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The crisis of meaning is one of the central philosophical and practical questions of our time. This crisis often manifests itself in the rise of nihilism (no meaning), hedonism (pleasure seeking), and – lately – of self-assisted suicide. In this paper, Dr. Nazir Khan engages in a rich discussion of the Islamic tradition and its views on the meaning of life. He discusses modern philosophers, like Russell, Schopenhauer, and Frankl, and circles back to the Qur'an and Muslim scholarship. Khan roots the argument in tawhid (Islamic monotheism), which grounds the human quest for meaning in servitude to God. The paper is a compelling account of Islam's vision of life that satisfies human need for spiritual, moral, and intellectual aspects of being.
Nazir Khan (MD, FRCPC) is a medical doctor, clinical neuropsychiatrist, Islamic theologian, and specialist in Qur’anic sciences. He is an Associate Professor at McMaster University and a doctoral candidate in Islamic theology at the University of Nottingham. He memorized the whole Qur’an during his youth, has ijāzāt in all ten readings of the Qur’an through both major and minor routes of transmission, and has also received certifications in the six books of hadith as well as numerous works of Islamic theology. He has served as a volunteer Imam for many years. He is also a consultant for the Manitoba Islamic Association Fiqh Committee. Following medical school, he completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Manitoba and his fellowship in Neuroradiology at the University of Calgary with dual-board certification. His expertise in both medical sciences and Islamic theology uniquely positions him to address challenging contemporary questions regarding faith, reason, and science. He is a senior fellow at Yaqeen Institute and served as the founding president of Yaqeen Institute’s branch in Canada.
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