Have you ever pondered about our existence, that is why Allah created us. What is the purpose of our existence? This is not just a question that passes through the minds of philosophers and thinkers but is one that every Muslim should seek to understand. It is a question that affects our daily lives, how we worship, how we interact with others, and most importantly, how we view our relationship with Allah.
It was already established in the Quran where we were created from in the verse below:
“He created man from a clot [of blood]” (Quran 96:2).
This verse confirmed that Allah created us, but why did He create us?
Understanding why Allah created us isn’t just a matter of curiosity — it’s a foundation of us being a Muslim or a believer. This knowledge shapes how we live our lives, interact with others, and approach our worship. It’s not just about our origin; it’s about our destination, our mission, and our relationship with our Creator.
Allah created us, not only us. He created the heaven and the earth and everything in them including us for their purposes. The sun, moon, trees, animals and everything in this earth have their purposes including us which we need to take note of.
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds. (Al-Quran 7:54)
When we think about the question of “Why Allah Created Human Beings,” it’s essential to grasp the great wisdom behind His creation. We could see from the verse above that Allah created all the things mentioned there and those creations were performing the tasks assigned to them or the tasks they were created for. Likewise we human beings, and this leads us to why Allah created us human beings.
Why Allah Created Us Human Beings
Allah’s creation of humans is not random or without purpose. Every aspect of our existence, from our physical form to our spiritual nature, serves a particular purpose. As we read in the Quran:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (Al-Quran 51:56)
From the commentary of Sheikh Ibn Baaz concerning this verse, he said: Allah informs us in His book that He created human beings and the jinns in order to worship Him. (He Allah alone). This ‘Ibadah (worship) for which Allah has created Jinn and Humanity means to believe in the Oneness of Allah and devote all forms of worship to Him alone.
These forms of worship include Salah, Fasting, Zakah, Hajj, Sujud (prostration), Tawaf, slaughtering sacrifices, making vows, fearing, hoping, seeking help and protection and all kinds of Du‘a’ (supplication) as well as the adherence to what is stated in His Glorious book and the Sunnah of His honest Messenger (peace be upon him) concerning the commandments and prohibitions of the Shari‘ah (Islamic law).
All and any forms of worship should be solely for Him and whoever performs any of these worship to anyone other than Him has committed a great sin. Allah sent all Messengers and revealed the Books in order to call and show people how to worship Him in detail and command them to devote all their acts of ‘Ibadah sincerely to Him. He (Exalted be He) says:
O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous (Al-Quran 2:21)
And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him (Al-Quran 17:23)
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct religion. (Al-Quran 98:5)
There are many Qur’anic verses apart from the above in this regard i.e, verses that explain why Allah created us human beings, which is to worship him. As we can see in Q 98:5, Allah explains further on the worship which includes performing solah, zakah and other worship. The main purpose for which Allah created human beings is just to worship. Does this mean that we have to keep worshipping him without doing anything?
Do we keep on worshipping Allah only on earth?
We should know that worshipping Allah must be our first priority, but we need to make provision for the things that will help us in the worship too. We need to work, eat, have family, and other things. Allah made them for us to make use of them but we should seek them in the Halal (permissible) way. Allah says:
But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” (Al-Quran 28:77)
“But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world” means, `use this great wealth and immense blessing Allah has given you to worship your Lord and draw closer to Him by doing a variety of good deeds which will earn you reward in this world and the Hereafter.
“and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world” means that which Allah has permitted of food, drink, clothing, dwelling places and women. Your Lord has rights over you, you yourself have rights over you, your family has rights over you, and your visitors have rights over you. So give each of them their due. All these are secondary and our primary assignment is to worship Allah first, and others follow. Allah says:
And We sent not before you any messenger except We revealed to him that, “There is no deity/God except Me, so worship Me.” (Al-Quran 21:25)
Worship is the right of Allah upon us
When reflecting on “Why Allah Created Human Beings,” one must also consider the right of our Creator over his creation. This will also help us to understand why Allah created us human beings better.
There are authentically reported Hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and mercy be upon him) that explain the right of Allah upon us.It is reported in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e., Al
Bukhari and Muslim) on the authority of Mu‘adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said to him
“O Mu‘ adh! Do you know what is the Right of Allah over His servants and what is the right of the servants over Allah?” Mu‘adh said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, the right of Allah over His servants is that they should worship Him, associating nothing with Him. And the right of the servants over Allah is not to punish those who associate nothing with Him.”
It is reported in Sahih of Bukhary on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Whoever dies while invoking (worshiping) anything other than Allah as a partner (to Allah), will enter Hell.”
Also, Muslim narrated in his Sahih on the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Whoever meets Allah while associating nothing with Him (worshiping Allah only), will enter Paradise; and whoever meets Him while associating anything with Him (worshiping anything besides Allah), will enter Hell.”
