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The Search for of : , Communication, and

O. Hasbiansyah

ABSTRACT

Makna merupakan hal sangat penting dalam kehidupan manusia. Tanpa makna, kehidupan akan tanpa arah dan penuh kegelisahan. Makna hidup dapat dicari melalui nilai-nilai kreatif, nilai-nilai pengalaman, nilai-nilai cara bersikap, komunikasi dan partisipasi, pemahaman diri, dan pemahaman akan ajaran agama. Islam menawarkan aspek nomatif bagi pencapaian hidup bermakn lewat pembersihan diri, kontemplasi, serta komitmen pada keilmuan dan kemasyarakatan.

Introduction was ever upset deeply, while he had a good posi- tion and future. He needed something else, that We face our life every day. We sleep, wake was a high meaningful life, which could make him up, eat, work, take part in communication, have a absolutely satisfied. He gave up all his position. rest, and so on. Events come to us and we pay Then, he was lost himself in a realm of attention to them, even involve ourselves in them, (tashawwuf). In this , he felt a highest satis- or ignore them. In cases, we need some- faction and a real significant life. thing, we seek it, we get it or not, then we feel At first glance it seems difficult to understand happy or sad. It takes place automatically and why, for instance, someone is very interested in routinely. We are as though in a circle of situation. climbing up mountain, while another is pleased to However in , life is not as simple as that. contribute most of his possession to others and Each of us is not always involved passively in a he chooses to lead an extremely sober life. Each of routine. We also deal with life actively. man has a satisfaction of life in various ways and There is when someone has a unique experi- in different areas. ence that causes him very happy. He creates a Such a circumstance of life is different new situation, even cuts through a breakthrough from that of animal life. in life radically, either succeeds or fails and then One of the differences between a human be- he is satisfied. But there is another time when a ing and an animal is the that a human person can‘t enjoy what he encounters. He is doesn‘t only strive to gain biological and physical bored with, for instance, a high rank of his occu- needs or follow a current of routine life. The pation. All of he possesses doesn‘t give him hap- struggle that the animal does is just to fulfill its piness. His heart is empty. He is restless. He biological and physical needs, so that its species leads an aimless . In other words, he is in can survive in the . Besides the struggle alienation. He questions whatever he has had or for survival, the human being also strives for more done. There is something else he is eager to get, significant matters other than just to alive. That is and it is maybe clear or not. the . Imam Ghazali, one of leading Muslim figures, This paper will describe the meaning of life in

O. Hasbiansyah. The Search for Meaning of Life: Existentialism, Communication, and Islam 249 the perspectives of existentialism, communication, high tower at night. He was surrounded by an and Islam. Existentialism will be elaborated much unlimited extreme darkness. The only one light more than others. This paper also will explain how was in the top of tower. Suddenly a bird got in that to get the meaning of life. tower through one of its windows. The bird flut- tered inside around the light. Soon afterwards, Existentialism the bird went out through another window. The bird lost in the darkness. Existentialism is one of schools. The above description constitutes a metaphor The prominent figures who popularized existen- of human life. We are like that bird. Human being tialism were Jean-Paul Sartre and . comes from the darkness, makes a move around Soren Aabye Kierkegaard, , Martin the light in the world, and then enters the dark- Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Victor Emil ness again. We did not exist before, suddenly we Frankl, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, were also the are here in the world without our agreement. Then, existentialism figures who impressively developed we have to finish all with death, and are swallowed this school of philosophy, although some of them by the non-existence. So, what is the meaning of denied to be categorized as existentialists. life like that? What do we live here for? It is as if Existentialism focuses on concrete man, that just our to live in this universe. We were is man as an existence (Purwantana et al., 1991:11). never asked to consult how, where, when we would Human existence is described by existentialism in be born before. We couldn‘t avoid it. In fact, we some topics, those are being and non-being, be- have been