CREATED WITHOUT PURPOSE? A QUR’ANIC RESPONSE TO NIHILISM AND THE MODERN CRISIS OF MEANING

Abstract

Nihilism is one of the most serious philosophical and existential challenges of the modern age. It questions whether human life has any ultimate meaning, whether moral values have any objective foundation, and whether death cancels the significance of human existence. In many modern discussions, nihilism emerges from the weakening of belief in God, the rise of materialistic worldviews, and the assumption that human life is merely a temporary biological event without final purpose or accountability. This paper presents a Qur’anic response to nihilism by analyzing selected verses of the Holy Qur’an that address creation, purpose, worship, moral responsibility, death, and the Hereafter. The central argument of this research is that the Qur’an rejects nihilism by affirming that human beings are not created in vain, that life is a moral test, and that every person will return to Allah for accountability. The paper uses qualitative textual analysis and comparative philosophical analysis to engage Western perspectives on nihilism and meaning, particularly in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Viktor Frankl. These thinkers help explain the modern crisis of meaning. Still, the Qur’an provides a more complete answer by grounding human purpose in divine creation, worship, righteous action, truth, patience, and the Hereafter. The study concludes that the Qur’anic worldview refutes nihilism not only by claiming that life has meaning, but also by explaining why it has meaning. Because Allah created it, it is subject to moral responsibility and will return to Him. Therefore, the Qur’an offers a coherent spiritual, philosophical, and moral alternative to the modern crisis of meaning.

Keywords: Nihilism, meaning of life, Qur’an, purpose, accountability, existentialism, Islamic worldview, Western philosophy