5:94
O ye who believe! Allah doth but make a trial of you in a little matter of game well within reach of game well within reach of your hands and your lances, that He may test who feareth him unseen: any who transgress thereafter, will have a grievous penalty.
Elsewhere (67:2), the Holy Quran mentions:
Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving:
Maududi explains that the Qurʾānic statement describing life and death as a means of testing humanity highlights several important theological principles. First, it affirms that both life and death are granted solely by God, and no other being possesses the authority to create life or bring about death. Second, the existence of human beings—who have the capacity to choose between good and evil—is not purposeless; rather, human life in this world functions as a period of moral testing. Death, in turn, marks the conclusion of this period of trial. Third, the Creator has given every individual the opportunity to act freely, allowing people to demonstrate through their behavior the kind of moral character they possess. Finally, the ultimate evaluation of these actions belongs to God alone, who determines the true standard of what constitutes good and evil. According to Maududi, the existence of reward and punishment is therefore essential, since without accountability the concept of moral testing would lose its meaning (Maududi, Tafhīm al-Qurʾān, commentary on Qurʾān 67:2, note 4).
The Qurʾān further emphasizes the purpose of human existence in another verse, which states that human beings and jinn were created in order to worship God (Qurʾān 51:56). This theme is reinforced in the Prophetic tradition that highlights the importance of intention in evaluating human actions. In a well-known ḥadīth narrated by ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated that actions are judged according to the intentions behind them, and each person receives the outcome corresponding to what they intended. The ḥadīth illustrates this principle through the example of migration (hijrah): if a person migrates for the sake of God and His Messenger, the act is counted as a spiritual migration and rewarded accordingly; however, if the migration is motivated by worldly gain or personal reasons, the reward corresponds only to that intention (al-Bukhārī; Muslim).
Together, these teachings emphasize that human life is a moral test in which both outward actions and inward intentions are taken into account, and that ultimate judgment and recompense rest with God.
References:
Maududi, Abul Ala (2010). Tafhim ul Quran. (surah 67, verse 2, note 4).