here, walking in a small hole of a huge ing-in-the-world, authentic and unauthentic exist- universe. We are like a drop among wide ocean ence, self-, freedom and responsi- even far smaller than it. We also live in a very bility, alienation, and death (Koswara, 1987:9-18; short range of time compared with the age of this Corey, 1988). It‘s impossible to explain all of them universe. Before we were born there was a very here in a short description. So, here this philoso- long long time and after we are no more, there will phy will be described in a simple explanation. be a very long long time, too. We are very small, Existence and Restlessness of Man we have no meaning, indeed. According to existentialism, people are dis- Existentialism elucidates human being as a turbed by their existence. Man often questions unique creature that is fully aware of his existence. what for he is born and what the meaning of life is. The way man exists is different from other crea- Because of these questions, he is restless. If he tures (Tafsir, 1990:192). The sun exists, the world finds a significant thing in his life, his restlessness exists, stones exist, coconut trees exist, cow ex- will be less. ists, air exists; however, the inexistence is differ- The question: —what is the meaning of life?“ ent from the existence of human . Man isn‘t or —what do human beings live in the world for?“, like other creatures or matters that just exist or is often troubles tranquility of our . This is an alive in the world. Man exists in the world and he existential question. The trouble like this is a uni- encounters the world as well. He realizes himself versal restlessness. For escaping from the rest- and objects that he deals with. He wants to under- lessness, man strives to find an exact purpose in stand everything he and tries to rec- life and creates a that will give a meaning to ognize his environment. He is a and a his life. center of his activity. He is both a player of life stage and a seeker of and meaning. Qual- Freedom and Responsibility ity of man‘s existence depends on how he fulfills his life with any activities and the meaning he gets. We are forced to accept our in the world. Albert Camus describes human being as a Then, we are free. We have freedom. Sartre Caligula story. Caligula climbed up the top of a (1977:531) writes, —... I say that man is condemned

250 MEDIATOR, Vol. 3 No.2 2002 to be free. Condemned, because he did not create else than the ensemble of his acts, noth- himself, yet, in other respects he is free; because, ing else than his life“ (p. 533). Man is nothing once thrown into the world, he is responsible for other than the number of his activities. He is how everything he does.“ In connection with the opin- to manage his life. Fromm (1988:38) says that there ion of Sartre, Frankl explains that the freedom of is no meaning for life except the meaning that man man, in any case, is limited. It‘s impossible for man gives to his life by developing power and living to extricate himself from biological, sociological, productively. Man decides and develops his own and historical conditions. He can‘t avoid them. existence (Muthahhari, 1993:60). Therefore, it‘s The freedom of man is not freedom from those imperative that someone has to find the meaning- conditions, but it is the freedom to take a stand ful life in activities. It is —sinful“ for man who and self detachment. In other words, man has free- doesn‘t develop his potential in a chance he has, dom to decide an attitude to any condition. He and doesn‘t perform on his life tasks as well as he possesses freedom to surpass any determinant, can. This condition is called as —an existential so he can enter a new dimension of their lives (cf. sin“ (see: Corey, 1988:55). Koeswara, 1992:47-48 and Bastaman, 1994:15). At this freedom, man endeavors to be —fully- Someone is free to choose a kind of life whatever human“. Jaspers says, —To fail to be human would he wants, and he is not free not to choose. His life mean to slip into nothingness. What man is and is his . We can not make someone to be- can become is a fundamental question for man“ come a kind of man that‘s not his choice because (Levi, 1959:399). So, at any time man is in a —be- he fully owns himself (see Poduska, 1990:10). He coming“ process. The freedom possessed by man himself is his choice. Escaping from freedom is surely doesn‘t mean without risk. The way he has also as one of the ways to realize freedom. He chosen will bring its consequences and implica- really exists as far as he can choose what he wants tions. Freedom, on the one hand, can lead into a freely. Then, whatever he has decided requires higher meaningful life level and on the other side it his responsibility. can cause man to be trapped