The Fifth Word of The Words by Imam Said Nursi develops the theme of the previous Words: what is the real purpose of human life ?

Its central argument is that human beings have been created with a fundamental duty:

Central Analogy: Soldiers in an Army

Imam Nursi compares humanity to an army, imagine two soldiers:

The First Soldier

He understands that he is part of an army, he:

• follows his commander's orders,
• performs his assigned duty,
• trains when required,
• does not worry about matters outside his responsibility.

Because he knows his purpose, he can focus on his task.

The Second Soldier

He becomes distracted by everything around him.

Instead of concentrating on his duty, he starts worrying about:

• food,
• equipment,
• his future,
• what other soldiers are doing,
• and how everything in the army operates.

He effectively forgets why he was enlisted.

Imam Nursi uses this to represent human beings.

The Human Being as a Soldier

According to Imam Nursi, we are not simply placed in the world to:

• Eat,
• work,
• accumulate possessions,
• and eventually die.

We have a higher purpose, our fundamental duty is:

• To know God
• believe in Him,
• worship Him,
• and live according to His commands.

The ordinary activities of life are important, but they should not make us forget our ultimate purpose.

Why Do We Spend So Much Time on Worldly Things?

Imam Nursi points out an interesting contradiction, people spend enormous amounts of time thinking about:

• careers,
• money,
• food,
• houses,
• possessions,
• entertainment,
• physical comfort.

Yet they may regard worship as an interruption.

Nursi reverses this perspective.

He asks us to consider:

The World Is Like an Army Camp

The world is temporary, human beings are like soldiers temporarily stationed here.

The important question is therefore not simply:

But:

This changes how we understand worldly life.

Summary

The Fifth Word teaches that: