The Purpose of Creation

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@ Copyright
1995 Dar Al Fatah
Revi sed
edi ti on 1997
AII rights reserved. No portion
of this book
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Thc purpose
of creation.-Riyadh.
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Legal
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Copyright 1995 Dar Al Fatah
Revised edition 1997
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced. stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic.
mechanical. photocopying, recording or othetWise without prior permission
of the copyright owner.
Dar Al Fatah
Printing, Publishing & Distribution Co. Lie.
P.O.Box 23424, Sharjap
Tel: (9716) 322308 / Fax: 322526
Approved by: Ministry of Information, UAE
Reference No. 1600, dated 8.6.97
This edition was reproduced by
Zulli Foreigners' Guidance Office
P.O. Box 182, Zulfi 11932 - Saudi Arabia
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PHILIPS, B'LAL
The purpose of creation.-Riyadh.
.pi.em.
ISBN 9960 - 864 -11 - 1
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Table
of Contents
Introduction
Why Did
God Create?
Why
Di d God Create Manki nd?
Why Did
God Create Mankind
on Earth?
Why Did
God Create the Wortd?
Concl usi on
Index
of Hadeeths
Index
of
Qur'anic
Verses
Bi bl i ography
3
l 3
26
49
69
76
78
82
90
Table of Contents
Introduction
..,
-'
Why Did God Create? 13
Why Did God Create Mankind? 26
Why Did God Create Mankind on Earth? 49
Why Did God Create the World? 69
Conclusion 76
Index of Hadeeths 78
Index of Qur'anic Verses 82
Bibliography 90
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Introduction
ffihe
purpose
of creation is a topic that puzzles
every
I
human being at some point in his
or her lifetime.
r Everybody at some time or another asks themselves
the question
"Why do I exist?"
or "For what purpose
am I
here on earth?"
The variefy and complexity of the intricate systems
which constitute the fabric of both human
beings and the
world in which they exist indicate that there must have been a
Supreme Beingwhocreated them. Design indicates a designer.
When human beings come across footprints
on a beach, they
immediately
conclude that a human being had walked by there
some time previously.
No one imagines that the waves
from the sea settled in the sand and by chance produced a
depression looking
exactly like human footprints. Nor do
humans instinctively
conclude that they were
brought into
existence without a purpose.
Since purposeful
action is a
natural product
of human intelligence. lrumans
conclude that
the Supreme Intelligent Being who
created them must have
done so for a specific purpose.
Therefore,
human beings need
to know the purpose
for their existence in order to make sense
of this life and to do what is ultimately
beneficial for them.
Throughout the ages, however, there has been a minority
among humans who have denied theexistence
of God. Matter,
in their opinion, is eternal and mankind is merely a chance
product
of accidental
combinations of its elements.
Conse-
The Purpose ofCreation
Introduction
T
he purpose of creation is a topic that puzzles every
human being at some point in his or her lifetime.
Everybody at some time or another asks themselves
the question "Why do I e x i s t ? ' ~ or "For what purpose am I
here on earth?"
The variety and complexity of the intricate systems
which constitute the fabric of both human beings and the
world in which they exist indicate that there must have been a
Supreme Beingwho created them. Design indicates a designer.
When human beings come across footprints on a beach, they
immediately conclude that a human being had walked by there
some time previously. No one imagines that the waves
from the -sea settled in the sand and by chance produced a
depression looking exactly like human footprints. Nor do
humans instinctively conclude that they were brought into
existence without a purpose. Since purposeful action is a
natural product of human intelligence, humans conclude that
the Supreme Intelligent Being who created them must have
done so for a specific purpose. Therefore, human beings need
to know the purpose for their existence in order to make sense
of this life and to do what is ultimately beneficial for them.
Throughout the ages, however, there has been a minority
among humans who have denied the existence ofGod. Matter,
in their opinion, is eternal and mankind is merely a chance
product of accidental combinations of its elements. Conse-
t-L
The Purpose of Creatior,t
_
quently, to them, the question "Why did God create man?"
had and still has no answer. According to them, there simply
is no purpose to existence. However, the vast majority of
humankind over the ages have believed and continue to
believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who created this
world with a purpose. For them it was, and still is, impoftant
to know about the Creator and the purpose for which He
created human beings.
The Answer
To answer the question
"Why did God create man?" it
must first be determined from which perspective
the
question
is beingasked. From the
point of view of Cod it would mean,
"What caused God to create human beings?" while from the
human
point
of view it would mean "For what purpose did
God create humans?" Both points of view represent aspects
of the intriguing
question
"Why do I exist?" In the following
pages, both aspects of the question will be explored based
on the clear picture painted by divine revelation. This is not
a topic for human speculation. because human guesswork
cannot possibly produce the whole
truth in this matter. How
can human beings intellectually deduce the reality of their
existence
when they can hardly understand how their own
brain or its higher entity, the mind, functions? Consequently,
the many philosophers who have speculated on this question
down through the ages have come up with innumerable
answers, all of which are based on assumptions which cannot
quently, to them, the question "Why did God create man?"
had and still has no answer. According to them, there simply
is no purpo:;e to existence. However, the vast majority of
humankind over the ages have believed and continue to
believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who created this
world with a purpose. For them it was, and still is, important
to know about the Creator and the purpose for which He
created human beings.
The Answer
To answer the question "Why did God create man?" it
must first be detennined from which perspective the question
is being asked. From the point of view of God it would mean,
"What caused God to create human beings?" while from the
human point of view it would mean "For what purpose did
God create humans?" Both points of view represent aspects
of the intriguing question "Why do I exist?" In the following
pages, both aspects of the question will be explored based
on the clear picture painted by divine revelation. This is not
a topic for human speculation, because human guesswork
cannot possibly produce the whole truth in this matter. How
can human beings intelJectualJy deduce the reality of their
existence when they can hardly understand how their own
brain or its higher entity, the mind, functions? Consequently,
the many philosophers who have speculated on this question
down through the ages have come up with innumerable
answers, all of which are based on assumptions which cannot
be proven.
Questions
on this topic have even led a number of
philosophers to claim that we do not really exist and that the
whole
uqorld
is imaginary. For example,the Greek
philosopher
Pl ato
(428-348 BC) argued tl rat the everyday worl d of
changeable things, which man comes to know by the use of
his senses, is not the primary reality, but is a shadow world
of appearances.' Many others, as was previously mentioned,
claimed and continue to claim that there is no purpose for the
creation of
humans at all. According to thetrr, Human existence
is merely a product of chatrce. There can be no purpose if life
evol ved from i nani mate matter whi ch onl y became ani mate
by pure l uck. Humanki nd' s supposed
' cousi ns, ' t hemonkey
and apes are not bothered with questions of existence. so why
shoul d human bei ngs be bot hered wi t h t hem?
Al though most peopl e put the
qrresti ori of why we are
created aside after occasional brief reflection. it i.s extremely
cri ti cal for human bei ngs to know the answer. Wi thout know-
l edge of the correct answer. hutnan bei ngs become i ndi s-
tinguishable from the other animals around thern. The anirnal
necessi ti es and desi res of eati ng, dri nki ng and
pro-creati ng
become
the purpose of l ruman exi stence by defaul t. and
human efTort
i s then focused i n thi s l i mi ted sphere. When
material satisfaction develops into the most important
goal in
t
' fhi s
vi erv was expressed i n
knorvn metaphor of the cave.
compared to shadows cast on
N ew Encltclopaedia Br itunnica.
hi s book The Repuhl i c through
hi s rvel l
wl rere the changi n-e
physi cal rvorl d i s
t l rc wal l ol ' a cave by graven i mages
(I he
vol . 25. n. 552) .
be proven. Questions on this topic have even led a number of
philosophers to claim that we do not really exist and that the
whole V(0rld is imaginary. For example, the Greek philosopher
Plato (428-348 Be) argued that the everyday world of
changeable things, which man comes to know by the use of
his senses, is not the primary reality, but is a shadow world
of appearances. I Many others, as was previously mentioned,
claimed and continue to claim that there is no purpose for the
creation ofhumans at all. According to them, Human existence
is merely a product of chance. There can be no purpose if life
evolved from inanimate matter which only became animate
by pure luck. Humankind's supposed 'cousins,' the monkey
and apes are not bothered with questions of existence, so why
should human beings be bothered with them?
Although most people put the question" of why we are
created aside after occasional brief reflection, it is extremely
critical for human beings to know the answer. Without know-
ledge of the correct answer. human beings become indis-
tinguishable from the other animals around them. The animal
necessities and desires of eating, drinking and pro-creating
become the purpose of human existence by default, and
human effort is then focused in this limited sphere. When
material satisfaction develops into the most important goal in
I This view was expressed in his book The Republic through his well
known metaphor of the cave. where the changing physical world is
compared to shadows cast on the \\.all 0 r a cave by graven images (The
New Encyciopaedia Britannica. vol. 25. p. 552).
The
Purpose of Creation
tgJ
life, human existence becornes even more degraded
than that
of the lowestofanimals. Human beings willconsistently misuse
their Go{-given intelligence when they lack knowledge oftheir
purpose
of existence. The degraded human mind uses its
abilities to create drugs and bombs and becomes engrossed in
forni cati on, pornography,
homosexual i ty,
fortunetel l i ng,
suicide, etc. Without knowledge ofthe purpose
of life, human
existence loses all meaning and is consequently wasted,
and
the reward of an eternal life of happiness in the hereafter is
completely destroyed. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance
that human beings correctly answer the question
"Why are
we here?"
Humans most often turn to other human bei ngs l i ke
themselves forthe auswers. However. the only place
that clear
and precise answers to these questions
can be found is in the
books of divine revelation. It was necessary that God reveal
the purpose
to man through His prophets.
because human
bei ngs are i ncapabl e of arri vi ng at the correct answers by
themselves. All of the prophets
of God taught tlreir followers
the answers to the question "Why
did God create man?"
Judeo-Christian Scriptu res
A survey of the Bible leaves the honest seeker of truth
lost. The Old Testament seems more concerned with laws
and the history of eariy man and the Jewish people
than with
answering the vital question
concerning humaniry's creation.l
2
In Isai ah the Israel i tes are created tbr God' s gl ory,
"' But
norv thus says
the Lord. he rvho created you.
O .l acob. he who formed you.
O l srael :...
life, human existence becomes even more degraded than that
ofthe lowest ofanimals. Human beings wi II consistently misuse
their G04-given intelligence when they lack knowledge oftheir
purpose of existence. The degraded human mind uses its
abilities to create drugs and bombs and becomes engrossed in
fornication, pornography, homosexuality, fortunetelling,
suicide, etc. Without knowledge ofthe purpose oflife, human
existence loses all meaning and is consequently wasted, and
the reward of an eternal life of happiness in the hereafter is
completely destroyed. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance
that human beings correctly answer the question "Why are
we here?"
Humans most often turn to other human beings like
themselves for the answers. However. the only place that clear
and precise answers to these questions can be found is in the
books of divine revelation. It was necessary that God reveal
the purpose to man through His prophets. because human
beings are incapable of arriving at the correct answers by
themselves. All of the prophets of God taught their followers
the answers to the question "Why did God create man?"
Judeo-Christian Scriptures
A survey of the Bible leaves the honest seeker of truth
lost. The Old Testament seems more concerned with laws
..
and the history of early man and the Jewish people than with
answering the vital question concerning humanity's creation.:!
2 In Isaiah the Israelites are created for God's glory, .. IBut now thus says
the Lord. he who created you. 0 Jacob. he who formed you. 0 Israel: ...
l - L
- The
Pur pose of Cr eot i on
- _
. .
ln Genesis, God creates the world and Adam and Eve in six
days and
'rests'
from His work on the seventh.3 Adam and
Eve disobey God and are punished
and their son Cain kills
their othei son AbDl and goes to live in the land of Nod. And
God
was
'sorry'
that he had made man!* Why are the answers
not there i n cl ear and unmi stakabl e terms? Why i s so much
of the language symbolic. leaving the reader to guess
at its
meanings? For example, in Genesis 6:6 it is stated, "When
men begzur to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters
were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters
of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they
chose." Who are these
"sons
of God"? Each Jewish sect and
each of the many Christian sects who followed them have
their own explanations. Which is the correct interpretation?
The truth is that the purpose of man's creation was taught by
the prophets.of ol d, however, some of thei r fol l owers-i n
collusion with the devils-later changed the scriptures. The
answers became vague and much of the revelation was hidden
i n symbol i c l anguage. When God sent Jesus Chri st to the
' ' l
wi l l say to the north. Gi ve up" and to the south- Do not rvi thhol d: bri ng
my sons from atar and my daughters fiom the end of the eafih.
7
everv onc
who is called by my name. whom I created for my glory, rvhom I tbrmed
and made. "'
(Revi sed
St andard Vcrsi on.
l sai ah 43: l - 6-7. )
t
"tAnd
on the seventh day God fi ni shed hi s rvork s,hi ch he had done. and
he rested on the seventh dal from al l hi s work u' hi ch
he had done.
i So
God bl essed the se venth day and hal l owed i t. because on i t God rested
f i om al l hi s work whi ch hc had done i n creat i on. "
(RSV.
Genesi s 2: 2-3. 1
n
"And
the Lord was sorry that hc had made man on the earth. and it
gri eved hi m t o hi s heart . "
(RSV.
Cenesi s 6: 6. )
TI,e Purpose ofCreation
In Genesis, God creates the world and Adam and Eve in six
days and 'rests' from His work on the seventh.
J
Adam and
Eve disobey God and are punished and their son Cain kills
their other son Abtl and goes to live in the land of Nod. And
God was 'sorry' that he had made man!4 Why are the answers
not there in clear and unmistakable terms? Why is so much
of the language symbolic, leaving the reader to guess at its
meanings? For example, in Genesis 6:6 it is stated, "When
men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters
were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters
of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they
chose." Who are these "sons of God"? Each Jewish sect and
each of the many Christian sects who followed them have
their own explanations. Which is the correct interpretation?
The truth is that the purpose of man's creation was taught by
the prophets. of old, however, some of their followers-in
collusion with the devils-later changed the scriptures. The
answers became vague and much ofthe revelation was hidden
in symbolic language. When God sent Jesus Christ to the
6'1 will say to the north. Give up. and to the south. Do not withhold: bring
my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth. 7 every one
who is called by my name. whom I created for my glory, whom r tanned
and made.'" (Revised Standard Version. Isaiah 43: 1. 6-7.)
3 ~ And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done. and
he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 350
God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it. because on it God rested
from all his work which he had done in creation:' (RSY. Genesis 2:2-3.)
4 "And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth. and it
grieved him to his heart." (RSY. Genesis 6:6.)
The Purpose of creation
f
Jews, he overturned
the tables of those merchants
who had
set up businesses
inside the temple,S and he preached
against
the ritualistic
interpretation
oftlre law practiced
by the Jewish
rabbis. He reaffrnned
the law of Prophet
Moses and revived it.
He taught the purpose
of life to his disciples
and demonstrated
how to ful fi l l i t unti l hi s l ast moments
i n thi s worl d.
However.
after hi s departure
From thi s w' orl d.
hi s rnessage was
al so
di storted by sorne who cl ai rned to be among hi s fol l orvers.
The cl eal tnrth he brought became vague. l i ke the messages
of t l re prophet s
bef ore hi rn. symbol i srn was i nt roduced.
especi al l l ' through
the
"Revel ati orrs"
of John, and the Gospel
whi ch
was reveal ed
t o Jesus was l ost .
Four ot her gospel s
conrposed by men \vere
chosen bv Athanasius, a fourth
century
bi shop. 6 t o repl ace
t he l ost
Gospel of Jesus
chri st . And t he
23 books
of wri ti ngs
of Paul
and others i ncl uded
i n the New
Testament
outnumbered even tlre four versiolrs
of the gospel.T
As a resul t, New
Testament readers
can' ot
fi nd preci se
answers to the questi on "Why
di d God create rnan?"s
And
' Luk e
t 9: 45
( RSV)
6
The .\' et, Encu-c' l op,aedi a
Bri tanni r.r, vo[.
l 4- p.
gl 4.
7
t n t l re rni cl -4t h ccnt ur, \ ' manuscnpt
cal l ecl
C' odex Si nai t i cus. t l . re Let t er
of Barnaba.s and the shepherd ol Hernrfl.r
arc included as a part
of the
New Test ament . (Tl rc
N' ew Encvcl opct edi u
Bri runni ca.
l ol . 14. p.
gl 4. )
t
what rnay be ci ted i n the Ki n-e .l anres Versi on
as the purpose
o{' crcati on.
Revel at i on 4: l l
"' f hou
art \ vonh\ .
o Lord. ro rccei ve gl or-v
ancl honor and
porver:
l i l r t hou hast creat cd al l t hi n-ss. and f or t hv pl easure
t hey are and
were created." i s retransl ated i n the Rer i st-' d Standarcl Versi on
as:
"worthr,.
art thou. our Lord and God. to reccrvc gl or-r
and honcur ancl pog.er-.
fbr
thou di dst create al l thi ngs. and by thy wi l l they exi sted and were created."
Tile Purpose ofCreation
Jews, he overturned the tables of those merchants who had
set up businesses inside the temple,' and he preached against
the ritualistic interpretation ofthe law practiced by the Jewish
rabbis. He reaffirmed the law of Prophet Moses and revived it.
He taught the purpose of life to his disciples and demonstrated
how to fulfill it until his last moments in this world. However.
after his depat1Ure from this world. his message was also
distorted by some who claimed to be among his followers.
The clear truth he brought became vague. like the messages
of the prophets before him. Symbolism was introduced,
especially through the '''Revelations'' of John, and the Gospel
which was revealed to Jesus was lost. Four other gospels
composed by men were chosen by Athanasius, a fourth century
bishop,
6
to replace the lost Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the
23 books of writings of Paul and others included in the New
Testament outnumbered even the four versions of the gospel.
7
As a result, New Testament readers cannot find precise
answers to the question "Why did God create manT,g And