in a narrow hole, Man himself is defined by Sartre as freedom enters a circumstances of reduced existence of (Bertens, 1985:319). Freedom, which constitutes human life from each possibility and openness. the highest value of existentialism, gives man an So, it depends on a —kind“ of value that he uses as opportunity to make a creation. He has an open the basis for his life. possibility. It means that he always has chances What is the suitable attitude for an existen- to choose a way of life, to pursue his , or to tialist undergoes this life? Maybe, the following enjoy a kind of life he wishes. According to Jas- utterances that Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana ever said pers, the existence of man are a ceaseless open is an example of a good existentialist‘s attitude. possibilities. The existence of man is also a full He said, —I was born when there were millions of comprehension of total freedom (Bertens, years and mankind before, and afterwards there 1981:133). To be parallel with this opinion of Jas- will be millions of years and human beings, too. I pers‘, Iqbal stresses that human life is have freedom of choice what I have to do. There the only chance to open all the possibilities and is much news in mass media caused by develop all his potentials. How far this possibility despair, lost the purpose in life, deadlock of and his potential are developed is a criterion of . I thank , I am avoided from this bad one‘s to answer the existential question. fate. Therefore, I will do the best as long as I have In this case, that —man is nothing else but what he my life in the world“ (UlumuI No. 1 , 1989:50). makes of himself,“ according to Sartre, —is the first of existentialism“ (p. 528). Therefore, —.... Meaning of Life Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only Each of us always tries to answer the ques- to the extent that fulfills himself; he is therefore, tion —what is man alives for“ consciously or un-

O. Hasbiansyah. The Search for Meaning of Life: Existentialism, Communication, and Islam 251 consciously. Someone can not get the meaningful tion. Looking sunshine in the morning, doing a life unless he finds out the answer. Such an an- job enthusiastically, giving a gift to friend, are the swer is called as a struggle for life. For the true life, examples of simple events that can bring meaning- we have to get the meaning of life. ful life. The meaning of life is something regarded as Thirdly, the meaning of life gives the refer- important, true; it gives someone a special value. ence and direction for action to be done. It chal- If someone gets it, he will feel worth and happy as lenges and invites someone to fulfill it. a side effect. In the meaning of life, there is pur- Frankl claims that the will to meaning is the pose of life, that is has to achieve. It is difficult to basic striving of man to find and fulfill meaning differentiate the meaning of life from the purpose and purpose (Bastaman, 1994:15). According to of life. So, for practical explanation, in this paper Frankl, there are tree value systems related to the two will not be differed. search for and get a meaning of life: creative val- There are some characteristics of the mean- ues, experiential values, and attitudinal values. ing of life (Bastaman, 1996: 14-16): (Schultz, 1995:155; Koeswara, 1992: 6168). Cre- Firstly, the meaning of life is unique and per- ative values are expressed in creative and produc- sonal. It is unique for each man. The meaning of tive activities. The meaning of life is achieved by life is different from one‘s to another‘s, even from giving something to life through an action by cre- a moment to another moment. It can‘t be given by ating a useful thing at visible result or at invisible others, but it has to be found out. There are many form, or serving others as an individual ex- ways to obtain a satisfaction and give a certain pression. Man does his job and other activities as meaning of life for each man. Each person experi- well as possible. ences the world, depending on his or Experiential values relate to acceptance of interpretation of the environment he encounters. something from the world. The meaning of life is There is someone who has a purpose in life to obtained by enjoying , for instance, lis- posses a car. He puts it on most of his thought. tening to music, watching movies, even doing a So, the thing he pursues is how to get the car. By negative action, intensively and fully. He endeav- this effort, as a of fact, he tries to answer ors to get something from the life. the basic question in his life, and then he hopes he Life is not always easy to undergo and to en- will obtain the meaningful life and satisfaction or joy. Sometimes man faces unavoidable bad