There are many other Hadiths in this regard. In fact, the issue of belief in the Oneness of Allah and avoiding associating anything or anyone with Allah in His divinity or worship is the most important issue. Allah (may He be exalted) sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to call people to Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah and worshipping Allah only) for thirteen years before other things follow.
He (peace be upon him) carried it out at best and suffered severe harm for the Sake of calling to Tawheed. The Prophet and his Sahabah (companions) (may Allah be pleased with them) showed patience in the proclamation of Da‘wah (call to Allah).
Does Worshiping Stop Us from Seeking and Meeting Our Ends Meet?
My brothers and sisters, as we strive to understand why Allah created us, one question that often comes up is whether our purpose of worship contradicts our worldly responsibilities. That is “Are we created to worship Allah alone throughout the day and night?”
The answer, dear brothers and sisters, is that worship and worldly pursuits are not in conflict. In fact, they complement each other when done with the right intention. You can read a full explanatory Hadith about being conscious of Allah in everything we do here.
Worship in Islam Is Comprehensive
In Islam, worship (‘ibadah’) is not limited to specific acts like praying or fasting. It encompasses all aspects of life. Anything done to please Allah, whether it’s working to provide for one’s family, pursuing education, or even fulfilling personal goals, can be considered worship. In the Quran, Allah repeatedly encourages us to seek both worldly sustenance and spiritual success. For example, in Surah Al-Qasas (28:77), Allah says:
“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world.”
“And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.” Surah Al-Jumu’ah (62:10)
These verses beautifully balance our obligations to Allah and to the world. It reminds us that while our ultimate goal is the Hereafter, we should not neglect the world we live in. We are encouraged to work, engage in trade, build families, and pursue knowledge, all while keeping our hearts connected to Allah.
If we wake up in the morning, go to work, or pursue our goals with the intention of pleasing Allah, providing for our families, and being responsible to members of the community, then even these actions become acts of worship. By aligning these deeds according to Allah’s command, we transform everyday tasks into something spiritually significant and rewarding.
Imagine for a moment, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are performing your daily duties—cooking for your family, going to work, or studying for your exams. Did you know that these can be acts of worship, too? If you do them with the intention of pleasing Allah, following His commandments, and adhering to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), they become acts of worship.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Indeed, Allah loves that when one of you does something, you do it with excellence.” (Sahih Muslim)
Excellence (Ihsan) in our actions is a form of worship, and that is why Allah created us. Everything we do in life, from how we speak to our family members to how we handle challenges, can be an opportunity to draw closer to Allah. Even the prophet told us that having a sexual relationship with one’s spouse or spending on one’s family is an act of worship:
And in man’s sexual intercourse (with his wife) there is a Sadaqah (Sahih Muslim)
If a man spends something on his family, seeking reward from Allah for it, it will be recorded for him as charity. (Sahih Muslim)
The above Hadiths teach us that our responsibilities to ourselves, our families, and others are all part of our worship. Islam is not a religion of extremes. We are meant to live a balanced life where we fulfill our duties to Allah, while also meeting our obligations to those around us and to ourselves.
Every act of good deed that a Muslim performs will be recorded for him and rewarded on the day of accountability. Allah created us with a purpose, and along with that purpose comes responsibility. We are responsible for worshiping Allah, but we are also responsible for being caretakers of His creation. This means treating others with kindness, looking after the environment, and living ethically in our dealings.
Worship does not mean abandoning the world. Islam is a practical religion that encourages us to seek our sustenance, build our communities Islamically, and pursue our personal goals while keeping our ultimate purpose, worshiping Allah at the center of our lives daily. We are not expected to isolate ourselves from the world, but rather to live in it with balance and seek the Hereafter with it.
In conclusion, worship and meeting our worldly needs are not at odds with each other in Islam. Allah created us to worship Him, which makes this the primary obligation, but He also provided us with the means to sustain ourselves. By working, seeking lawful sustenance, and fulfilling our responsibilities, we are fulfilling the part of our worship if we do it to please him.
My brother and sister in Islam, let’s know that Allah created us with a purpose, and along with that purpose comes responsibility. We are responsible for worshiping Allah, but we are also responsible for being caretakers of His creation. This means treating others with kindness, looking after the environment, and living ethically in our dealings.
Dear brothers and sisters, understanding why Allah created us gives us a sense of purpose that we were created to worship Allah. We were not created without purpose, nor were we left to wander aimlessly on Earth, as the Quran has given us a clear and direct answer to this question in the verse below:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (Q 51:56)
This life is our opportunity to fulfill that purpose, to earn Allah’s pleasure, and to secure a place in Jannah. Worshipping
So, let us remind ourselves every day of this purpose. Let us live our lives as an act of worship, constantly seeking Allah’s guidance and striving to do good in all that we do. May Allah grant us the wisdom to understand His purpose for us and the strength to live by it. Ameen.