<; Luke 19:45 (RSV).
6 The .Vew Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 14. p. 814.
7 In the mid-4th century manuscript called Codc\ Sinaiticus. the Letter
of Barnabas and the Shepherd a/Hernias are included as a part of the
New Testament. (The Sew Encyclopaedia Briwnnica. \01. 14. p. 814.)
1\ What may be cited in the King .lames Version as the purpose of creation,
Revelation 4: II "Thou art worthy, 0 Lord. III receive glory (Inc! honor and
power: for thou hast created all things. and for thy pleasure they are and
were created." is retranslated in the Re\ised Standard Version as: "Worthy
art thou, our Lord and God. lO receive glory and honour and power. for
thou didst create all things. and by thy will they existed and were created.-'
The Purpose of Creation
one i s forced to bl i ndl y fol l ow
the contri ved dogmas of
whatever sect they happen to belong to or adopt. The gospels
are interpreted according to each sect's beliefs, and the seeker
of truth is again left wondering, which
one is correct?
The Incarnation of God
Perhaps the only coffrmon concept to most Christian sects
regardi ng the purpose
of manki nd' s
creati on i s that God
became man so that He coul d di e at the hands of men to
cleanse them of sin inherited from Adam and his descendants.
According tothem,this sin had become so great
that no human
act of atonement or repentance
could erase it. God is so good
that sinful man cannot stan'd before Him. Consequently, only
God's sacrifice of Himself could save humankind
from sin.
Belief in this man-made myth became the only source
for salvation, according to the Church. Consequently,
the
Christian purpose
of creation became the recognition of the
'divine
sacrifice' and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the
Lord God. This may be deduced from the followirrg words
attributed to Jesus in the Gospel according to John, "For God
so loved the world that he
Flove
his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish
but have eternal lift."'
ln Paul's letter to the Colossians he explains that the rvorld was created
fbr .lesus
"r5He
is the image of the invisible God. the first-bom of all creation:
r6for
i n hi m al l thi ngs were
created. i n heaven and on earth. vi si bl e anr:
i nvi si bl e. rvhether throne' s or domi ni ons or pri nci pal i ti es
or authori ti es-
al l thi ngs were created through hi m and for hi m."(RSV.
Col ossi ans | :15).
t
John. 3: 16
( RSV) .
one is forced to blindly follow the contrived dogmas of
whatever sect they happen to belong to or adopt. The gospels
are interpreted according to each secfs and the seeker
of truth is again left which one is correct?
The Incarnation of God
Perhaps the only common concept to most Christian sects
regarding the purpose of creation is that God
became man so that He could die at the hands of men to
cleanse them ofsin inherited from Adam and his descendants.
According to them, this sin had become so great that no human
act of atonement or repentance could erase it. God is so good
that sinful man cannot stan'd before Him. only
God's sacrifice of Himself could save humankind from sin.
Belief in this man-made myth became the only source
for salvation, according to the Church. the
Christian purpose of creation became the recognition of the
'divine sacrifice' and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the
Lord God. This may be deduced from the following words
attributed to Jesus in the Gospel according to John, "For God
so loved the world that he gave his only Son. that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternallife.,,9
In Paul's letter to the Colossians he explains that the world was created
for Jesus .
d5
He is the image of the invisible God. the first-born of all creation:
16for in him all things were created. in heaven and on earth. visible amI
invisible. whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities-
all things were created through him and for him."(RSV. Colossians I: 15).
9 John, 3: 16 (RSY).
However, ifthis is the purpose of creation and the prerequisite
for everlasting life, why was it rrot taught by all the prophets?
Why did God not become man in the time of Adam and his
offspring so that all mankind would have an equal chance to
fulfill their purpose for existence and attain everlasting life.
Or di d those before Jesus' ti me have another purpose for
existence? All people today whom God has destined never
to hear of Jesus also have no chance to fulfill their supposed
purpose of creation. Such a purpose. is obviously too limited
to fit the need of humankind.
Everything is
God
The Hindu scripfures teach that there are many gods,
incarnations of
gods, persons of God and that everything is
God, Brahman. ln spite oftlre belief thatthe self
(atman)
of all living beings is actually Brahtnan, an oppressive caste
system evol ved i n whi ch the Brahmans, tl re pri estl y caste,
possess spiritual supremacy b5r birth. They are the teachers of
the Vedastj and represent the ideal of ritual purity and social
prestige. On the other hand. the Sudra caste are excluded from
religious status and their sole duty in life is "to sewe meekly"ll
the other three castes and their thousands of subcastes.
t"
The l ' eda, meani ng
"Knowl ecl ge."
i s a col l ecti ve terrn for reveal ed
(sni l i :
heard) sacred scri ptures of the Hi ndus. Al l other works-i n whi ch the
actual doctri nes and practi ses
of I-l i ndus are encoded-are recogni zed as
havi ng bei ng composed by human authors and are thus cl assed as smri ti
lrememberedl.
( The New Encltclopaedia Britannica, vol. 20. p.
530.)
"
Manaua Dharmasastra 1.91. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol.
20, p. 553. )
However, ifthis is the purpose of creation and the prerequisite
for everlasting life, why was it not taught by all the prophets?
Why did God not become man in the time of Adam and his
offspring so that all mankind would have an equal chance to
fulfill their purpose for existence and attain everlasting life.
Or did those before Jesus' time have another purpose for
existence? All people today whom God has destined never
to hear of Jesus also have no chance to fulfill their supposed
purpose of creation. Such a purpose, is obviously too limited
to fit the need of humankind.
Everything is God
The Hindu scriptures teach that there are many gods,
incarnations of gods, persons of God and that everything is
God, Brahman. In spite of the belief that the self (atman)
of alJ living beings is actually Brahman, an oppressive caste
system evolved in which the Brahmans, the priestly caste,
possess spiritual supremacy by birth. They are the teachers of
the Vedas
10
and represent the ideal of ritual purity and social
prestige. On the other hand, the Sudra caste are excluded from
religious status and their sale duty in life is "to serve meekly" I
1
the other three castes and their thousands of subcastes.
10 The I'eda, meaning 'Knowledge." is a collective term for revealed (sruti:
heard) sacred scriptures of the Hindus. All other works-in which the
actual doctrines and practises of Hindus are encoded-are recognized as
having being composed by human authors and are thus classed as smriti
(remembered). ( The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. vol. 20. p. 530.)
1\ Manava Dharmasastra 1.9t: (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol.
20, p. 553.)
f n, nr p" t ,
pt 9r t a* "
. .
According to Hindu monist philosophers,
humankind's
purpose
is the realization
of their divinity and-following a
path (marga)
to emancipation (moksha)
from the wheel of
rebirth-the
reabsorbtion of the human soul (atman)
into the
ullimate reality, Brahman For those following the bhakti
path,l2
the purpose
is to loveGod because
God created
humankind to "enjby a relationship-as a father enjoys his
children" (Srimad
Blngwatam). For the ordinary Hindu, the
main aim of worldly life lies in conforming to social and ritual
duties, to the traditional rules of conduct for one's caste-
the karma path.r3
Although most of the religion
of the Vedic texts, which
revolves around rituals of fire sacrifice, has been eclipsed
by Hindu docffines and practices
found in other texts, the
absolute authority and sacrednqss of the Veda remains a
central tenet of virtually
all Hindu sects and traditions. The
Veda is composed of four collections, the oldest of which
is
the Rlgueda
("Wisdom
of the Verses"). In these texts, God is
described in the most confusing terms. The religion reflected
inthe Rigveda is a polytheism
mainly concerned with appeasing
deities associated with
the sky and the atmosphere, the most
important ofwhich were Indra
(god
of the heavens and rain),
Baruna (guardian
of the cosmic order), Agni (the
sacrificial
tt
The path
of devotion to a
personal
God in which murtis
(idols)
are
worshipped with the hope of goingto krishnaloko (a spiritual planet)
in
their next lives.
1'
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 20. p. 520.
According to Hindu monist philosophers, humankind's
purpose is the realization of their divinity and-following a
path (margq) to emancipation (moksha) from the wheel of
rebirth-the reabsorbtion of the human soul (atman) into the
ultimate reality, Brahman. For those following the bhakti
path,12 the purpose is to love God because God created
humankind to "enjoy a relationship-as a father enjoys his
children" (Srimad Bhagwatam). For the ordinary Hindu, the
main aimofworldly life lies in conforming to social and ritual
duties, to the traditional rules of conduct for one's caste-
the karma path. 13
Although most of the religion of the Vedic texts, which
revolves around rituals of fire sacrifice, has been eclipsed
by Hindu doctrines and practices found in other texts, the
absolute authority and sacredness of the Veda remains a
central tenet of virtually all Hindu sects and traditions. The
Veda is composed of four collections, the oldest of which is
the Rigveda ("Wisdom of the Verses"). In these texts, God is
described in most confusing terms. The religion reflected
in the Rigveda is a polytheism mainly concerned with appeasing
deities associated with the sky and the atmosphere, the "most
important ofwhich were Indra (god of the heavens and rain),
Baruna (guardian of the cosmic order), Agni (the
11 The path of devotion to a personal God in which murtis (idols) are
worshipped with the hope of going to krishna/oka (a spiritual planet) in
their next lives.
13 The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. vol. 20. p. 520.
The Purpose of Creotion
fire), and Surya
(the
Sun). In later Vedic texts, interest in the
early Rigvedic gods declines, and polytheism
begins to be
replaced by a sacrificial pantheism to Prajapati (Lord
of
Creatures), who is the All. ln the Upanishads
(secret
teachings
concerning cosrnic equations), Prajapati merges with the
concept of Brahman,the supreme reality and substance of
the
'universe,
replacing any specific personification,
thus
transforming the mytholory into abstract philosophy.'o If the
contents of these scriptures were all that human beings had
to choose from for guidance,
one would have to conclude
that God hid both Himself and the purpose
of creation from
humankind.
God is not the author of confusion, nor does He wish
difficulty for mankind. Consequently, when He revealed
His final communication to huqankind one thousand four
hundred years ago,.He ensured that it was perfectly preserved
for all ofthe generations
of human beings to come. In that
final scripture, the
Qur'an
(Koran), God revealed His purpose
for creating mankind and, through His last propheL He clarified
al l of the detai l s whi ch man coutd cornprehend. It i s orr the
basi s of thi s revel ati on and the propheti c expl anati ons that
we wi l l anal yze the
preci se answers to the questi on "Why
did God create man?" in the coming pages.
tn
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 20. pp. 529-530.
fire), and Surya (the Sun). In later Vedic texts, interest in the
early Rigvedic gods declines, and polytheism begins to be
replaced by a sacrificial pantheism to Prajapati (Lord of
Creatures), who is the All In the Upanishads (secret teachings
concerning cosmic equations), Prajapati merges with the
concept of Brahman, the supreme reality and substance of
the replacing any specific personification, thus
transforming the mythology into abstract philosophy. 14 If the
contents of these scriptures were all that human beings had
to choose from for guidance, one would have to conclude
that God hid both Himself and the purpose of creation from
humankind.
God is not the author of confusion, nor does He wish
difficulty for mankind. Consequently, when He revealed
His final communication to hUl1J.ankind one thousand four
hundred years ago,.He ensured that it was perfectly preserved
for all of the of human beings to come. In that
final scripture, the Qur'an(Koran), God revealed His purpose
for creating mankind and, through His last prophet. He clarified
all of the details which man could comprehend. It is on the
basis of this revelation and the prophetic explanations that
we will analyze the precise answers to the question "Why
did God create man?" in the coming pages.
14 The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. vol. 20. pp. 529-530.
The Purpose of Crcation
Why Did God Create?
RoM THE
potNT
oF
vtEw
oF Goo, AN EvEN more
fundamental question needs to be asked, "Why did
God create?" This question
should be asked because
humankind is not, in fact, the greatest creation. God says in
Chapter Ghaafir of the final revelation:
/r..3'
jki
#',
/fit f
'c';r
,-r't:jis,:,r,,*Lrr
,tiJl
{brH
r
"Indeed,
the creation of the heavens and the earth
is greater than the creation of mankind, but most
of mankind do not realize it."
Qur' an
4A:57
The composition of human beings is far less complex
than the composi ti on of the uni verse i n whi ch they exi st.
However, very few people reflect on this reatity. Because
of the apparent supremacy of human beings over the other
creatures on this earth, man's
journeys
through space and the
continued advancement of their technology and knowledge,
humankind in every age becomes arrogant and considers itself
the
greatest thing in this world. It is
worth noting that the
maj ori t y of
humanki nd' s amazi ng di scoveri es are not
concerni ng the human bei ng, but hi s surroundi ngs. Thus,
human efforts tend to be focused on the material world rather
Why Did God Create?
F
ROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF GOD, AN EVEN more
fundamental question needs to be asked, "Why did
God create?" This question should be asked because
humankind is not, in fact, the greatest creation. God says in
Chapter Ghaafir of the final revelation:
...,..1-111 ~ f ~ ~ ...,..lf1, ~ ~ :r.r
f
J P ~ ~ I ~ ~ \ ~ \ ~ }
.... ".... .... ...
{ ~ ~ ~
"Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth
is greater than the creation of mankind, but most
of mankind do not realize it."
Qur'an 40:57
The composition of human beings is far less complex
than the composition of the universe in which they exist.
However, very few people reflect on this reality. Because
of the apparent supremacy of human beings over the other
creatures on this earth, man's journeys through space and the
continued advancement of their technology and knowledge,
humankind in every age becomes arrogant and considers itself
the greatest thing in this world. It is worth noting that the
majority of humankind's amazing discoveries are not
concerning the human being, but his surroundings. Thus,
human efforts tend to be focused on the material world rather
trl t
f n, Pr r pr t "
" f
Cr " t t i
. -
than human beings. In this verse, God brings human
beings
back to their actual status in this world.
Humankind is merely
a small part of the existence that resulted from the miraculous
act of divine creation. Thus, in order to understand why
God
created mankind, one first needs
to answer the even more
fundamental question
of why God created.
The Creator
Creation is
fundamentally the consequence
of the divine
attribute of being the creator. A
creator who does not create
is something of a contradiction
in terms. This is not to say
that God needs His creation.
God is free from all needs. It is
creation which
needs Him. But, as the greatness
of a writer
becomes
apparent in his writings, the perfection
of the divine
creative attribute is manifest in creation.
Creation in the true
sense i s uni que to God al one. Al though
humans ascri be the
act of creation to themselves, what they do is not true creation.
Humankind merely manipulates what already exists-what
was already created by God. A table is made from wood
which came from trees and is held together with
nails and
screws made from metalthat came from rocks. Human beings
did not make the trees orthe rocks. In fact,
all human creations
can be traced back to basic elements which humans cannot
make. Even the artist
ocreates'
designs based on what he has
seen. It is not possible
to imagine what has not been perceived
by the senses. Thus, all of the artist's thoughts are reflections
on what was already created. Only God alone creates from
The Purpose 0/ Creation
than human beings. In this verse, God brings human beings
back to their actual status in this world. Humankind is merely
a small part ofthe existence that resulted from the miraculous
act of divine creation. Thus, in order to understand why God
created mankind, one first needs to answer the even more
fundamental question of why God created.
The Creator
Creation is fundamentally the consequence of the divine
attribute of being the Creator. A creator who does not create
is something of a contradiction in tenns. This is not to say
that God needs His creation. God is free from all needs. It is
creation which needs Him. But, as the greatness of a writer
becomes apparent in his writings, the perfection of the divine
creative attribute is manifest in creation. Creation in the true
sense is unique to God alone. Although humans ascribe the
act ofcreation to themselves, what they do is not true creation.
Humankind merely manipulates what already exists-what
was already created by God. A table is made from wood
which came from trees and is held together with nails and
screws made from metal that came from rocks. Human beings
did not make the trees or the rocks. In fact, all human creations
can be traced back to basic elements which humans cannot
make. Even the artist 'creates' designs based on what he has
seen. It is not possible to imagine what has not been perceived
by the senses. Thus, all of the artist's thoughts are reflections
on what was already created. Only God alone creates from
The Parpose of Creation
nothing. This basic fact was and still is incomprehEnsible to
some. Some ancient as
well as modern
philosophers, who
could not comprehend how God could create from nothing,
claimed thatthe created world and its contents are all originally
a
part
of God.'t That is, according to them, God took a part
of Hi msel f and made the uni verse. Thi s concl usi on i s based
on comparingGodtoman,
who can only
'create'
by modiffing
what al ready exi sts. However, God,deni es any such
comparisons
which' would give Him human limitations. In
Chapter ash-Shooraa of the final revelation, He states:
{}*lr
g;*lJr
,r'ri,f br
-l }
"There
is nothing like Him and He is the All-
Hearer and
the All-Seer."
Qur' an
42: 11
Thus, the act of creafion is a conSequence of the divine
attribute of being the Creatot. God describes Himself as the
Creator in avariety ofverses throughout the final revelation to
emphasize to humankind that everything belongs to Him alone.
ts
This is also Hindu belief regarding the supreme reality. Brahman. ln
the l ast
(l Oth)
book of the Rr' 3n' eda:
i n the
"Hymn
of the Cosmi c Man"
(Purusasukta), it is said that the universe was created out of the parts of
the body of a single
cosmic man
(Ptrrursa) rvhen his body was burned and
dismembered at the
primordial sacrifice. The tbur castes emerge from his
body: the priest (Brahman) from the mouth. the wanior (Raianya) from the
arms. the peasant
(Vai sya)
from the thi ghs. and the servant
(Sudra) from
the l egs.
(The New Encl tcl opaedi a Bri tanni ca,
vol . 20. p. 531).
The Purpose of C.reation
nothing. This basic fact was and still is to
some. Some ancient as well as modern philosophers, who
could not comprehend how God could create from nothing,
claimed that the created world and its contents are all originally
a part of GOd.
15
That is, according to them, God took a part
of Himself and made the universe. This conclusion is based
on who can only 'create' by modifying
what already exists. However, God, denies any such
comparisons which' would give Him human limitations. In
Chapter ash-Shooraa of the final revelation, He states:
""i, d' '.'... }

