those complying with the commandments of the Qur'an will attain a joyous life, thereby conveying an important mystery of life to human beings. Fame, prosperity or good looks never promise a rewarding and ineffably peaceful life unless the individual adheres to the moral principles of the Qur'an.
This actually constitutes the main objective of this book; to provide a vivid illustration of the trouble and unrest one experiences unceasingly in the course of one's life, where one leads a life other than that deemed proper by Allah, and the "joyous life" one can attain by complete obedience to Allah's commandments...
Allah defines the way of living prior to the advent of the Prophet Muhammad as "ignorance", or the "the period of ignorance."