situa- . There is someone else who looks for tion. However, according to Frankl, at this situa- the meaningful life by giving a contribution to oth- tion we can still attain meaning by developing at- ers he . Or, maybe there is a person who titudinal values. When we face that situation, in gains the meaningful life in facing or doing some- fact even unchangeable bad situation, the only thing that has a big risk. When he is able to over- rational way to respond it is to accept it patiently. come that risk, he gets the meaning in his life and The way of how we accept our destiny, our brav- he feels happy. ery to bear the torment, our attitudes we show to The following is a story from Greece. A young deal with a debacle, are a final measurement of our man burnt a temple. Then, he was arrested. He efforts to get meaning and fulfill ourselves as hu- confessed that he did it because he wanted his man beings. name to be written in history as the person who According to Frankl, happiness is not the smashed the temple. He tried to find a meaning of purpose of life, but it‘s as a side effect of achiev- his life with this action. ing the meaning of life. If we don‘t find out the Secondly, the meaning of life is specific and meaning of life, we feel restless (existential frus- concrete. It can be found in simple experiences tration or existential vacuum). and daily life, not only in ideal goals, high The meaning of life is in attempting to reach academical achievement, or philosophical reflec- the purpose. Someone has consciousness of

252 MEDIATOR, Vol. 3 No.2 2002 meaningful life because he has a purpose that he tribution to others not caused by possessing soli- it is worthwhile enough to be struggle darity anymore, but the focus is to get more prof- for, with sacrifice if necessary. But, then, accord- its economically. ing to Madjid (1992:25), the value of meaning and Thirdly, aesthetic man. He regards a purpose are not automatically positive, because is a meaningful life. He looks for satisfaction in whatever or ways of life have possibil- form and harmony. He doesn‘t to spend ity to give someone a meaning and purpose of life. much money for what he considers as an aesthetic Some examples explained above indicate it. There- thing. fore, for instance, it is possible that someone who Fourthly, political man. The most valuable becomes a beggar gets a meaningful life. Being a for this man is authority, power, position. The im- beggar, for him, may constitute a high sacrifice to portant principle of his life is: don‘t let others lead achieve a certain meaning of life. me; I have to be a leader of them. The meaning of However, of course, we need the true mean- his life is in his ability to lead, to control, to domi- ing of life. Madjid (1992:28) says that the true mean- nate, to influence, or to make others surrender to ing of life must have cosmic dimension, based on him. The higher he can influence on others, the a view and consciousness that this life is part of more significant his life he feels. —an encompassing cosmic design“, that is an ab- Fifthly, social man. Values of and friend- solute, , or ultimate meaning of life. We ship dominate him. He is delighted to be loved need a firm view that will guide our life. For atheis- and to love others. He is afraid of being isolated in tic people, the universe, ecosystem, or a certain social intercourse, being avoided, or losing a philosophy or , maybe will be become as warmth of interpersonal relation. He can‘t bear to source of meaning of life. For theistic ones, God live alone. and teachings are the source of meaning Sixthly, religious man. The most important of life. In this case, the universe that has an order for this man is a fidelity of performing religion and the laws of , are just as elaboration of teachings he believes. There is no highest happi- Almighty God. ness but surrender all his life to God. He is sad Before we explain the firm view that we mean when he is against religious obligation. above, we will expound some types of human be- Aside from the types of human being ex- ing first. The types are related to the kind of mean- plained by Edwar Spranger above, Soren ingful life that man wants to get. Kierkegaard categorizes man into three levels, gradually from the lowest to the highest level: aes- Types of Human Being thetic, ethical, and religious (Weij, 1988:141). At the aesthetic level, man is in , Edwar Spranger divides human beings into and led by sensory perception. He is a hedonist. six types based on values they hold (Rakhmat, At a certain time, he will be bored. Boredom en- 1990:109). ables him to enter the next level: ethical level. At Firstly, theoretical man. The most signifi- the second level, man lives in a certain norm. Nev- cant