__
"There is nothing like Him and He is the AII-
Hearer and the All-Seer."
Qur'an 42: 11
Thus, the act of creation.is a consequence of the divine
attribute of being the Creator. God describes Himself as the
Creator in a variety ofverses throughout the final revelation to
emphasize to humankind that everything belongs to Him alone.
I! This is also Hindu belief regarding the supreme reality. Brahman. In
the last (lOth) book of the Rigveda: in the "Hymn of the Cosmic Man"
(PurusasukJa), it is said that the universe was created out of the parts of
the body ofa single cosmic man (Purl/sa) when his body was burned and
dismembered at the primordial sacrifice. The four castes emerge from his
body: the priest (Brahman) from the mouth. the warrior (Rajanya) from the
arms. the peasant (Vaisya) from the thighs. and the servant (Sudra) from
the legs. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 20. p. 53 I ).
l-L
_ _
"Allah
is the Creator of all things and He is the
agent on which all things depend."
Qur'an
39:62
tt;,;;
ur;35ii ii,rry
"And
Allnh crested you
all and whatever you
do."
Qur' an
37:96
Man needs to real i ze that nothi ng takes pl ace i n thi s
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 misfornrne and to gain good fortune through
a variety of charms and amulets, astrology, palmistry, etc.
Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter al-Falaq, God
informs human beings to.seek refugrin God from evil:
t y
6?
u
P, q' r ' t i i ' y}
"Say:
I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, from
the evil of what He has created."
Qur ' an
I l 3: 1- 2
Allah, God Almighty, is not evil; He is good.
He 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
i n thi s worl d wi thout the permi ssi on of God..Thi s i s why i t
is futile to turn to others besides God for help and protection.
JS" Js. JA J Y
"Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the
agent on which all things depend."
Qur'an 39:62

"And Allah created you all and whatever you do."
Qur'an 37:96
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 good fortune through
a variety of channs and amulets, astrology, palmistry, etc.
Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter al-Falaq, God
informs beings toseek refuge-in God from evil:
"Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, from
the evil of what He has created."
Qur'an 113:1-2
Allah, God Almighty, is not evil; He is good. He 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 turoto others besides God for help and protection.
n7l The Purpose of Creation
-
__
{i'
9i9
'11.,.*=.a
a
-'t:ei 6)
"No
calamity strikes except by Allah's permission"
Qur ' an.
64: l I
The fi nal prophet
of God, Muhammad (ffi ), furrher
elaborated on this concept, saying,
"Be
owore that if the whole
of mankind gathered together to do something to help you,
they would only be able to do somethingfor you u,hich Alloh
had already writtenfor you:
Likewise,
f
the whole of mankind
gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to
do something to harm you
which Allah had already written
to happen to yott."t6
The Merciful, The Forgiving
In the creati on of humanki rrd, the di vi ne attri butes of
forgiveness, mercy and kindness are also manifested. Human
beings were created good and pure with
a natural awareness
of good
and evil. The Almighty also created in humans desires.
and gave them an ability to control those desires according
to divine law or to turn them loose and follow them blindly.
God created mankind knowing that they would
disobey Him.
Consequently, Hetaught human beings, beginning with Adam,
how to repent and thereby purifo themselves of their sins.
Adam and Eve represent a pattern for all mankind to follow.
16
Reported by
' Abbaas
and col l ected by at-Ti rmi thee and authenti cated
i n
$af ueef oSunan
at -Ti rmi f uee, vol . 2. pp. 308-9. no. 2043.
La}
'" "" -"
"No calamity strikes except by Allah's permission"
Qur'an, 64: II
The final prophet of God, Muhammad further
elaborated on this concept, saying, "Be aware that ifthe whole
of mankind gathered together to do something to help you.
they would only be able to do somethingfor you which Allah
had already writtenfor you: Likewise. ifthe whole ofmankind
gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to
do something to harm you which Allah had already written
t h
,,16
o appen to you.
The Merciful, The Forgiving
In the creation of humankind, the divine attributes of
forgiveness, mercy and kindness are also manifested. Human
beings were created good and pure with a natural awareness
of good and evil. The Almighty also created in humans desires,
and gave them an ability to control those desires according
to divine law or to tum them loose and follow them blindly.
God created mankind knowing that they would disobey Him.
Consequently, He taught human beings, beginning with Adam,
how to repent and thereby purify themselves of their sins.
Adam and Eve represent a pattern for all mankind to follow.
16 Reported by' Abbaas and collected by at-Tirmi!hee and authenticated
in Saheeh. Sunan at-Tirmi!flee, vol. 2. pp. 308-9. no. 2043.
I - ^ L
The Purpose of Crcation
U
They forgot the commandment of God, and Satan played on
their desires. After they had disobeyed God, they turned back
to Him in repentance, and He forgave them. In humankind's
disobedience and turning back to God in repentance, the divine
attri butes of total forgi veness and i nfi ni te mercy become
manifest. The final Prophet
(x;) informed his followers of this
reality, saying, "lf
you
did not commit sins and turn to Allah,
seeking His
forgiveness,
He would have replaced you with
another people who would sin, ask Allah's
forgiveness
and
He would.forgive them."'t Every one of the ll4 Chapters of
the fi nal revel ati on, except one, begi ns wi th the prayer, "l n
the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Most Merciful." Allah's
attributes of mercy and forgiveness are stressed to encourage
humans not to fall into despair. No matter how great the sins
of human beings may be, God can forgive them if man turns
back to Hi m i n si ncere repentance. The Messenger
(x) was
quoted
as saying,"When Allah created the universe, He made
an obligation on Himself
[recordedJ
in a document kept by
Him: My mercy supersedes mywrqtfr."l8 He was also reponed
to have said,"
[Allah
createdJ mercy v,ith one hundred parts,
one of whichwas sent down upan the
jinn,
human beings and
ather living beings. It is out oJ'this one part that they love
each other, show kindness to each other and even the animals
treat lheir
ffipring
with affiction. Allah has reserved the
"
Sohi h Musl i nt, vol . 4. pp. 1435-6. no. 6621. reported by Aboo Ayyoob
al-AnEaaree.
t '
Sohi h Musl i nt , vol . 4. p 1437. no, 6628. report ed by Aboo Hurayrah.
The Purpose 0/Creation
They forgot the commandment of God, and Satan played on
their desires. After they had disobeyed God, they turned back
to Him in repentance, and He forgave them. In humankind's
disobedience and turning back to God in repentance, the divine
attributes of total forgiveness and infinite mercy become
manifest. The final Prophet informed his followers of this
reality, saying, "Ifyou did not commit sins and turn to Allah.
seeking His forgiveness, He would have replaced you with
another people who would sin, ask Allah's forgiveness and
He wouldforgive them. ,,17 Every one of the 114 Chapters of
the final revelation, except one, begins with the prayer, "In
the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Most Merciful." Allah's
attributes of mercy and forgiveness are stressed to encourage
humans not to fall into despair. No matter how great the sins
of human beings may be, God can forgive them ifman turns
back to Him in sincere repentance. The Messenger was
quoted as saying, "When Allah createdthe universe, He made
an obligation on Himself [recorded} in a document kept by
Him: My mercy supersedes my wrath."18 He was also reported
to have said, "[Allah created} mercy with one hundredparts.
one ofwhich was sent down upon thejinn. human beings and
other living beings. It is out ofthis one part that they love
each other, show kindness to each other and even the animals
treat their offspring with affection. Allah has reserved the
17 Sahih Muslim. vol. 4. pp. 1435-6. no. 6621. reported by Aboo Ayyoob

