Tajdeed

Why did God create us?

Is the Creation great and profound and surreal?

Yes.

Does God not transcend all and everything in greatness? Is God not greater than great?

Yes.

Then, surely this Being, who has the great capacity of creating is going to fulfil it. He Creates and He manifests the Divine attribute of being the Creator. He creates fallible beings with desire, He allows them to exist, enjoy the gift of life, existence and awareness.

Yet, when the servant sins and then repents, He always opens the doors of forgiveness for them, thus manifesting the Divine attribute of mercy and compassion.

– (Surah 110:3) فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسۡتَغۡفِرۡهُ ؕ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ تَوَّابًا

‘Then extol the praise of your Lord and pray to Him for forgiveness. For He indeed is ever disposed to accept repentance’.

Why did God create mankind according to the Qur’an?

– (Surah 51:56) – وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ٥٦

‘And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me’.

What does ‘ibadah (worship) mean?

Etymologically, ‘ibadah is related to ‘abd meaning slave because in relation to God, His creation are His slaves and servants. The creation shows obedience to the Most-High, either willingly or unwillingly.

– (Surah 41:11) – ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَهِىَ دُخَانٌۭ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ٱئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًۭا قَالَتَآ أَتَيْنَا طَآئِعِينَ

‘Then He turned towards the heaven when it was ˹still like˺ smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.’

The greatest blessing of existence and life is only because of the mercy and grace of the Necessary Being.

– (Surah 2:165) – وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّتَّخِذُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا يُّحِبُّوۡنَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡٓا اَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّٰهِ ؕ وَلَوۡ يَرَى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡٓا اِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَۙ اَنَّ الۡقُوَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا ۙ وَّاَنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعَذَابِ

‘Yet there are some who take others as equals to Allah and love them as Allah alone should be loved; but those who (truly) believe, they love Allah more than all else’.

God Almighty is the only Truth, the only one deserving of true, unconditional love, obedience and worship because everything is through him, He is the source of every blessing in life.

Therefore, unconditionally loving and obeying other than Him is the greatest injustice and it is the epitome of ingratitude!

– (Surah 14:34) – وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ ٣٤

‘And He has granted you all that you asked Him for. If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, humankind is truly unfair, ˹totally˺ ungrateful’.

Therefore, justice entails that God Almighty is the only one worthy of worship, this is the right thing and the best thing to do!

– (Surah 33:41) – يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا

‘O believers! Always remember Allah often’

This is because the love and remembrance of the Necessary and True Existent is the objective purpose of life.

by Abul Hasan