thing for him is scientific . He will be ertheless, then, he feels dissatisfied. He is against proud of defending his opinion he believes as truth. the ethical order. At this tragical situation, he still He finds a meaningful thing if he has a keen of has the other possibility, that is to go to religious mind, ability to discuss a problem, dare to express level. At this level, he contributes all of his life for his ideas. He likes doing research, investigating sake of God. This way of life is a possibility of things, or testing . meaning of man‘s existence. Secondly, economical man. The most sig- nificant for him is the . The meaning of his Atheistic versus Theistic Existentialism life is in ownership of riches. Life is valued as getting possession. If he is forced to give a con- teaches us that the

O. Hasbiansyah. The Search for Meaning of Life: Existentialism, Communication, and Islam 253 meaning of life can only be obtained with our own propriate solution. Man has to overcome his prob- ability. It is impossible to find the answers of all lems with his own efforts. It is useless to ask help problems to a transcendent matter (that‘s God). from God. Nietzsche divides moral into two kinds. Human is the owner of all his existence and simul- There are —master moral“ and —slave moral“ taneously he has to be responsible for that. In (Bertens, 1991:88). Durant (1961:315) calls the terms other cases, Albert Camus regards this world is as a morality of masters and a morality of the herds. absurd. The world can‘t be understood even it is Master moral is the moral which is possessed by useless. According to Camus, it is true that the the man who has a great bravery to face various world is beautiful, that the universe is interesting, risks of life, is delighted to pursue great ideas, is that the life has comfortable circumstances. How- eager to embody his hopes, dared to master the ever, behind them, there are many people suffer- world. For him life is the arena where he has to ing, they can‘t enjoy the beauty of the universe. fight challenges. Life is the thing that he has to be At the end, they have to say goodbye to all his life conquered. So, life is very dynamic. tragically when unavoidable death picks them up. In contrary, slave moral is the moral which is So, to Camus, it is useless to think the past and the possessed by the man who is full of peaceful, future. The important thing is what we do now! gentle, love. He is always obedient to prevailing Man has to find the meaning of life in an absur- law. He maintains status quo. Life is regarded as dity. Prodikos, an ancient Greek figure, said that a tranquility. the only one solution to human miseries is death. Nietzsche advises us in order to be a man that However, Camus ever said, —A life can have mean- has the —master moral“. We are not allowed to be ing even if the world does not“ (see: Camus, a person who possesses the —slave moral“. Being 1977:643-651). a man of master moral enables us to be a very Furthermore, Sartre says that the freedom of strong man. Being a man of slave moral makes us man is firmly . There is no God. Sartre become a very weak man. Look a sailor who dares clarifies that if there is God, who knows every- to fight big waves of the ocean! He has strong thing, man is not free anymore, because God will hand and has no . But, look a man who is annihilate the freedom of man. But, Sartre says, it always interested in sitting at a beach, looking wave doesn‘t mean that man is allowed to do every- of coconut‘s leaps blown by breeze. He considers thing he wants. Aside from freedom, he has also life is just full of peace. He will not have strong responsibility. I have freedom to do an action, body. According to Nietzsche, performing reli- then I myself have responsibility. And then, that I gion brings about slave moral man. am the one who is responsible for my own action Sartre, Camus, and Nietzsche are some of athe- that leads into . The anxiety is a conscious- istic existentialists. Some of their opinions are ness that all of my future depends on myself. positive because they teach us to undergo this However, according to Sartre, the anxiety seldom life with a great courage and dare to encounter appears because of our daily activities. The anxi- risks. But, others are not in accordance with reli- ety will appear if man is totally conscious that his gion because the basic of his is . behavior depends on himself, and that he is the One of the major characteristics of atheistic only source of all values and meanings. Man has existentialist‘s effort is to stress on materialistic to solve it by himself. interests instead of transcendental one. Nietzsche, a whom Camus ad- The opposite of the atheistic existentialism is mires, dares to announce that is dead. Ac- theistic existentialism. Some of the theistic exis- cording to him, only a lazy man that relied on– tentialists are Jaspers and Kierkegaard. what is called as–Allah. Believing in God is According to the theistic existentialism, the claimed to give psychologically canalization of existing great number of unintelligible life prob- difficulty and solves problems, but it is an inap- lems doesn‘t mean that life is absurd, but it indi-