18 Sahih Muslim, vo!. 4. p. 1437. no. 6628. reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
I L
_
remaining ninety-nine parts
for
His true worshippers on the
Day of Re s urr e c t i on."
I e
Had Allah wished,
He could have created mankind like
angels, incapable of committing sin. However, that was not
Hi s wi sh, as He had al ready created angel s. Human bei ngs
were created capabl e of maki ng mi stakes and when they
realize their errors and seek Cod's forgiveness, the divine
attributes of mercy and forgiveness become manifest.
Supreme Justi ce
I n t he
j udgment
of manki nd at t he end of t hi s worl d,
God's attributes of supreme
justice
and fairness also become
manifest. Based on His infinite knowledge, God could have
created all members of the human race who were to live on
earth and i mmedi atel y pl aced
some of them i n paradi se and
the remainder in hell. Before creating man, Allah already knew
what
choices they would make in this life, what provision and
opportunities He would give them, and in what state of belief
or disbelief they would die. Therefore, in one sense it could
be said that some people were created for paradise and others
for hel l .
' Aa' i shah,
wi fe
of the Prophet Muhammad (*g),
quoted
him as saying,"Don't you lcnou, that Allah created
paradise
and hell, and He crealed inhabitants
for
each?"2o
If God had immediately placed those headed for paradise in
paradi se, they woul d not questi on
God' s deci si on. Those i n
t n
I bi d. . vol . 4. p 1437. no. 6631. r epor t ed by Aboo Hur ayr ah.
t o
I bi d. . vol . 4. p 1400. no. 6435.
remammg ninety-nine parts for His true worshippers on the
Day ofResurrection. ,,19
Had Allah wished, He could have created mankind like
angels, incapable of committing sin. However, that was not
His wish, as He had already created angels. Human beings
were created capable of making mistakes and when they
realize their errors and seek God's forgiveness, the divine
attributes of mercy and forgiveness become manifest.
Supreme Justice
In the judgment of mankind at the end of this world,
God's attributes of supreme justice and fairness also become
manifest. Based on His infinite knowledge, God could have
created all members of the human race who were to live on
earth and immediately placed some of them in paradise and
the remainder in hell. Before creating man, Allah already knew
what choices they would make in this life, what provision and
opportunities He would give them, and in what state of belief
or disbelief they would die. Therefore, in one sense it could
be said that some people were created for paradise and others
for hell. 'Aa'ishah, wife of the Prophet Muhammad ( ~ ) ,
quoted him as saying, "Don't you know that Allah created
paradise and hell, and He created inhabitants for each?,,20
If God had immediately placed those headed for paradise in
paradise, they would not question God's decision. Those in
19 Ibid.. vol. 4. p. 1437. no. 663 I. reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
20 Ibid.. vol. 4. p. 1400. no. 6435.
The Purpose
of Crestion
paradise
would happily accept
an everlasting
life of bliss and
be thankful that they were not placed
in helr. However,
those
immediately placed
in hell would
ask why. They would feel
a sense of unfairness
due to their ignorance
of what
they would
have done had they l i ved on earth. Those
i n hel l woul d
relentlessly
argue that had they been given
a chance to live
out thei r l i ves on
earth, they woul d
have
beri eved and done
ri ghteous
deeds. consequentl y,
Al l ah al l ows human bei ngs
to l i ve out thei r Ii ves on
earth and make al l the choi ces
they
would
have made, so that everyone
who
enters heil will know
that they chose hel l by themsel ves. They wi l l recogni ze
God' s
mercy i n thei r l i ves and acknowl edge
thei r si n i n rej ecti ng
Hi s si gns and gui dhnce.
A' d t hey wi l l accept Hi s
j udgment
as bei ng
j ust
and
beyond reproach.
However. they wi l l
sti l l
beg for another
chance to do good
in this world. as cod says
in Clrapter as-Sajdaft
of the
Qur'an:
t-i;di
dr'r+r'+'#;, r
j-{ri iyr+.Jr it
s;
"f:}
t
rrti 6t vta,1;';;
grti
t:;;,
"If
only you
could see
[the
timel when
the sinners
will bow their heads before their Lord,
[sayingf ,
tour
Lord! We have now seen and heard,
so send
us back and we will do righteous
deeds, Verily; we
now believe with certaintv.'
"
Qur' an,
32: 12
paradise would happily accept an everlasting life of bliss and
be thankful that they were not placed in hell. However, those
immediately placed in hell would ask why. They would feel
a sense ofunfaimess due to their ignorance of what they would
have done had they lived on earth. Those in hell would
relentlessly argue that had they been given a chance to live
out their lives on earth, they would have believed and
righteous deeds. Consequently, Allah allows human beings
to live out their lives on earth and make all the choices they
would have made, so that everyone who enters hell will know
that they chose hell by themselves. They will recognize God's
mercy in their lives and acknowledge their sin in rejecting
His signs and guidance. A.nd they will accept His judgment
as being just and beyond reproach. However, they will sti II
beg for another chance to do good in this world, as God says
in Chapter as-Sajdah of the Qur'an:
I;...fU l.S}
{ If!
/ /
"If only you could see lthe time) when the sinners
will bow their heads before their Lord, [saying],
'Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send
us back and we will do righteous deeds. Verily; we
now believe with certainty.' "
Qur'an, 32: 12
The Purpose o[Crestion
r
However, if Allah were to send them back to this world
having forgotten whatthey had seen of hell, they would again
choose evil and end up in hell as before. God spoke about
this in Chapter
al-An'aaml
{iji,iJ
d*
w
i#
e
iririi it\'r'i'r11
"But
if they were returned
[to
this worldl' they
would certainly
go backlo
what was forbidden to
them. Indeed thev are liars."
Qur' an,
6:28
Divine Love
God's love is manifest in beings brought into existence,
whether believer or disbeliever, to enjoy life, if only for a
brief moment. It is also realized in the creation of paradise
for those who
choose righteousness over evil. Allah states in
the final revelation that He loves those
who do good (5:13),
those who are
just
(5:42), those who are pious (9:4), those
who are
patient (3:146), those who
put their trust in Him
(3:159),
those
who frequently turn to Him in repentance and
those who puriff themselves
(2:222). However, it is He who
has defined for human beings through the scriptures and the
prophets what is good,
just
and pious. ConseQuently, those
who follow the
prophets are most beloved to God.ln Chapter
Aal
'lmraan,
Allah instructed Prophet Muhammad'(#E) to say
the following to the believers:
t&;i
'"3r'-;ei"-t
li"
$;il
,rrt:hr
oi7.r;r bll
However, if Allah were to send them back to this world
having forgotten what they had seen of hell, they would again
choose evil and end up in hell as before. God spoke about
this in Chapter ai-An 'aam:
... '" I' ... 0.1 .. C/I A ......
'* JlJ}
"But if they were returned [to this world], they
would certainly go back.to what was forbidden to
thelD. Indeed they are liars."
Qur'an, 6:28
Divine Love
God's love is manifest in beings brought into existence,
whether believer or disbeliever, to enjoy life, if only for a
brief moment. It also realized in the creation of paradise
for those who choose righteousness over evil. Allah states in
the final revelation that He loves those who do good (5: 13),
those who are just (5:42), those who are pious (9:4), those
who are. patient (3: 146), those who put their trust in Him
(3: 159), those who frequently tum to Him in repentance and
those who purify themselves (2:222). However, it is He who
has defined for human beings through the scriptures and the
prophets what is good, just and pious. Consequently, those
who follow the prophets are most beloved to God. In Chapter
Aal 'Imraan, Allah instructed Prophet Muhammad- to say
the following to the believers:
kJ
WI
fh" P"rprt"
rf Crettir,
_
65If
you really
love Allah,
follow me and Allah witl
love you
and forgive your
sins."
Qur ' an
3: 3 I
The prophets
shoul d be fol l owed
not
onl y i n the
compulsory
acts ordained
by God, but also in their eagerness
to do acts of voluntary
worship.
The l ove
of God i s al so mani fest
i n Hi s mercy and
blessings which
He grants
fo those who
deserve them as well
as those who
do not. But, it is particurarry
manifest in His
willingness
to forgive the sins of whomsoever
turns
to Him
in sincere
repentance.
From the
creation of Adam and Eve,
repentance
was granted
to them to erase their sins as an
example
to all human
beings who would follow them
into
this world.
No matter how great
human
sins rnay become,
the
door for sincere repentance
remains
open until the last day
of this world.
Anas quoted
Allah's
Messenger (#) as
saying,
"Allah.
the Almighty, has said.- O son of Adam, as long as
you
call on Me and ask of Me, I will
forgive
what you
hate
done,
and I do not mind.
O son of Adam.
even if your
sins
reached
the clouds and you
asked IrIy
forgiveness,
I witt
forgive
you.
O son of Adam, ,f you
came to Me with sins nearly as
great as the earth and you
met Me without giving
Me partners,
I will give you
a similar amount
offorgiveness."2l
2f
collected
by at-Tirmithee
and authenticated
in
galre
elt sunan at-
Ti rmi l hee, vol . 3. pp. 175-6. no. 2805.
"If you really love Allah, follow me and Allah will
love you and forgive your sins."
Qur'an 3:31
The prophets should be followed not only in the
compulsory acts ordained by God, but also in their eagerness
to do acts of voluntary worship.
The love of God is also manifest in His mercy and
blessings which He grants fo those who deserve them as well
as those who do not. But, it is particularly manifest in His
willingness to forgive the sins of whomsoever turns to Him
in sincere repentance. From the creation of Adam and Eve,
repentance was granted to them to erase their sins as an
example to all human beings who would follow them into
this world. No matter how great human sins may become, the
door for sincere repentance remains open until the last day
of this world. Anas quoted Allah's Messenger ( ~ ) as saying,
"Allah. the Almighty, has said: 0 son ofAdam, as long as
you call on Me and ask ofMe, I will forgive what you have
done, and I do not mind. 0 son ofAdam. even ifyour sins
reached the clouds andyouaskedMyforgiveness, I willforgive
you. 0 son ofAdam, ifyou came to Me with sins nearly as
great as the earth andyou met Me without giving Me partners,
I will give you a similar amount offorgiveness. ,,21
21 Collected by at-Tirmi!hee and authenticated in Sab.eeb. Sunan at-
Tirmifhee, vol. 3. pp. 175-6. no. 2805.
Divine Grace
As forthose in pmadise, they will not enter it solely based
on their
good deeds. It is the
grace of God that will ultimately
carry them there.
The final Prophet of Allah (#) said in this
regard, "Try
your best to do right, and be l*ppy. For none
will enterparadise onlybecause of his deeds." His companions
said,
"O Messenger of Allah! Not even
you?"
He replied,"Not
even I, unless Attah envelops me in His mercy and
gtace.z2
And bear in mind thst the deed most loved by Allah is one
done constantly, even though it is small."Z3 However, God's
grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both correct faith and
righteous deeds. In Chapter Aal
'Imraan,
Allah says:
J\o'Hl,i
e#urrv
,f
't
q.Ai'p'ai
y-alu.
"q
",iI
{iiru
r
p;
,+r+
"Whoever
brings a
good
deed, will have
[the
value ofl ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed
will only be punished with one like it, and they will
not be wronged.tt
Qur ' an
6: 160
Were Godtohold humankind to account strictly, no one's
good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God
has manifested His grace by multiplying the value of good
deeds, whi l e keepi ng evi l deeds at thei r face val ue. It i s by
22
Sahi h Musl i m,
vol . 4, p.
"
Sahih Muslim,
vol. 4, pp
1473. no. 6765. reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
1473-4. no. 6770. reported by
' Aa' i shah.
Divine Grace
As forthose in paradise, they will not enter it solely based
on their good deeds. It is the grace of God that will ultimately
carry them there. The final Prophet of Allah said in this
regard, "Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none
will enterparadise only because ofhis deeds. " His companions
said, "0 Messenger of Allah! Not even you?" He replied, "Not
even I, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy and grace. 22
And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allah is one
done constantly, even though it is small. ,,23 However, God's
grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both correct faith and
righteous deeds. In Chapter Aill 'Imraan, Allah says:
.. :; J ';:..s. ill f' :;}
;.A J
"Whoever brings a good deed, will have [the
value of] ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed
will only be punished with one like it, and they will
not be wronged."
Qur'an 6: 160
Were God to hold humankind to account strictly, no one's
good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God
has manifested His grace by multiplying the value of good
deeds, while keeping evil deeds at their face value. It is by
22 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p. 1473. no. 6765. reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
23 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. pp. 1473-4. no. 6770. reported by "Aa'ishah.
I
241
-
Il
the
grace
of
God that the true believers
enter
paradise.
This
does not mean that deeds have no role. Deeds
have a major
role, but they are not
the deciding
factor.
God's grace
outweighs them.
Consequently,
the creation of human
beings, the errors
that they make and the good
that they do are all circumstances
for the manifestation
of God's attributes
of mercyand
forgiveness,
His attribute
ofjustice and His attribute
of grace.
Humankind
should not question
why
God chose to
manifest His
attributes in this way. It
can only be assumed
that this was the best way,
because Allah
describes Himself
as
being the Most wise and the Most Knowredgeable.
Humans
can only understand
what
Allah chooses to reveal
to them.
{",i
a
lr
+dr
' c' ?i*#
r;}
"They will only
encompass
of His trnor"hAge what
He wishes.tt
Qur' an
2:255
Thus, theyshould
not try to equate themselves with
God.
If He has told humankind
why He decided to do somerhing,
it is not for them to question
why He decided to
decide. such
questions
are without
end and thus beyond human
scope. It
is they who will be questioned
on the Day of Judgment
about
their actionsand intentions
and not He.In
chapter al-Ambiyaa,
Allah addresses
this point:
{.jU"Ji,W_6i tu"t}
the grace of God that the true believers enter Paradise. This
does not mean that deeds have no fO,le. Deeds have a major
role, but they are not the deciding factor. God's grace
outweighs them.
Consequently, the creation of human beings, the errors
that they make and the good that they do are all circumstances
for the manifestation of God's attributes of mercy and
forgiveness, His attribute ofjustice and His attribute of grace.
Humankind should not question why God chose to
manifest His attributes in this way. It can only be assumed
that this was the best way, because Allah describes Himself as
being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable. Humans
can only understand what Allah chooses to reveal to them.
{ ~ ~ ~ ~ ! ~ ~ < ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ }
"They will only encompass of His knowledge what
He wishes."
Qur'an 2:255
Thus, they should not try to equate themselves with God.
If He has told humankind why He decided to do something,
it is not for them to question why He decided to decide. Such
questions are without end and thus beyond human scope. It
is they who will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about
their actions and intentions and not He. In Chapter al-Ambiyaa,
Allah addresses this point:
"IIe
cannot be questioned as to what He does, while
they will be questioned."
Qur ' an, 2l : 23
In this regard Prophet Muhammad
(*) was reported by
Ibn
'Abbaas
to have said,"Reflect on the creation of AIIah but
do not reflect on Allah."2o To reflect on the reality of Alldh is
to reflect on the infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it
reflects on the limits of the finite universe and the galaxies and
stars within it, it will be more confounded when it attempts
to understand the uncreated. The Prophet
(ff) warned that the
satanic forces would seek to introduce doubts in the hearts
of the believers by raising unanswerable
questions about God.
Aboo Hurayrah rel ated that Al l ah' s Messenger
(S) sai d,
"Sstan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who created
this and that?-until he questions; Who created
your Lord?
Wen he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah
fsay:
I
ffirm
my
faith
in Allah and His
prophetsJ25 and avoid
[such
thofrghtsJ."26
t a
Col l ect ed by Aboo Nugym i nql -Hi \ ah and aut hent i cat ed by al -
Al baanee i n Si l si l ah al -Aftaadeeth as--Sakeehah, vol . 4. p 12. no. | 788,
There is also a similar narration fiom Ibn
'Umar
collected by ag-Jabamanee
i n al -Awsal and al -Bayhaqee i n .Sftu' ab al -Eemaan.
25
Sahi h Mt t sl i m, vol . l - p 77. nos. 242 &. 2, 43.
'u
lbid., vol. l,
p. 77. no. 244 and Sahih Al-BuWnri, vol. 4, p. 320, no, 496.
"He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while
they will.be questioned."
Qur'an. 21 :23
In this regard Prophet Muhammad was reported by
Ibn 'Abbaas to have said, "Reflect on the creation ofAllah but
do not reflect on Allah. ,,24 To reflect on the reality of Allah is
to reflect on the infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it
reflects on the limits ofthe finite universe and the galaxies and
stars within it, it will be more confounded when it attempts
to understand the uncreated. The Prophet warned that the
satanic forces would seek to introduce doubts in the hearts
of the believers by raising unanswerable questions about God.
Aboo Hurayrah related that Allah' said,
"Satan will come to everyone ofyou and ask: Who created
this and that?-until he questions: Who createdyour Lord?
When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah [say:
1 affirm my faith in Allah and His prophets)25 and avoid
[such thoaghts]. ,,26
24 Collected by Aboo NU}liym in gl-lf.ilyah and authenticated by al-
Albaanee in Silsilah al-A!l.aadeeth vol. 4. p. 12. no. 1788.
There is also a similar narration from Ibn 'Umar collected bya!-Iabaraanee
in al-Awsa{ and al-Bayhaqee in Shu 'ab al-Eemaan.
25 Sahih Muslim, vol. L p. 77. nos. 242 & 243.
26 Ibid., vol. 1, p. 77. no. 244 and Sahih AI-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. no. 496.
rt
il
Why Did God Create Mankind?
T.t
noM TF{E PERSPECTTVE OF HUMANKIND, THE
F{
qUESTION
"Why did God create man?" implies "For
I what purpose was man created?" ln the final revelation,
this
question is answered without any ambiguity. Humans
are first informed by God that every human being is born
with an innate consciousness of God. In Chapter al-A'raq/:
Al l ah sai d:
JF:qli; ilJrl e:*b i;;
.F b
{;
;;f i11}
ei *l y[ilr
r'r\lfbf
*y
-,r,.
ii'i
&t
U*ti
'fi;;i
',.-'^{r::t
g',
,F b
u;qtl !'-hi Gl
jrr'ti'g#,v
t:,^
f
{i i 9I' r
"l ,w' :k#!tb$
"[Rememberl
when your Lord extracted from the
l oi ns of Adam' s chi l dren thei r descendants and
made them testify
[sayingl:
'Am
I not your L,ord?'
They sai d:
' Yes,
we testi fy to i t.'
[Thi s
was] i n
case you say on the Day of Judgment:
'We
were
unaware of this.t Or
you say:
tlt
was our ancestors
who worshipped others besides God and we are
only their descendants. Will
you
then destroy us
for what those l i ars di d?' "
Qur' an,
7: 172-3
Why Did God Create Mankind?
THE PERSPECTIVE OF HUMANKIND, THE
F
QUESTION "Why did God create man?" implies "For
what purpose was man created?" In the final revelation,
this question is answered without any ambiguity. Humans
are first informed by God that every human being is born
with an innate consciousness of God. In Chapter al-A
Allah said:
itA\)
It' '. , i.\ lr i: i .\\l . - 'i
- y
Jj Wl ij ,lA :f
i, ',;i
v- : -
"[Remember) when your Lord extracted from the
loins of Adam's children their descendants and
made -them testify [saying]: 'Am I not your Lord?'
They said: 'Yes, we testify to it.' [This was) in
case you say on the Day of Judgment: 'We were
unaware of this.' Or you say: 'It was our ancestors
who worshipped others besides God and we are
only their descendants. Will you then destroy us

