All creations; whether human, animal, or inanimate; are in submission to God's will. Muslims accept this truth and use it to their benifit.
By becoming a Muslim ("one who submits"), a person gains patience for what happens in his life. He/she has accepted that things are not under his/her control, but that God, who is the strongest (see second bullet above) has the power to help him/her.
Lesson 2: The meaning of life
Because God is the only one to have existed eternally, any meaning in life must be associated with the creator of that life.
God created life, and therefore He is the most knowledgeable about how we should live the life He has created and how we should acheive meaning in that life (see lesson 2).
He has also established the criterion for acheiving the rewards of Heaven, as well as what deserves the punishement of Hell.
In order to tell us about the best way to live, God sent messengers and prophets.
"Prophets" were sent to teach people lessons
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2. "Messengers" were sent to teach people the manual of life.
Each messenger brought more instructions and advice on how to lead a good and successful life. The Psalms built on the instructions of the Torah, the Gospels built on these instrustions, and the Qur'an built on the instructions of all that preceded.
Each messenger who brought instructions was an example of how to follow those instructions.
The Qur'an is the final book of instructions. It contains all the regulations and advice for those submitting to God. To read the Qur'an, please visit our bookshelf.
ALL actions that follow the manual of life (the Qur'an) are considered acts of worship, creating meaning in life (see lesson 2). This means that following a simple suggestion from the Qur'an, such as preserving in the face of adversity, is worship which will earn Paradise.