254 MEDIATOR, Vol. 3 No.2 2002 cates that the adventure of human ability is lim- The faithful of Allah has always the way to ited. The —free“ existence of human being faces solve life problems, how difficult. To theistic exis- the —limit“ which can‘t be cut through. The condi- tentialist, full comprehension of Allah will be tion of limitedness is named as —limited situation“ strengthened with the existing problems he faces. (German: grenzsituation). Restlessness, torment, If of atheistic existentialist causes pessi- impasse, according to Jaspers, are forms of —lim- mistic, but of theistic existentialist will be ended at ited situation“ that human beings experience optimistic. (Bertens, 1981,134). The most dramatic —limit situ- ation“ is death. Consciousness of limitedness, Meaning of Life and Communication besides leads into restless, simultaneously insists on having an authentic life. of death Basically, someone must be in relation with has a significant value for human‘s life because it others. If only he meets and communicates with brings about him to realize that he has an exactly each other, he can find a possibility to get a mean- limited time to actualize his potentials, and it will ing of life (cf. Delfagaauw, 2001: 145). There is an motivate to have bravery, honesty, and to hold opinion that meaning can be gotten by looking to high moral value. If we are immortal, we can delay ourselves. But, according to Naylor, Willimon, and each action for long time, in fact even forever, be- Naylor (1996:21), although self-actualization is im- cause each action is always good whether we do it portant as prerequisite for getting meaning, such now, tomorrow, or ten years next. Since we are a thing is not enough. We need love from others. faced with death as an absolute finality, we are The search for meaning, however, will involve oth- demanded to use the time as well as possible. So, ers‘ help, beside looking to ourselves. We need to temporality is obviously our meaning factor in our meet with friends, teachers, neighbors, parents, lives (Koeswara, 1992:68-69). family, colleagues, or others to fulfill one or more To an atheistic existentialist, everything re- of our interests, as part of ways to get meaning. mains have to be returned to human himself when Without them, we will be alienated physically and he is in facing —limit situation“, regardless of the psychologically. In this context, we have to be hardship; but to a theistic existentialist, —limit situ- aware that there are others; we are not alone; we ation“ will cause realization of presence of tran- have to communicate with them; we share some- scendental matter. thing with them. Living together in social life Theistic existentialism considers that man through participation and communication will make must posses suitable basis where he undergoes someone has a self-awareness and a full-life (cf. his life and deals with changing values. What is Hariyadi, 1994). Togetherness is an arena where meant by the suitable basis here is religion. Reli- we can elaborate our potentiality, so we can achieve gion is a reference that must become as a basic a meaningful life. In other words, communication motive underlying all actions. Religion with its enables us to understand others and ourselves, —transcendental values“ gives man the way to get and simultaneously to be understood by others. the meaning of life and the world. At —limited situ- Then, we can accept the existence of ourselves ation“, religion becomes as a kind of ventilation and others (see: Supratiknya, 1995: 84-86). Actu- psychologically. However, religion is more ally, communication itself is a medium of catharsis. than as medium of cathartic expression. Human By communication, we exclude our feelings. suffering is solved not only by human himself, let First of all, we communicate with ourselves. alone by suicide; but also it‘s simultaneously over- We try to understand who we are. Then, we com- come through existential leap into faith (cf. municate with others, even universe. We learn to Kierkegaard, 1977). Kierkegaard believed in God, understand ourselves among them. We also try to and he ever said, —God is the only one who does make reflection beyond the universe, and then we not grow tired of listening to men“ (Hassan, —touch“ God. 1992:26).

