Creation is fundamentally the consequence of the divine attribute of being the Creator. God is free of all needs. It is created which needs Him. Creation in the true sense is unique to God alone. God describes Himself as the Creator in a variety of verses throughout the final revelation to emphasize to humankind that everything belongs to Him alone. One of the striking effects of faith is a feeling of gratitude towards God. Allah says:
اللَّهُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِرًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
“Allah (is) the One Who made for you the night that you may rest in it, and the day giving visibility. Indeed, Allah (is) Full (of) Bounty to the people, but most (of) the people (do) not give thanks.” (Surah Ghafir 40:61)
Humankind is merely a small part of the existence that resulted from the miraculous act of divine creation. Thus, to understand why God created mankind, one first needs to answer the even more fundamental question of why God created. It is worth noting that the majority of humankind’s amazing discoveries are not concerning the human being, but his surroundings. Allah says:
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not realize it.” (Surah Ghafir 40:57)
Believers love God and are grateful to Him for the blessings He gives them. Man needs to realize that nothing takes place in this universe without the permission of God. To seek protection from evil or to seek to acquire good from any source other than God is a major mistake. Consequently, in the Quran, God informs human beings to seek refuge in God from evil. The love of God should also be expressed in the love of those whom God loves. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ
“Satan plans to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling and hinder you from the remembrance of God and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?” (Surah Al-Ma`idah 5:91)
Allah created a world in which evil or good can be done by beings to whom He gave this ability. However, no evil or good can take place in this world without the permission of God. This is why it is futile to turn to others besides God for help and protection. Everyone would acknowledge that our body parts, such as our eyes, ears, brains, and hearts, have a purpose.
Human beings are considered as a special act of creation:
- Allah lets them go and gives us many chances
- Allah orders justice and good conduct
- Allah is All-Powerful, absolutely Just
- Allah is the Supreme, the Sovereign
- Allah knows all that is in our hearts
- Allah knows what is in our hearts
- Allah is the Creator of all things
- Allah is the Maintainer of life
- Allah is the Impartial Judge
- Allah’s book is the Holy Quran
- Allah is First, Last, and Everlasting
- Allah is the Bestower of Sufficiency
- Allah is the one, Who has no partner
- Allah is everything in His own accord
- Allah sent Messenger for all mankind
- Allah’s knowledge compasses all things
- Allah knows what is on the land and in the sea
- Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare
- Allah is the delayer and the One who puts things in their right places
- Allah loves His creation 70 times more than a mother loves her child
All the reasons for which humans love other humans or love other created beings are reasons to love God more than His creation. Humans love life and success and dislike death and failure. Since God is the ultimate source of life and success, He deserves the full love and devotion of mankind. Humans also love those who benefit them and help them when they are in need. Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
“Those who, having done something shameful or having wronged their souls, remember God and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins…” (Surah Al-Imran 3:135)
However, the supreme love which humans should feel for God must not be reduced to the common denominator of their emotional love for creation. Just as the love humans feel for animals should not be the same as what they feel for other humans, the love of God should transcend the love humans feel towards each other. The human love of God should be, fundamentally, a love that manifests in complete obedience to the laws of God. Allah says:
ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ
“That (is) Allah your Lord, (the) Creator (of) all things, (there is) no god except Him. So how are you deluded?” (Surah Ghafir 40:62)
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- “ God created you in stages.” (Quran 71:4)
- “Glorify the praises of your Lord…” (Quran 15:98)
- “O, believers! Remember God often.” (Quran 33:41)
- “And God created you all and whatever you do.” (Quran 37:96)
- “No calamity strikes except by God’s permission…” (Quran 64:11)
- “…There is nothing like Him and He is hearer and seer of all.” (Quran 42:11)
- “If you love God, then follow me [the Prophet] and God will love you.” (Quran 3:31)
- “God created all things and He is the agent on which all things depend.” (Quran 39:62)
- “If you try to count God’s blessings, you will not be able to add them up.” (Quran 16:18)
- “O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become God-conscious.” (Quran 2:183)
- “Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!” (Noble Quran 39:8)
- “(God) creates you inside the bodies of your mothers, in stages, one after another.” (Quran 39:6)
- “I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, from the evil of what He has created.” (Quran 113:1-2)
- “Indeed, We (God) showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.” (Quran 76:2-3)
- “And I did not create the jinn and humans except they should worship Me.” (Noble Quran 51:56)
Man needs to realize that nothing takes place in this universe without the permission of God. To seek protection from evil or to seek to acquire good from any source other than God is a major mistake. Due to ignorance, many people attempt to avoid misfortune and to gain a good fortune through a variety of charms and amulets, astrology, palmistry, etc. Allah says:
وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
“And they say, “Not it (is) but our life (of) the world, we die and we live, and not destroys us except the time.” And not for them of that any knowledge; not, they (do) but guess.” (Surah Al-Jathiyah 45:24)
Consequently, in the Quran, God informs human beings to seek refuge in God from evil. Thus, the act of creation is a consequence of the divine attribute of being the Creator. Thus, human efforts tend to be focused on the material world rather than human beings. Allah says:
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
“Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?” (Surah Al-Hadid 57:16)
Why do human beings need to worship and glorify God by obeying the divinely revealed laws? Because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next. Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in all walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer human beings a complete system governing all of their affairs. Allah says:
اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَأَنسَاهُمْ ذِكْرَ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
“Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget God. Those are the party of Satan. Truly the party of Satan is the real losers.” (Surah Al-Mujadilah 58:19)
The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His creation and what is not. The believers are encouraged to remember God as much as possible. Although moderation in all spheres of life, whether material or spiritual, is generally encouraged in divine law, an exception is made regarding the remembrance of God. It is virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently, in the final revelation, God encourages believers to remember Him as often as possible.