for what those liars did?'"
Qur' an, 7: 172-3
The Prophet (#)
explained that when Allah created Adam,
He took from him a covenant at a place
called Na'maan
on
the fth dut'' of the 12th month. He then exffacted from Adam
al l of hi s descendants who woul d be born unti l the end of
the world, generation
after generation,
and spread them out
before Him to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to
them, face to face, making them bear witness that He was
their Lord.z8 Consequently, eveiy human being is responsible
for belief in God, which is imprinted on each and every soul.
It is based on this inborn belief that Allah defined the purpose
of humankind's creation in Chapter agh-Thaariyaat:
{ir:**l
1!
.r"!lt ;,+Jt
c-il+
r.'1}
ttl
did not create the
jinn2e
and the humankind
except that they should worship Me."
Qur ' an
5l : 56
Thus, the essential purpose
for whiclr humankind was
created is the worship of God. However, the Almighty is not
in need of human wors[rip. He did not create human beings
17
Known as the day of
'Arafaat.
2t
Collected by Almad and authenticated in Siisi/a h al-Ahaadeeth as-
$af t eef uah,
vol . ' 4, p. 158, no. 1623.
2e
The;inn are a class of invisible rational beings created by God from the
elements of fire. They were endowed by God
with free will, like mankind.
Consequentl y, some of them are ri ghteous bel i evers and others are evi l
di sbel i evers. The evi l among them are commonl y cal l ed demons. evi l
spi ri ts, devi l s. etc.
The Prophet ( ~ ) explained that when Allah created Adam,
He took from him a covenant at a place called Na'maan on
the 9th day7 ofthe 12th month. He then extracted from Adam
all of his descendants wltowould be born until the end of
the world, generation after generation, and spread them out
before Him to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to
them, face to face, making them bear witness that He was
their Lord.
28
Consequently, every human being is responsible
for belief in God, which is imprinted on each and every soul.
It is based on this inborn belief that Allah defined the purpose
of humankind's creation in Chapter ath- Thaariyaat:
{IJJ"w ~ l ~ ~ I ) ~ \ ~ I.A)}
"I did not create the jinn?9 and the humankind
except that they, should worship Me."
Qur'an 51 :56
Thus, the essential purpose for which humankind was
created is the worship of God. However, the Almighty is not
in need of human worship. He did not create human beings
27 Known as the day of 'Arafaat.
28 Collected by Ahmad and authenticated in Silsilah al-A!laadeeth a.-
$.a!J.ee!lah. vol:4, p. 158, no. 1623.
29 Thejinn are a class of invisible rational beings created by God from the
elements offire. They were endowed by God with free will, like mankind.
Consequently, some of them are righteous believers and others are evil
disbelievers. The evil among them are commonly called demons. evil
spirits, devils. etc.
out of a need on His
part. If not a single human worshipped
God, it would not diminish His glory in any w&], and if all
of mankind worshipp.ed Him, it would not increase His glory
i n any way. God i s perfect. He al one exi sts
wi thout any
needs. Al l created bei ngs have needs. Consequentl y, i t i s
humankind that needs to worship God.
The Meaning of Worship
To understand
why human beings need to worship God,
one must first understand what is meant by the term
'worship.'
The Engl i sh term
' worshi p'
comes from the Ol d Engl i sh
weorthscipe meaning'honor.' Consequently, worship in the
English language is defined as
'the
performance of devotional
acts in honor of a deity.'30 According to this meaning, man
is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifuing Him. In
Chapter an-Na;r of the final revelation, Allah says:
{drh' #l
"Glorify
the praises of your Lord."
Qur' an
I l 0: 3
In gloriffing God, man chooses to be in harmony
with the rest of creation which naturally
glorifies its
Creator. Allah addresses this
phenomenon in many
chapters of the
Qur'an.
For example, in Chapter al-Israa,
Allah states:
3o
The Living lhebster Encltclopedic Dictionarrr,
p. I 148
out of a need on His part. If not a single human worshipped
God, it would not diminish His glory in any way, and if all
of mankind Him, it would not increase His glory
in any way. God is perfect. He alone exists without any
needs. All created beings have needs. Consequently, it is
humankind that needs to worship God.
The Meaning of Worship
To understand why human beings need to worship God,
one must first understand what is meant by the term 'worship.'
The English term 'worship' comes from the Old English
weorthscipe meaning 'honor.' Consequently, worship in the
English language is defined as 'the performance of devotional
acts in honor of a deity. ,30 According to this meaning, man
is instructed to gratitude to God by glorifying Him. In
Chapter of the final revelation, Allah says:
"Glorify the praises of your Lord."
Qur'an 110:3
In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony
with the rest of creation which naturally glorifies its
Creator. Allah addresses this phenomenon in many
chapters of the Qur'an. For example, in Chapter al-lsraa,
Allah states:
30 The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary. p. 1148.
rl
:F
"y
tt')'4
c1,io's\t[Ir
Lr3ttr rt
ilJ]
tiithJ-J
rtitir
r
l5[
1F|#-
*The
seyen heavens and the eerth and whatever
is in them
glorify
Him and there is nothing which
does not glorify His
preise.'' Howeyer,
you
do not
understand their
glorification.'
Qur' an,
17:44
However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation,
worship is called
'ibaadah,which
is closely related to the
noun
'abd,
meaning'a slave.' A slave is one who is expected
to do whatever his ma'ster wills. Consequently, worship,
according tothe final revelation, meaas
'obedient
submission
to the will of God.' This was the essence of the message of
all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this
understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by
Prophet Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7:21,
"None of those who call me
'Lord'
will enter the kingdom
of God, but only the one who does the wiII of my Father in
heaven."
It should be noted that'.will' in this quote means
'what
God wants human beings to do' and not
'what
God
permits humans to do,' because nothing happens in creation
without the will
(permission) of God. The
'Will
of God' is
contained in the divinely revealed laws which the
prophets
3t
The thunder is described as glori$ing
God in l3:13. the day and night
i n 2 t :20 and the mountai ns i n 38: 18.
;! :;j ;j
{
" " , ". , ", ,
JfMi
"The seven heavens and the earth and whatever
is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which
does not glorify His praise.
31
However, you do not
understand their glorification."
Qur'an, 17:44
However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation,
worship is called 'ibaadah, which is closely related to the
noun 'abd, meaning 'a slave.' A slave is one who is expected
to do whatever his ma'ster wills. Consequently, worship,
according to the final revelation, meaas 'obedient submission
to the will of God.' This was the essence of the message of
all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this
understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by
Prophet Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7:21,
"None of those who call me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom
of God, but only the one who does the will ofmy Father in
heaven." It should be noted that '-will' in this quote means
'what God wants human beings to do' and not 'what God
permits humans to do,' because nothing happens in creation
without the will (permission) of God. The 'Will of God' is
contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets
31 The thunder is described as glorifying God in 13: 13, the day and night
in 21:20 and the mountains in 38:18.
l - ^ t
I t t ! I
_
taught thei r fol l owers. Consequentl y, obedi ence to di vi ne
law is the foundation of worship. [n this sense, glorification
also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God's
instructions regarding His glorification.
The Need for Worship
Why do human beings need to worship and glorifo
God
by obeyi ng the di vi nel y reveal ed l aws? Because obedi ence
to di vi ne l aw i s the key to success i n thi s l i fe and the next.
The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created in
paradi se
and l ater expel l ed from paradi se for di sobeyi ng
the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to
paradise is by obedience,to the law. Jesus, the Messiah, was
reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made
obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise:
Now behold,
one came and said to him,
'Good
teacher, what good thing
shall I do that I may have eternal life?
"
So he said to him,
"Why.
do you call me good? No one is good but One, that
ri, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments.' 82 Al so i n Matthew 5:19, JesusChri st
was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the
commandments, saying, "Whoever therefore breala one of
the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall
be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does
and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom
of heaven."
3r
Mat t hew l 9: 16-17
(RSV).
taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine
law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification
also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God's
instructions regarding His glorification.
The Need for Worship
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.
The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created in
paradise and later expelled from paradise for disobeying
the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to
paradise is by obedience. to the law. Jesus, the Messiah, was
reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made
obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise: Now behold,
one came and said to him. 'Good teacher, what good thing
shall I do that I may have eternal life? "So he said to him,
"Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that
is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments. ,32 Also in Matthew 5: 19, Jesus Christ
was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the
commandments, saying,"Whoever" therefore breaks one of
the least ofthese commandments, and teaches men so, shall
be called least in the kingdom ofheaven; but whoever does
and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom
ofheaven."
32 Matthew 19: 16-17 (RSV).
Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in all
walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer
human beings a comp{ete system governing atl of their afflairs.
The Creator al one knows best what i s benefi ci al for Hi s
creation and what is not. The divine laws command and
prohi bi t vari ous acl s and substances to protect the human
spirit, the human body and human society from harm. ln order
for human beings to fulfill their
potential by living righteous
lives, they need to worship God through obedience to His
commandments.
Remembrance
of God
All ofthevariousactsof
worship contained in the divine
laws are designed to help humans remember God. It is natural
for human beings to sometimes forget even the most important
things.. Humans often become so engrossed in fulfilling their
material needs that they totally forget their spiritual needs.
Regular
prayer is ordained to organize the day of the true
bel i ever around the remembrance of God. It i nterweaves
spi ri tual
needs wi th materi al needs on a dai l y basi s. The
regular daily need to eat, work and sleep is linked to the daily
need to renew man's connection
with God. With regard to
regular
prayer, Allah states in the final revelation, Chapter
laahaa:
Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in aU
walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer
human beings a c o m ~ e t e system governing all of their affairs.
The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His
creation and what is not. The divine laws command and
prohibit various acts and substances to protect the human
spirit, the human body and human society from harm. In order
for human beings to fulfill their potential by living righteous
lives, they need to worship God through obedience to His
commandments.
Remembrance of God
All ofthe various acts of worship contained in the divine
laws are designed to help humans remember God. It is natural
for human beings to sometimes forget even the most important
things.. Humans often become so engrossed in fulfilling their
material needs that they totally forget their spiritual needs.
Regular prayer is ordained to organize the day of the true
believer around the remembrance of God. It interweaves
spiritual needs with material needs on a daily basis. The
regular daily need to eat, work and sleep is linked to the daily
need to renew man's connection with God. With regard to
regular prayer, Allah states in the final revelation, Chapter
Iaahaa:
The Puroose of Creation I
32
I
.-
"Verily,
I am Allah, there is no God beside Me,
so worrhip Me and establish regular prayer for
My remembrance."
Qur'an
20:14
Regarding fasting, Allah stated in Chapter al-Baqarah:
,y u$t
Ji.'-,?,;i iUttr
'{Jt'6
irvd/lr
*{{ }
ttfrtsiiF$
"O
you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed
for you as it was prescribed
for those before you
that you
may become God-conscious."
Qur ' an
2: 183
The believersare encouraged to rememberGod as much
as
possible. Although, moderation iri all spheres of life, whether
material or spiritual, is generally encouraged in divine law, an
exception is made regarding the remembrance of Allah. It is
virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently,
in the final revelation, Chapter al-AfuzaaD, Allah encourages
the believers to remember God as often as
possible:
{r-*r
ri,
l,r
\rSitiF;*JJ'dq}
*O
believers! Rememb-er Altah often."
Qur ' an, 33: 41
Remembrance of God is stressed because sin is generally
committed when God is forgotten. The forces of evil operate
"Verily, I am Allah, there is no God beside Me,
so worship Me and establish regular prayer for
My
Qur'an 20: 14
Regarding fasting, Allah stated in Chapter a/-Baqarah:
0# ' .iil J W"' J i '. .iiI
., - J*" ,J., \ft-

