Why do we need Islam? Why choose a religion?

Iبِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم

Bismi-llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

Why do we need Islam? Why choose a religion?

In this life for anything to work there must be a specific structure. For example, if you want your business to run there must be rules, boss, manager, employees, set working time, paperwork and so on. Otherwise the business will fail.

If there wouldn't be traffic laws and regulations, many people would die every day.

In order for school to operate it needs to have teachers, students, class rooms, set lesson time etc...

So equally for us as human beings there must be a structure, so our lives would "work". If you wake up every day, wash your body, feed it, and go to work - you are wasting your time on something which is temporary. Every body will die one day. But if you maintain your prayers, give charity, ask God the Exalted for forgiveness - these are the actions that will clean your soul and remain with you forever because the soul is eternal. 

More logical and smarter way is to take care of your soul first before your body. And surely you have to keep yourself clean, eat healthy, and have proper sleeping schedule to prevent some sicknesses. However, all our major problems are coming from inside. If our soul suffers, the body gets sick. If we are angry, the body gets pain. If we are missing someone, the body is weak. If we feel lack of love in life, the body gets destroyed and dies. These are the examples of real people in this life not just a theory. 

That is why God the Exalted says that every human being needs HIM. We need to have a specific way of living - the religion. And if we will start creating a "perfect life structure" ourselves like many psychologists are trying to do nowadays, we will fail. Its very common nowadays to visit psychologist therapy sessions. What are we doing there? Looking for solutions to life's problems. Weather it's a complicated relationship, bills, stress, family issues, sickness, depression or something else. But ask yourself: "Do you really get answers from those sessions?" Besides that you just talk out your problem to someone and feel kind of "relieved". In the reality no problem will be solved with the advice of another human being. Because no human have the knowledge that God the Exalted possesses. We don't know the past and the future, we don't know what is hidden in other people's hearts. We don't have the life experience of centuries. Our body desires make us weak. Our mood changes from day to day. So it doesn't matter how hard we try, there will always be something that won't benefit properly or even harm us. God The Exalted has already prepared for us solutions to any problem in this life and hereafter. HE (GAE) provided them in the Holy Quran and it is absolutely free for everyone. If you want to find answers to your life situation, you just need to open Quran and you will see yourself on one of the pages.

The way of living that God the Exalted created for us is perfect. There is no unanswered questions and there is a benefit in each and every action.

SO WHERE DO WE START?

We start with our iman. Iman (faith) is the base in our religion, strength in our lives, and salvation in hereafter.

HADITH

It was narrated on the authority of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: 

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet (peace be upon him), rested his knee against his thighs, and said, "O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (prayer), pay the Zakah (charity), fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House, if you are able to do so."
The man said, "You have spoken truly." We were astonished at his questioning him (the Messenger) and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman."
He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in qadar (fate), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly."
Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet (know that) He sees you."

He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that, the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof." He said, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went of. I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril (the Angel Gabriel). He came to teach you your religion.

(Sahih Muslim)