O. Hasbiansyah. The Search for Meaning of Life: Existentialism, Communication, and Islam 255 Islam: from Ta‘lim to Ishlah view, which has cosmic dimension, that will guide us more perfectly. Formulating an aim of life means to decide a What do we have to do as Muslims to get the choice of life (what we must pursue), so that we meaningful life? As simply, there are at least four get a satisfactory experience and a meaningful principles of fight to get the absolutely meaning- thing. Generally, people describe the aim of their ful life as expressed in Quran and has been under- life by looking for the relationship of nature and gone by Muhammad saw. Those are ta‘lim, objective world with its surroundings: wealth, tazkiyah, tilawah, and ishlah (QS 7:157; 3:164; power, pleasure, prestigious symbols. It‘s con- 62:2) (Rakhmat, 1986:117-119). fessed that it is the most —realistic“ because it‘s Ta‘lim means that a Muslim has to concern more concrete and can be experienced directly or himself with or . He uses his immediately. But., what really does human being time to learn or to search for knowledge and useful intend with all? The fact often shows that it‘s , and then to share them with others. obviously a speed of hope is faster than the abil- —Pursue knowledge although in China,“ says the ity to conquer the objective world he needs. Prophet Muhammad saw. There is much knowl- —Faaina tadzhabuun?“ asked Quran (81:26). edge and there are many in the world, but —Then whither go ye?“ or —What do you have to our life is short. Therefore, we must not study all do?“ sciences or get all knowledge. We must study —Faaina tadzhabuun?“ is a kind of an exis- them as far as they are needed to do the truth (Al tential question from Quran. At first glance this Hujwiri, 1992:23). question is very simple, but it really has deep mean- Tazkiyah is to purify both our and body ing. That is similar to Latin words: —Quo vadis?“. from all diseases or dirty matters, either individu- We usually use these Latin words to express our ally or socially. A Muslim is obliged to increase wonderment to a deviant from the norm or to know the quality of himself and his social environment the exact direction of walking way of ours. to a better level. Purification of body and soul All of us are in a —journey“. We have to de- must be conducted simultaneously (Al Hujwiri, cide where we should go. Quran gives the appro- 1992:263). We purify our matters of the inner self priate answer as Ibrahim a.s. ever said: —I will go and the outer world, too. —Truly he succeeds that to my Lord! He will surely guide me“ (QS.37:99). purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it!“ (QS 91:9- We may gather with a group who is going to 10). Allah or with other groups who are not, depend- Tilawah is to read the signs of greatness of ing on our choice. The result is that we will be Allah from both the Holy Book and the universe, gathered with our group that we select in the world. to implant the Sacred Name of Almighty God into Inability to answer the above question causes heart. A Muslim is fond of doing contemplation. emptiness of life. We have answered it satisfacto- Ishlah is to improve social circumstances. A rily if we feel meaningful in our activities we do. Muslim activates his potential not just for himself That‘s true that human being has freedom of choice but for environment of , too. His heart con- to form his life, but he can‘t master fully all the cerns itself with others‘ torment. He is called to ways of his life (Madjid, 1987). People are capable help socially weak groups of society. His life grows of getting the meaningful life absolutely on condi- in social intercourse. He is interested in activities tion that they ask the help to guidance of Allah. of amar ma‘ruf nahi munkar. So, religion is a way of life system that offers the true and good meaning and aim of life (Madjid, Epilogue 1992:26). According to religion, the purpose of life is to face God, and the meaning of life is reached The meaning of life obviously is not the same in our efforts to get God‘s favor. This is the firm for each person. The meaningful life is obtained