"0 you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before you
that you may become God-conscious."
Qur'an 2:183
The believers are encouraged to remember God as much
as possible. Although, moderation in all spheres of life. whether
or is generally encouraged in divine law, an
exception is made regarding the remembrance of Allah. It is
virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently,
in the final revelation, Chapter al-A!lzaab, Allah encourages
the believers to remember God as often as possible:
{IJ#'
"0 believers! Remember Allah often." ..
Qur'an, 33:41
Remembrance ofGod is stressed because sin is generally
committed when God is forgotten. The forces of evil operate
t - a r
I t t r
rn"
I"y,f:
"tCrrun"
_
..-
most freely when consciousness
of God is lost. Consequently,
the satanic forces seek to occupy people's
mirids with
irrelevant thoughts and desires to make them forget
God. Once
God is forgotten, people willingly
join
the comrpt elements.
The final revelation, the
Qur'an,
addresses this phenomenon
in Chapter al-Mujaadalaft as follows:
.rualSr qT
rytii'
fi
;f,l;!i
6'LJ.Jr
'#
s.*,1.
'
{lt}s.i' ,"
oGii{r .r;7 11
!i
"Satan
got the better of them and caused them to
forget
Allah.Those are the partl'of
Satan. Truly the
party of Satan are the real losers"
Qur ' an
58: 19
God, through Divine law, has prohibited
intoxicants and
gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget
God. The human mind and body easily become addicted to
drugs and games of chance. Once addi cted, humanki nd' s
desire to continually
be stimulated by,them leads them into
all forms of comrption. and violence among themselves.
God
says in Chapter al-Maa'idah of the final revelation:
most freely when consciousness ofGod is lost. Consequently,
the satanic forces seek to occupy people'smiIids with
irrelevant thoughts and desires to make them forget God. Once
God is forgotten, people willingly join the corrupt elements.
The final revelation, the Qur' an, addresses this phenomenon
in Chapter al-Mujaadalah as follows:
;..Al:.Jti ;:If.
I.iJI U \JIb II :../.
Jf!' - . .
"Satan got the better of them andcaused them to
forget Allah. Those are the party ofSatan. Truly the
party of Satan are the real losers"
Qur'an 58: 19
God, through Divine law, has prohibited intoxicants and
gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget
God. The human mind and body easily become addicted to
drugs and games of chance. Once addicted, humankind's
desire to continually be stimulated by them leads them into
all fonns of corruption. and violence among themselves. God
says in Chapter a/-Maa 'idah of the final revelation:
. F , JJ ' WI}
.r--"" . J J _. -

"Satan's plan is to incite enmity and hatred
among you with intoxicants and gambling, and
| * r I
I t ( t t
I I The Purpose of Creatlon
_
hinder you from tfte remembrance of AIIaft and
regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?"
Qur ' an, 5: 91
Consequently, humankind need to remember God for
their own salvation and growth.
All humans have times of
weakness in which they commit sins. If they have no means
of remembering God, they sink deeper and deeper into
corruption with every sin. However, those who follow the
divine laws will be constantly reminded of God, which will
give them a chance to repent and correct themselves. The
final revelation accurately describes this process in Chapter
Aal
'Imraan:
\
;l:;' i
li' r
i1i1,' &Ji iiit
"
ri +o
iji r1,1
;!;,rr;l
te'ii.
"Those
who, having done something shameful or
having wronged their own souls, remember Allah
and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins,.."
Qur ' an, 3: 135
The Religion of Islam
The most complete system of worship available to human
beings today is the system found in the religion of Islam. The
very name
' Isl am'
means
' submi ssi on
to the wi l l of God.'
Although it is commonly referred to as
'the
third of the three
monotheistic faiths,' it is not a new religion at all. It is the
religion brought by allcif the
prophets
of God for humankind.
" '

hinder you from the remembrance ofAllah and
regular prayer. Will you not then abstain?"
Qur'an, 5:91
Consequently, humankind need to remember God for
their own salvation and growth. All humans have times of
weakness in which they commit sins. If they have no means
of remembering God, they sink deeper and deeper into
corruption with every sin. However, those who follow the
divine laws will be constantly reminded of God, which will
give them a chance to repent and correct themselves. The
final revelation accurately describes this process in Chapter
Aal 'Imraan:
.. i);J

"Those who, having done something shameful or
having wronged their own souls, remember Allah
and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins..."
Qur'an, 3:135
The Religion of Islam
The most complete system of worship available to human
beings today is the system found in the religion of Islam. The
very name 'Islam' means 'submission to the will of God.'
Although it is commonly referred to as 'the third of the three
monotheistic faiths,' it is not a new religion at all. It is the
religion brought by all of the prophets of God for humankind.
t-t
fnt nry"tt rf Cr"ttt""
_
tl
Islam was the religion of Adam, Abraham,
Moses and Jesus.
God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard
to Prophet Abraham, saying:
'-;.rqllti+
if
1{r$i*
r; rt
#
b'jr
if r;;
lg.#,' u
o' g
*Ahrahom
wa$ neither a Jew nor.e Christian, but
he wrs an upright Muslim who did not worship
othens besides God."
Qur' an
3: 67
Since there is only One God, and humankind are one
species, the religion which God has ordained for human
beings is one. He did not prescribe
one religion for the Jews,
another for Indians, yet
another for Europeans, etc. Human
spiritual and social needs are uniform, and human nature has
not changed since the first'man and woman were created.
Consequently, no other religion is acceptable to God beSides
Islam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal
'Imraant
of the final
revelation:
{iyr:f'
l' +;irr
i,1}
*Surely
Allah's religion is Islam."
Qur' an
3: 19
' H:' eI'
.' J
p14F"' *6-r;>L)r
F
#i ' i
{ir-rnri.i'
The Purpose o[ Crelltlon
Islam was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard
to Prophet Abraham, saying:
", I'
J, ., -,.rAJ

"Abraham was neither a Jew nor-a Christian, but
he was an upright Muslim who did bot worship
others besides God."
Qur'an 3:67
Since there is only One God, and humankind are one
species, the religion which God has ordained for human
beings is one. He did not prescribe one religion for the Jews,
another for Indians, yet another for Europeans, etc. Human
spiritual and social needs are unifonn, and human nature has
not changed since the first 'man and wOman were created.
no other religion 'is acceptable to God besides
Islam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal '/mraan of the final
revelation:

