Divine Wisdom behind the creation of man for worship
31-8-2010 | IslamWeb
Question:
Why did Allaah The Almighty create human beings to worship Him? What does He benefit from us deifying Him?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Him, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
One aspect of the Perfection of Allaah The Almighty is that He does not make anything without a purpose. He is far Exalted above what is attributed to Him of creating things in vain, for, verily, He only does so with profound wisdom and due to probable interests that some people know, while others do not. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.} [Quran 21:16]
· {And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play. We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know.} [Quran 44:38-39]
· {Ha, Meem. The revelation of the Book is from Allaah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. We did not create the heavens and earth and what is between them except in truth and [for] a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turning away.} [Quran 46: 1-3]
The human race is a part of that creation of His, for had it not been made for a great purpose, it would have been out of play, and Allaah The Almighty is High above such ideas and thoughts. He Himself Says (what means): {Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?" So Exalted is Allaah, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.} [Quran 23:115-116] Had mankind been produced for any objective other than worshipping Allaah The Almighty, people would have been like animals that will be neither rewarded nor punished; they simply eat, drink and reproduce. Such a state would have been degrading for Man, as well as a negation of the wisdom of Allaah, The Omniscient, The All-Wise.
In short, man was not created in vain, as Allaah The Almighty is Exalted above such a notion, but rather, to worship Him and draw near to Him. Additionally, there are many other aspects of wisdom behind his creation, such as testing people and distinguishing the good from the bad. Those who perform worship, which they were made to do, are the righteous, and deserve to enter Paradise beneath which rivers flow. However, those who do not offer worship, for which they were created, are the wicked people who earn eternal doom in Hell.
Further wisdom behind the creation [of the human race], is so that the meanings of the Beautiful Names of Allaah The Almighty and His glorious Attributes, may be realized. Those who act according to their purpose will receive reward from Him and His Favor; also, their sins and mistakes will be forgiven, and they will be made inhabitants of His spacious gardens in Paradise. Consequently, the effect of His Grace, Goodwill, Pardon and Mercy will become tangible.
On the other hand, those who do not offer worship as they should, deserve the punishment of Allaah The Almighty and His retribution, because they turned away from their Creator, Sustainer and the One Who bestows bounties upon them, and also, since they failed to perform the task for which they were created. If Allaah The Almighty avenges by punishing them, the people will realize that He is the Compeller, the Avenger and the Severe in penalty.
Honoring man through manifesting his total submission to Divine Authority is also part of the wisdom behind creating him for the worship of Allaah The Almighty. There is nothing more honorable than being a sincere worshipper of Him Alone, obeying His orders, refraining from His prohibitions, finding guidance in His instructions and pursuing His straight path without associating anything with Him. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Allaah presents an example: a slave owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allaah! But most of them do not know.} [Quran 39:29]
There is a lot more wisdom [behind the creation]; some is clear to those who comprehend it, while, for others, it is not. One must know that Allaah The Almighty is the sole Creator and He may create whatever He wills for whatever purpose He wants. He is not questioned about what He does, may He be Exalted. Anyone who rejects or criticizes this is a plain wrongdoer.
Allaah Knows best.