256 MEDIATOR, Vol. 3 No.2 2002 with many kinds of ways. A man can get the mean- Bastaman, Hanna Dj umhanna, 1994. —Di mensi Spiri- ingful life just through following routine life, but tual dalam Teori Psikologi Kontemporer, Logoterapi another gets it through working hard, conquering Victor E . Frankl,“Ulumul Ourlan, Jurnal Ilmu challenges, actualizing his potential as high as he dan Kebudayaan, No.4, Vol.V. Th. 1994 (p. 14- 21). can. There are different factors that make man‘s life significant, ideology that is believed, school _____. 1996. Meraih Hidup Bermakna: Kisah Pribadi of thought he holds, interests he has, and other dengan Pengalaman Tragis. Jakarta: Yayasan values that influence him to make a decision in his Wakaf Paramadina. life. All ideologies or ways of life have potential to Bertens, Kees. 1981. Filsafat Barat dalam Abad XX. the formulation of the meaning and purpose of Jakarta: Gramedia. life. _____. 1985 Filsafat Barat dalam Abad XX Jilid II, The next problem is that the value of meaning Perancis. Jakarta: Gramedia. and purpose of life may be positive or negative. _____. 1987. Fenomenologi Eksistensial. Jakarta: When we choose the positive value of meaning Gramedia. and purpose, then we have to evaluate whether the meaning and purpose derive from a view based _____. 1991. Ringkasan Sejarah Filsafat. Yogyakarta: on a cosmic dimension or a terrestrial dimension. Kanisius. The view based on the cosmic dimension gives a Camus, Albert. 1977. —The of Human Exis- strong basis of conducting action in terrestrial di- tential,“ Bierman, A.K. and James A. Gould. 1977. mension. Loss of the cosmic dimension in life will Philosophy for A New Generation, Third Edition. cause the terrestrial dimension of the meaning and New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. purpose shaky, so that all of the meaning and pur- Corey, Gerald. 1988. Teori dan Praktek Konseling dan pose of life will be lost. Religion is the view based Psikoterapi. (Translated by E. Koswara). , on the cosmic dimension, while all aims we decide Bandung: Eresco. and all meanings we get in doing daily work are Delfagaauw, Bernard. 2001. Filsafat Abad 20. Trans- the terrestrial meaning and purpose of life. lated by Soejono Soemargono. Yogyakarta: Tiara For Muslims, the purpose of all their life is to Wacana. get bliss based on God‘s favor, and the meaning Departemen Agama Republik Indonesia, 1980. Al Quran their of his life is reached by directing all their ac- dan Terjemahannya. Jakarta. tion to get God‘s favor. To achieve it, Islam offers Muslims to make ta‘lim, tazkiyah, tilawah, and Durant, Will. 1961. The Story of Philosophy, Lives and Opinions of Great of the Western ishlah as a basic frame of reference in their life. World. New York: Simon and Schuster Rockefeller What makes your life meaningful? M Center. Fromm, Erich. 1988. Manusia bagi Dirinya, Suatu Telaah Psikologis-Filosofis tentang Tingkah Laku Manusia Modern. Translated by Eno Safrudien. Jakarta: Akademika. Bibliography Hariyadi, Mathias. 1994. Membina Hubungan Antarpribadi Berdasarkan Prinsip Partisipasi, Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. 1990. The Holy Qur-an, English Persekutuan, dan Cinta Menurut . Translation of the Meanings and Comentary. King Yogyakarta: Kanisius. Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex, Al Madinah Al Munawarah. Hassan, Fuad. 1992. Berkenalan dengan Eksistensialisme. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya. Al Hujwiri. 1992. Kasyful Mahjub, Risalah Persia Tertua tantang Tasawuf. Translated by Suwardjo Kierkegaard, Soren. 1977. —The Leap to God,“ Bierman, Muthary and Adul Hadi W.M. Bandung: Mizan. A.K. and James A. Gould. 1977. Philosophy for A

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