"Surely Allah's religion is Islam."
Qur'an 3:19
J JAJ ;;s. Ft

The htwose of Creatlon I
lO
I
- r
"And
whoever desircs a religion besides Islam will
not hnve it accepted, and he will be among the losers
in the heretfter."
Qur' an
3: 85
Every Act Is Worship
In the Islqeig system, each and every human act can be
transformed into an act of worship. In fact, God commands
the believers to dedicate their whole lives to Him. In Chapter
al-An'aom, Allah says:
{colni'
;;
l
e6't
lsthn'2
jiJr,irf- ir
"rr}
*Say: 'Surely
my pmyer, my sacrifice, ry tiving
end my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the
worlds.t
tt
Qur' an
6: 162
However, for that
{edication
to be acceptable to Allah,
each act must fulfill two basic conditions:
1
FIRST, THE ACT MUST BE DoNE SINCERELY FoR the
I pleasure
of God and not for the recognition and praise
of human beings. The believer also has to be
ponscious
of
God while doing the deed to insure that it is not something
forbidden
by Allah or the last Messenger (#E).
In order to facilitate this transformation of mundane
deeds into worship, Allah instructed the last Prophet (!$)
to
prescribe
short
prayers
to be said before even the simplest
sf
acts
The
shortest prayer which may be used for any
"And whoever desires a religion besides Islam will
not have it accepted, and he will be among the losers
in the hereafter."
Qur'an 3:85
Every Act Is Worship
In the Isla.mic system, each and every human act can be
transfonned into an act of worship. In fact, God commands
the believers to dedicate their whole lives to Him. In Chapter
ai-An 'aam, Allah says:
{
-;- t\AiI:""..1l \oN' . ( eli}
.J, "" J'i. :4.r
"Say: 'Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living
and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the
worlds.' "
Qur'an 6: 162
However, for that c;ledication to be acceptable to Allah,
each act must fulfill two baSic conditions:
1
FIRST, THE ACT MUST BE DONE SINCERELY FOR the
pleasure of God and not for the recognition and praise
of human beings. The believer also has to be conscious of
God while doing the deed to insure that it is not something
forbidden by Allah or the last Messenger
In order to facilitate this transformation of mundane
deeds into worship, Allah instructed the last Prophet to
prescribe short prayers to be said before the simplest
of The shortest prayer which may be used for any
circumstance is:
l' -*,
bismillaah(ln the name of Allah).
There are, however, many other
prayers prescribed for specific
occasions. For example, whenever a new piece of clothing
is worn, the Prophet
(+E)
taught his followers to say:
O AIIah, thanks k due to You,for it is You who has
clothed me. I ask Yoafor its beneJit and the benefit
for
which it was made, and seek refuge in Youfrom
its evil and the evilfor which it was made.33
J
THe sECoND coNDrl oN IS THAT THE Acr se done i n
Laccordance
with the prophetic way, called in Arabic the
Sunnah. All of the prophets instructed their followers to
follow their way because they were guided by God. What they
taught were di vi nel y
reveal ed truths, and onl y those who
fol l owed thei r
way and accepted the truths woul d i nheri t
eternal life in paradise. It is in this context that Prophet Jesus,
may t he peace and bl essi ngs of God be upon
hi m, was
reported i n the Gospel accordi ng to John l 4:6, as sayi ng,
"./
am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the
Fat her, but by nt e. " Si mi l arl y,
' Abdul l aah
i bn Mas' ood
related that one day Proplret Muhammad
(#)
drew a iine in
,;-a
V
l-',
! _ : ' J
"
Sunan Abu Dawud,
vol . 3.
p.
Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol.
I 125. no. 4009 and aut hent i cat ed
i n
2 . p . 7 6 0 . n o . 3 3 9 3 i
circumstance is: bismillaah (In the name of Allah).
There are, however, many' other prayers prescribed for specific
occasions. For example, whenever a new piece of clothing
is worn, the Prophet C*) taught his followers to say:
X:JtJ J:.;j\
. j l. X ; ,j
o Allah, thanks is due to You, for it is You who has
clothed me. I ask Youfor its benefit and the benefit
for which it was made, and seek refuge in Youfrom
its evil and the evilfor which it was made. 33
2
THE SECOND CONDITION IS THAT THE ACT BE done in
accordance with the prophetic way, called in Arabic the
Sunnah. All of the prophets instructed their followers to
follow their way because they were guided by God. What they
taught were divinely revealed truths, and only those who
followed their way and accepted the truths would inherit
eternal life in paradise. It is in this context that Prophet Jesus,
may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was
reported in the Gospel according to John 14:6, as saying, "'I
am the way. the truth. and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me." Similarly,' Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood
related that one day Prophet Muhammad drew a iine in
33 Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 3. p. 1125. no. 4009 and authenticated in
S,ah.eeh. Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2. p. 760. no.
lls I
nt nrp"tr rlc*"t*"
u
the dust for them
and said, "This is Allah,s path."
He then
drew several
lines
[branching
off] to the right
and to the left
and said, "These are the paths
[of
misguidanceJ
on each oJ'
which
is a devil inviting people
tofolrow it." Hethen
recited
the verse:
"Verily,
this is my path,
leading
straight,
so
follow it. And do not follow
the
[otherl
paths
for they will
scatter you
about from Allah's path.
That is
His command
to you in
order that you
may be conscious
of
Allah.34"35
Thus, the
only acceptable
way to worship
God is according
to
the way of the prophets.
That being the case, innovation
in
religious
affairs would
be considered
by God among the worst
of all evils.
Prophet Muhammad (x)
was
reported to have
said,
"The worst
of all affairs is innovstion
in rerigion,
for
every religious
innovation is a cursed, misleading
innovation
leading to the hellfire."36
Innovation
in the religion
is forbidden
and unacceptable
to God. The Prophet (E)
was al so reported
by hi s wi fe,
'Aa'ishah,
to have
said, "He
who innovates
something
in
this
matter of ours, that is not of it, will
hqve it rejected.,,37
It is fundamentally
due to innovations
that the messages
of the earlier prophets were
distorted
and the many false
rel i gi ons
i n exi stence
today evol ved.
The general
rul e
to
3a
Soorah al -An' aam (6): 153.
3s
collected
by Ahmad. an-Nasaa'ee
and ad-Daarimee.
and authenticated
by Al mad
Shaaki r i n al -Musnad, vol .6. pp.
89-90. no.4142.
16
Sahi h Musl i m, vol .
2. p. 410,
no. l gg5.
,
sahi h At -Bukhari ,
vol . 3. pp. 535-6.
no.
g6l .
andsahi h
Musl i m. vol . 3.
p. 931. no. 4266.
the dust for them and said, "This is Allah's path." He then
drew several lines [branching off] to the right and to the left
and said, "These are the paths [of misguidance] on each of
which is a devil invitingpeople tofollow it. " He then recited
the verse: "Verily, this is my path, leading straight, so
follow it. And do not follow the [other] paths for they will
scatter you about from Allah's path. That is His command
to you in order that you may be conscious ofAllah.
34
,,35
Thus, the only acceptable way to worship God is according to
the way of the prophets. That being the case, innovation in
religious affairs would be considered by God among the worst
of all evils. Prophet Muhammad ( ~ ) was reported to have
said, "The worst ofall affairs is innovation in religion, for
every religious innovation is a cursed, misleading innovation
leading to the hellfire. ,,36
Innovation in the religion is forbidden and unacceptable
to God. The Prophet ( ~ ) was also reported by his wife,
'Aa'ishah, to have said, "He who innovates something in
this matter ofours, that is not of it. will have it rejected. ,,37
It is fundamentally due to innovations that the messages
of the earl ier prophets were distorted and the many false
religions in existence today evolved. The general rule to
34 Soorah al-An'aam (6):153.
35 Collected by Ahmad. an-Nasaa' ee and ad-Daarimee. and authenticated
by Ahmad Shaakir in al-Musnad, vol. 6. pp. 89-90. no. 4142.
36 Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 410, no. 1885.
37 Sahih AI-Bukhari. vol. 3. pp. 535-6. no. 861. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 3.
p. 931. no. 4266.
fol l ow i n order to avoi d
i nnovati on
i n rel i gi on
i s that al l
forms of worship are prohibited, except those
which have
been specificalty
prescribed by God and
conveyed
to humans
by the true messengers of God.
The Best of Creation
Those who believe in One Unique God, without
partners
or offspring,
and do righteous deeds
[according
to the above-
mentioned
principles] become
the crown
of creation.
That is,
al though
humanki nd
i s not the greatest creati on of Al l ah,
they have the potential to become the best of His creation.
In Chapte
r al-Bayyinah,
Allah states this fact as follows:
{tu-,Jl -*
e
clJri
.rtr.Jr-elr
r}.r.1
lPu
t-iJt
u1}
"Surely,
those
who believe
and do righteous deeds
are the best of creation."
Qur ' an
98: 6
The Gravest
Sin
To contradict
the purpose of one's creation is then the
greatest evil that a human being can commit.
'Abdullaah
reported
that he asked Al l ah' s Messenger
(#) whi ch si n i s
the gravest in Allah's
sight and he replied,
"To give Allah a
partner, even though He created
you."38 Worshipping
others
besides God, called
shirk in Arabic, is the only unforgivable
sin. If a human being dies
without repenting
from his or her
"
Sohi h Musl i m,
vol . l . pp 50' 1. ' no.
156.
follow in order to avoid innovation in religion is that all
forms of worship are prohibited, except those which have
been specifically prescribed by God and conveyed to humans
by the true messengers of God.
The Best of Creation
Those who believe in One Unique God, without partners
or offspring, and do righteous deeds [according to the above-
mentioned principles] become the crown of That is,
although humankind is not the greatest creation of Allah,
they have the potential to become the best of His creation.
In Chapter a/-Bayyinah, Allah states this fact as follows:
.r?" Ji J ..:r..u, iJl}
"Surely, those who believe and do righteous deeds
are the best of creation."
Qur'an 98:6
The Gravest Sin
To contradict the purpose of one's creation is then the
greatest evil that a human being can commit. 'Abdullaah
reported that he asked Allah's Messenger which sin is
the gravest in Allah's sight and he replied, "To give Allah a
partner, even though He createdyou. ,,38 Worshipping others
besides God, called shirk in Arabic, is the only unforgivable
sin. If a human being dies without repenting from his or her
38 Sahih Muslim, vol. I. pp. 501: no. 156.
l-L
l { ul
fn" P"rp"t,
"f
Crtrtt*
_
si ns, Al l ah may f orgi ve al l t hei r
si ns except shi rk. I n t hi s
regard,
God stated the following
in Chapter an-Nisaq,;
{ti.:"-
ir"J
gU'l
r.J.;r tr pJ q
elr.:4
0i
,ii,-
I
frr
ir1}
"Surely
Allah will not forgive
the wonship
of others
besides Him, but He forgives
sins less than that
to whomever
He wishes."
Qur' an, 4: 48
worshi ppi ng
ot herd
besi des God essent i al l y i nvorves
giving
the anributes
of the creator to His creation. Each sect
or rel i gi on
does thi s i n thei r own parti cul ar
way. A smal l but
very vocal group
of peopl e
down through the ages have
actually denied
God's existence.ie Tojustifo
their rejection
of
the creator, they were
obliged to make the illogical
claim that
this world has no beginning. Their claim is illogical
because
al l of the observabl e parts
of the worl d have
begi nni ngs
i n
3'
Hi navana Buddhi sm (400-250
BC). the earri er and more stri ct of the two
i nterpretati ons
of Buddhi sm whi ch arose
after cautama Buddha' s
death.
cl earl ;' states that there i s no God. .l ai ni sm as svstemati zecl
by' Vardharnana
al so assert s t hat t here i s no God. hut l i berat ed
soul s. accordi n_e
t o t he
t eachi ngs. at t ai n i mmort al i t v
and nmni sci ence.
l n t he l gt h and 20t h
centuri es a number
of European phi l osophers
procl ai med
what came to be
known as the
"death
of God phi l osoph1,,"
The German phi l osopher.
phi l i pp
Mai nl ander (
I 84 l
-
I 876). the Prussi an. Fri edri ch Ni etzsche (
I
g44-
I 900).
the Frenchman. Jean Paul Sarrre ( 1905- 1980) al l argued the non-exi stence
of God. (Dictionary
of Philosophy, and Religion, pp. 72. 262-3. 327 and
508-9).
sins, Allah may forgive all their sins except shirk. In this
regard, God stated the following in Chapter an-Nisaa ':
<\.! iJi iJl}
"Surely Allah will not forgive the worship of others
besides Him, but He forgives sins less than that
to whomever He wishes."
Qur'an.4:48
Worshipping others besides God essentially involves
giving the attributes of the Creator to His creation. Each sect
or religion does this in their own particular way. A small but
very vocal group of people down through the ages have
actually denied God' s TojustifYtheir rejection of
the Creator, they were obliged to make the illogical claim that
this world has no beginning. Their claim is illogical because
all of the observable parts of the world have beginnings in
39 Hinayana Buddhism (400-250 BC). the earlier and more strict of the two
interpretations of Buddhism which arose after Gautama Buddha's death.
clearly states that there is no God. Jainism as systematized by Vardhamana
also asserts that there is no God. hut liberated souls. according to the
teachings. attain immortality and omniscience. In the 19th and 20th
centuries a number of European philosophers proclaimed what came to be
known as the "death of God philosophy."' The Gennan philosopher. Philipp
Mainlander (1841-1876), the Prussian. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900),
the Frenchman. Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980) all argued the non-existence
of God. (Dictionary ofPhilosophy and Religion. pp. 72.262-3.327 and
508-9).
time, therefore it is only reasonable to expect the sum of the
parts to also have a beginning. It is also only logicalto assume
that whatever saused the world to come into existence could
not have been a part of the world nor could it have a beginning
like the world. The atheist assertion that
the world has no
beginning means that the matter which makes up the universe
is etemal. This is a statementof shirk, whereby God's attribute
of bei ng wi thout' begi nni ng i s
gi ven to Hi s creati on. The
numbers of genuine atheists have historically always been
quite small because, in spite of their claims, they instinctively
know that God does exist. That is, in spite of decades of
communi st i ndoctri nati on,
the maj ori ty of Russi ans and
Chinese continued to believe in God. The Almighty Creator
pointed out this phenomenon in Chapter an-I'laml, saying:
{,t t
Gi!
il.tli
rlnF,it
w.i tlo'i
"And
they denied
[the
signsl wrongfully and
arrogantly, though within themselves they were
convinced of them."
Qur ' an
27: 14
To atheists and materialists, life has'no
purpose
beyond
the fulfillment of their desires. Consequently,
their desires
also become the god which they obey and submit to instead
of the One True God. In Chapter al-Furqaan of the final
revelation, Allah said:
time, therefore it is only reasonable to expect the sum of the
parts to also have a beginning. It is also only logical to assume
that whatever caused the world to come into existence could
not have been a part ofthe world nor could it have a beginning
like the world. The atheist assertion that the world has no
beginning means that the matter which makes up the universe
is eternal. This is a statement of shirk, whereby God's attribute
of being begi!ming is given to His creation. The
numbers of genuine atheists have historically always been
quite small because, in spite of their claims, they instinctively
know that God does exist. That is, in spite of decades of
communist indoctrination, the majority of Russians and
Chinese continued to believe in God. The Almighty Creator
pointed out this phenomenon in Chapter an-Naml, saying:
j!f '(J
"And they denied (the signs] wrongfully and
arrogantly, though within themselves they were
convinced of them."
Qur'an 27: 14
To atheists and materialists, life has-no purpose beyond
the fulfillment of their desires. Consequently, their desires
also become the god which they obey and submit to instead
of the One True God. In Chapter al-Furqaan of the final
revelation, Allah said:
{i,roia-Jl
#,
f
-**'ril
"Have
you
seen the one who takes his desires as
his god?"
Qur'an
25:43
christians gave
Prophet
Jesus christ the attributes of the
creator
by first making him co-eternal
with
God,a' then by
making him a perponality
of God whom
they titled
.God
the
son.' Hindus,
on the otller hand, believe
that God has become
man in many
ages, by incarnations
cailed svatars,
and then
they divided
God's attributes
between three gods,
Brahma
the creator,
vishnu
the preserver
and
shiva the destroyer.
Love of
God
shirk also
occurs when
human beings
love,
trust
or fear
the creation
more than Allah. In chapter
al-Baqarahof
the
last revelation,
God said:
nr
l-ii'Fh,J-rir.r;i
ar
;,i
u #,i
,,6t
-H|
{l
+
'$iit;;
b-ili
*There
are
emong men
those
who
worship
others
besides
Allah as equals to Him. They love
them as only Allah should
be loved.
But those who
believe
have a stronger love
for Allah."
Qur ' an
2: 165
a0
John
l : l &14 " r l n
t he begi nni ng
was t hewor d.
andt hewor dwas
wi th God. and the word was
God....' t And the word
became fl esh and
dwel t among us, ful l of grace
and truth:"
(RSV).
{;IJA 4+-
1
....11 W,
"Have you seen the one who takes his desires as
his god?"
Qur' an 25:43
Christians gave Prophet Jesus Christ the attributes of the
Creator by first making him co-eternal with God,40 then by
making him a per.sonality of God whom they titled 'God the
Son.' Hindus, on the oilier hand. believe that God has become
man in many ages, by incarnations called avatars, and then
they divided God's attributes between three gods, Brahma
the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Love of God
Shirk also occurs when human beings love, trust or fear
the creation more than Allah. In Chapter al-Baqarah of the
last revelation, God said:
,;,JJf iJ i
, , , {..1s
"There are among men those who worship
others besides Allah as equals to Him. They love
them as only Allah should he loved. But those who
believe have a stronger love for Allah."
Qur'an 2:165
40 John I: 1&14 "I In the beginning was the Word. and the Word was
with God. and the Word was God....
14
And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, full of grace and truth:" (RSV).
When these and other similar emotions are directed more
strongly to the creation, they cause human beings to disobey
God in an effort to please other humans. However, only Allah
deserves a complete human emotional commitment, for it is
He alone who should be loved and feared over all creation.
Anas ibn Maalik narrated that the Prophet
(*)
said, " Whoever
1ao.esesse.r fthe followingJ
three character,lsfi'cs lrlers tasted the
sweetness offaith: he who loves Allah and Hk Messenger
afuve aII else; lw wln loves another lrumnt beingfor Allah's
salre alone; md he wln lntes to rettnn to disbelief afre, Allah
has rescued him as he hates to be thrown into afire.'Al
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 Allah is the ultimate source of life and
success, He deserves the-full love and devotion of humankind.
Humans also love those who benefit them and help them
when they are i n need. Si nce al l benefi t(7:188) and hel p
(3:126)
come from God, He should be loved above all else.
{6}bti
r
i'
uu.
iril6
bri}
*If
you try to count Allah's blessings' you will
not be eble to add them [p."
Qur' an,
l 4: 34
"
Sahth Muslim,
vol. l, p. 30, no. 67.
When these and other similar emotions are directed more
strongly to the creation, they cause human beings to disobey
God in an effort to please other humans. However, only Allah
deserves a complete human emotional commitment, for it is
He alone who should be loved and feared over all creation.
Anas ibn Maalik narrated that the Prophet said, "Whoever
possesses {the following] three characteristics has tasted the
sweetness offaith: he who loves Allah and His Messenger
above all else; he who loves another human beingfor Allah's
sake alone; and he who hates to return to disbeliefafter Allah
has rescued him as he hates to be thrown into afire. ,,41
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 Allah is the ultimate source of life and
success, He deserves thefull love and devotion of humankind.
Humans also love those who benefit them and help them
when they are in need. Since all benefit (7: 188) and help
(3:126) come from God, He should be loved above all else.

, , ,
"If you try to count Allah's blessings, you will
not be able to add them up."
Qur'an, 14:34
41 Sahih Muslim. vol. 1, p. 30, no. 67.
m
fnr nrp"t",il9rt"tt
-_
However, the supreme love which humans should feel for
God must not be reduced to the comrnon 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,a2 the love ofAllah should transcend the love humans
feel towards each other. Human l ove of God shoul d be,
fundamentally,
a love manifest in complete obedience to the
laws of God, as stated in Chapter Aal
'fmraan,
"ff you
love
Allah, then follow me
[the
Prophetl
and Allah will love
you.'/3
This is not an abstract concept, because human love
of other humans also implies obedience, That is, if a loved
one requests that something be done, humans will strive to
do it according to the level of their love for that person.
The love of God should also be expressed in the love of
those whom
God loves. It'is inconceivable
that one who
loves
Allah could hate those whom Allah loves and love those whom
He hates. The Prophet (*).was
quoted by Aboo Umaamah as
saying, "He
who loves
for
Allah and hates
for
Allah, gives
for
Allah and withholds
for
Allah, has perfected
hisJaith.,Al
consequently, those whose faith is proper will
love all those
who love God. In chapter Maryam, Allah indicates
that He puts
love in the hearts of the believers for those who
are righteous.
12
The huge sums of money currentlv being spent protecting
endangered
speci es of ani mal s whi l e humans are l el i to starve and di e of di sease i s
among the maj or cri mes of the 20th century.
aJ
Qur' an,
3: 3L
aa
collected by Almad, at-Tirmithee and Aboo Daawood (stman
Abu
Dawud, vol . 3. p. 1312. no. 3664. and aut hent i cat ed
i nSaheehsunan
Abee Daawood, vol . 3, p.
886. no. 3915).
However, the supreme love which humans should fee) for
God must not be reduced to the common denominator oftheir
emotional love for creation. Just as the love humans feel for
animals should not be the same as what they feel for other
humans,42 the love ofAllah should transcend the love humans
feel towards each other. Human love of God should be,
fundamentally, a love manifest in complete obedience to the
laws of God, as stated in Chapter Aal 'Imraan, "If you Jove
Allah, then follow me [the Prophet] and Allah will love
yoU.,,43 This is not an abstract concept, because human love
of other humans also implies obedience. That is, if a loved
one requests that something be done, humans will strive to
do it according to the level of their love for thatperson.
The love of God should also be expressed in the love of
those whom God loves. Ris inconceivable that one who loves
Allah could hate those whom Allah loves and love those whom
He hates. The Prophet ( ~ ) - w a s quoted by Aboo Umaamah as
saying, "He who loves for Allah and hates for Allah, gives
for Allah and withholds for Allah, has perfected his faith. ,,44
Consequently, those whose faith is proper will love all those
who love God. In Chapter Maryam. Allah indicates that He puts
love in the hearts of the believers for those who are righteous.
42 The huge sums of money currently being spent protecting endangered
species of animals while humans are left to starve and die of disease is
among the major crimes of the 20th century.
43 Qur'an, 3:31.
44 Collected by Ahmad, at-Tirmi!hee and Aboo Daawood (Sunan Abu
Dawud, vol. 3. p. 1312, no. 3664. and authenticated in S-a!lee!l Sunan
Abee Daawood, vol. 3, p. 886. no. 3915).
The Paryose of Creation
t\i'*lt'#'#h"
lq{"rr
ifuji-*[
irir
i.r1]
"Sunely,
Allah will bestow love
[in
the hearts of
the believens forl those who believe and do
righteous deeds."
Qur' an
l 9: 96
Aboo Hurayrah also related that Allah's Messenger
(#)
said the following in this regard,
*If
Allah loves a servant He
informs angel Gabriel that He loves So-and-so and tells him
to love him, so Gabriel loves him. Then Gabriel calls out
to the inhabitants of the heavens:
'Allah
loves So-and-so,
therefore love hint
'
,So the inhabitants of the heavens love
him. Then he is
granted
the
love of the people of the eqrth."a5
Prayers
Prayers should only be directed to God alone, for only
He can answer
prayers. He i s accessi bl e as l ong as He i s
cal l ed upon si ncerel y.
{irrai
rilurritr iVi
*i
-ti
rfy ,io +tV
iA
sr.}
"When
My sertants askyou
[O
Mulammadl about
Me,
[tell
them] that I am near' I answer the prayer
of evelyone
w\o calls on Me."
Qur ' an
2: 186
ns
Sahi l rAl -Bukhari ,
vol . 4. p. 291. no. 43l . and Sahi h Musl i m, vol . 4. p.
1385. no. 6373.
i#J
"Surely, Allah will bestow love [in the hearts of
the believers for] those who believe and do
righteous deeds."
Qur'an 19:96
Aboo Hurayrah also related that Allah's Messenger
said the following in this regard, "IfAllah loves a servant He
informs angel Gabriel that He loves So-and-so and tells him
to love him, so Gabriel loves him. Then Gabriel calls out
to the inhabitants ofthe heavens: 'Allah loves So-and-so,
therefore love him. ' So the inhabitants ofthe heavens love
him. Then he is granted the love ofthe people ofthe eqrth. ,,45
Prayers
Prayers should only be directed to God alone, for only
He can answer prayers. He is accessible as long as He is
called upon sincerely.
';1 i;.; JS- ';lJ}
"When 'My servants askyou [6Mu!!ammad] abOut
Me, [tell them] that I am near, I answer the prayer
of everyone calls on Me."
Qur'an 2: 186
45 Sahih AI-Bukhari, vol. 4. p. 291. no. 431. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p.
1385. no. 6373.
The Purpose
orcrearion
[F|
_l
The
Prophet (S)
emphasized
this point,
saying,
,,If
you
ask in prayer,
ask-only
Allah, and if you seek help,
seek it
only
from
Allah.'46
Thus, prayer
to human
beings
or through
human*
beings,
dead or living, is a form
of shirk.The
one to
whom prayers
are directed
becomes
an object of worship.
An-Nu'maan
ibn Basheer
repofted
that the
prophet
(*)
said,
" supplication
is worship."a1
Qur' an
7: 194
Thus, the catholic christian
practice
of praying
to saints
i s
shi rk. If somethi ng i s l ost,
sai nt Anthony
of Thebes i s
prayed
to in order to help find it.a8 st. Jude Thaddaeus
is the
patron
saint
ofthe impossible
and is prayed
to for intercession
i n i ncurabl e
i l l nesses,
unl i kel y
marri ages
or the l i ke.ae
And
it used
to be that when
someone
set out on a
journey,
Saint
christdpher,
the patron
saint of travelers,
was the object
of
prayers
for protection.
However,
in 1969
st. christopher
was
a6
Reponed by Ibn
'Abbaas
and coilected
by at-Tirmithee
and authenticated
n
Sabee h
sunan at-Tirmifute.
vol. 2, pp.
308-9. no. 2043.
see an-N aw aw i,s
*r,y
Hadith, p.
68, no. l9 and lvlishkat A!-Masabih,
vol.2
,
p.
1099.
n'
sunan Abu Dnvud, vol. l, p.
387. no. 1474 and authenticared
in
saheeh
Sunan Abee Daawood, voI . I , p. 277.
no. 1312.
u
The lllorld
Book Enc.vclopeita, vol. l. p.
509.
t "
t bi d. . vol .
I l . p.
146.
The Prophet emphasized this point, saying, "Ifyou
ask in prayer, ask only Allah, and ifyou seek help, seek it
only from Allah.,,46 Thus, prayer to human beings or through
human- beings, dead or living, is a form of shirk. The one to
whom prayers are directed becomes an object of worship.
An-Nu'maan ibn Basheer reported that the Prophet said,
"Supplication is worship. ,,47

"Surely, those whom you calion in prayer besides
Allah are servants like yourself."
Qur'an 7: 194
Thus, the Catholic Christian practice of praying te saints
is shirk. If something is lost. Saint Anthony of Thebes is
prayed to in order to help find it.
48
St. Jude Thaddaeus is the
patron saint ofthe impossible and is prayed to for intercession
in incurable illnesses, unlikely marriages or the like.
49
And
it used to be that when someone set out on a journey, Saint
Christdpher, the patron saint of travelers, was the object of
prayers for protection. However, in 1969 St. Christopher was
46 Reported by Ibn 'Abbaas and collected by at-Tinnithee and authenticated
in Saf1ee!1 Sunan vol. 2, pp. 308-9. no. 2043. See an-Nawawi's
Forty Hadith, p. 68. no. 19 and Mishkat AI-Masabih, vol. 2 , p. 1099.
47 Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. I. p. 387. no. 1474 and authenticated in Sa!:J.ee!l
Sunan Abee Daawood, voL I, p. 277. no. 1312.
"The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 1. p. 509.
49 tbid.. vol. 1L p. 146.
t l - -
I I
The Purp-lse of Creation
-
unceremoniously sffuck offthe list of saints by
papal
decree,
after it was confirmed that hewas fictitious.50 Prayers to Mary,
the mothgr of Jesus, and to the angels, as on Michaelmassl
are also shirk. Even Christians
who shun saint worship
commit shirk whenever they direct prayers
to Prophet Jesus,
through him or in his name. Likewise, any Muslim who prays
to Prophet Muhammad
(#)
commi ts shi rk. Consequentl y,
God commanded the Prophet
(H)
to inform his followers as
follows in Chapter al-A'raaf.
F-Jti
c-s
JIJ
lrr
rll
rr
1!
rr"a
I:lr.iiu.,.tlJ cUi f
;0)
;*Jt t,.:;*-f
=*Jt
{ oF'
#br
"Say
[O
Muhammadl:
' I
have no power to bring
good or avert harm even from myself, except if
Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I
would surely have accumulated only good and no
evil would have befallen me."
Qur ' an
7: 188
s
The Worl d Book Encycl opedi a.
vol . 3. p. 417
' tt
The Chri sti an t' east of St. Mi chael the Archangel . cel ebrated i n the
western churches on September 29 and in the Eastern
(Orthodox)
Church
on November 8. In the Roman Cathol i c Church, i t i stheFeastof SS.
Mi chael . Gabri el . and Raphael . archangel s: i n the Angl i can Church, i ts
proper name i s the Feast of St. Mi chael and Al l Angel s
(The New
Encyclopaedia
Britannica, vol. 8. p. 95)
unceremoniously struck off the list of saints by papal decree,
after it was confinned that he was fictitious.
50
Prayers to Mary,
the mothc;r of Jesus, and to the angels, as on Michaelmas
51
are also shirk. Even Christians who shun saint worship

commit shirk whenever they direct prayers to Prophet Jesus,
through him or in his name. Likewise, any Muslim who prays
to Prophet Muhammad commits shirk. Consequently,
God commanded the Prophet to inform his followers as
follows in Chapter al-A 'raaf
c..5 YJ Sou. L. W,j Ji}
{So.,..J' L. J ..:;.;
"Say [0 Muhammad): 'I have no power to bring
good or avert harm even from myself, except if
Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the I
would surely have accumulated only good and no
evil would have befallen me."
Qur'an 7: 188
50 The World Book Encyclopedia. vol. 3. p. 417.
51 The Christian feast of St. Michael the Archangel. celebrated in the
western churches on September 29 and in the Eastern (Orthodox) Church
on November 8. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is the Feast of S5.
Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels: in the Anglican Church, its
proper name is the Feast of 51. Michael and All Angels (The New
Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 8. p. 95).
The Purpose
of creotion
|E|
_
-
Aboo
Hurayrah reported
that when the verse
..Warn
your
nearest
relativesr"s2
was revealed
to the
prophet,
he
said the following
to his relatives:
,,O
people
of
eurrysh,
secure deliverancefrom
AIIah
[by
doing good
deedsJ,for
I
cannot
avail you
st all
against Allah...o
Faatimah,
daughter
of Mufiammad,
ask me whatever you
wish
[in
this lifeJ, but
I have nothing
which
can
qvail
you
against
Allah.,,53
sr
Soorah
ash-Shooraa (ZG):214.
st
sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.
4. pp 47g-9.
nos. 727 &.7zg.
and sahih
Muslim,
vol .
l . p. 136. no. 402.
Aboo Hurayrah reported that when the verse "Warn
your nearest relatives,"S2 was revealed to the Prophet, he
said the following to his relatives: "0people ofQuraysh,
secure from Allah [by doing good deeds], for I
cannot avail you at all against A/lah. .. O Faatimah, daughter
of Mullammad, ask me whatever you wish [in this life], but
I have nothing which can avail you against Allah. ,,53
52 Soorah ash-Shooraa (26):214.
53 Sahih A/-Bukhari, vol. 4. pp. 478-9. nos. 727 & 728. and Sahih Muslim,
vol. l. p. 136. no. 402.
The Purpose
ol Creation
Why Did God Create
Mankind on Earth?
HE
QLJESTION
CONCERNINC THE PURPOSE OF mankind's
creation may be expanded to include the world in
which they live. The
question would
then be, "Why did
God create human beings in this world?" Again, the answer
to this
question can easily be found in the final revelation,
Chapters al-Mulk and al-Kahf,
pl )t-..r
iJ-?i
Fi,f*;
i'5rJr
J.)J*lt
.lt
gilrl
{.r.rtoJr r_-fl
"[It
is IIel who created death and life to test which
of
you
is best in conduct; and He is the
Mighty, the
Forgiving."
Qur'an
67:2
{y*
g,..ri
a+-i ert+l
SJ
"r;
.r.r!r
sle
b t l'" u!}
"surely
I5o have created all thirt is on earth ss its
ornaments that I mev test which of them is best
in conduct.tt
Qur ' an
l 8: 7
3r r'1y*"
in the originat Arabic is the majestic
'we,'
refening to God.
Why Did God Create
Mankind on Earth?
T
HE QUESTIONCONCERNING THE PURPOSE OF mankind's
creation may be expanded to include the world in
which they live. The question would then be, "Why did
God create human beings in this world?" Again, the answer
to this question can easily be found in the final revelation,
Chapters a/-Mu/k and a/-Kahf:
.J--AJ j'".J1 J JU- ,=,JJI}
tJ,#I.it.,;,.!1
"fIt is He] who created death and life to testwhich
of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the
Forgiving."
Qur'an 67:2
{'}\.w 40tj Js- Ul}
"Surely .54 have created all that is on earth as its
ornaments that I may test which of them is best
in conduct."
Qur'an 18:7
54 "We" in the original Arabic is the majestic 'we,' referring to God.
I sol
fhe P"rpose
"f
Crrtlly
__r
Thus, the purpose
for the creation of human beings in
thi s worl d i s to test thei r conduct.st Thi r worl d of l i fe and
death, wealth and poveny,
sickness and health, was created
to si ft out the ri ghteous soul s from the evi l soul s. Human
conduct in this world is the measure
of faith.
lt should be noted, however, that the tests of conduct are
not to inform
God about humankind, for He knew everything
there was to know about them before He created them. The
tests serve to confirm on the Day of Judgment that those
going
to hell deserve it and those going to paradise only got
there by God's grace. With regard to human beings in this
life, the test of conduct;erves two basic purposes:
one, human
spiritual growth,
and the other, punishment or reward.
Spiritual Growth
The tests of this world are primarily
for the spiritual
growth
of human
beings. Just as an intense fire separates
pure gold
from the rough
ore to which it is bound in nature,
tests purifo
the moral character of the believers. They force
the bel i evers to choose thei r hi gher spi ri tual qual i ti es
over
their lower desires. Although not every test is passed,
even
i n fai l ure the bel i ever grows by l earni ng spi ri tual l essons to
hel p hi m or her i n future tests.
ss
See al so Chapt er Hood (l l ): 7
Thus, the purpose for the creation of human beings in
this world is to test their conduct.
55
This world of life and
death, wealth and poverty, sickness and health, was created
to sift out the righteous souls from the evil souls. Human
conduct in this world is the measure of faith.
It should be noted, however, that the tests of conduct are
not to inform God about humankind, for He knew everything
there was to know about them before He created them. The
tests serve to confirm on the Day of Judgment that those
going to hell deserve it and those going to paradise only got
there by God's grace. With regard to human beings in this
life, the test ofconduct,serves two basic purposes: one, human
spiritual growth, and the other, punishment or reward.
Spiritual Growth
The tests of this world are primarily for the spiritual
growth of human beings. Just as an intense fire separates
pure gold from the rough ore to which it is bound in nature,
tests purify the moral character of the believers. They force
the believers to choose their higher spiritual qualities over
their lower desires. Although not every test is passed, even
in failure the believer grows by learning spiritual lessons to
help him or her in future tests.
55 See also Chapter Hood (11):7.
Generosity and Contentment
For example, in all human societies the
qualities
of
generosity and contentment are considered among the most
noble characteristics. However, neither of these traits can
develop ifeveryone has the same amount of wealth. Generosity
can o$y be acquired when the'human soul-aware that
sharing
with the needy is good-struggles against its desire
to hoard its possessions. On the other hand, contentment is
produced when the soul defeats the evils of enry and greed.
The Creator wisely sets the stage for these spiritual struggles
by unequal l y di stri buti ng weal th i n thi s worl d. l n Chapter
an-Nahl of the final revelation, Allah says:
{O;rl'
d
*dr
rfut
}.,
il'r}
*Allah
has favored some of
'you
over others in
gugtenance.tt
Qur ' an
l 6: 71
Greed and stinginess are corrupt forms of the natural
human desire to
possess. The believers are informed by
revelation that wealth is a tnlst given to humankind by God.
Possessions exist in the world before humans are born and
remain there after they die. If wealth is used according to
divine instructions, it benefits those who have it in both
worlds. But if it is used selfishly, it becomes a curse in this
l i fe and a cause for
puni shment i n the next. In Chapter a/-
Anfaal of the final revelation. God warns the believers to
beware of the dangers of wealth and children:
Generosity and Contentment
For example, in all human societies the qualities of
generosity and contentment are considered among the most
noble characteristics. However, neither of these traits can
dev.elop ifeveryone has the same amount ofwealth. Generosity
can 0!1ly be a c q u i ~ e d when the- human soul-aware that
sharing with the needy is good-struggles against its desire
to hoard its possessions. On the other hand, contentment is
produced when the soul defeats the evils of envy and greed.
The Creator wisely sets the stage for these spiritual struggles
by unequally distributing wealth in this world. In Chapter
an-Nab.l of the final revelation, Allah says:
{Jj)\ J ~ .;s- ~ j...Gi .iIJ}
"Allah has favored some of 'you over others in
sustenance. "
Qur'an 16:71
Greed -and stinginess are corrupt forms of the natural
human desire to possess. The bel ievers are informed by
revelation that wealth is a trust given to humankind by God.
Possessions exist in the world before humans are born and
remain there after they die. If wealth is used according to
divine instructions, it benefits those who have it in both
worlds. But if it is used selfishly, it becomes a curse in this
life and a cause for punishment in the next. In Chapter al-
Anfaal of the final revelation, God warns the believers to
beware of the dangers of wealth and children:
fsTt
The Pur pose of Cr eat i on
. .
{es
frf:ir r.(lryi
wi
rytrrl}
(Know
that your
wealth end children sre I test."
Qur' an
8:28
God further warns the believers in Chapter.a/-
Munaafiqoon no{ to let their desire for wealth
and children
divert them from obedience to Him, for this is the test of
possessions.
{lrr fi if
fsIli
fr
rr(Jrr.i Fftb
f
rj:,h;*.rlr
qirr}
"O
believers! Do not allow yourwealth
and children
to divert you
from the remembrance
of Allah."
Qur' an
63: 9
{fuu
t
sr
f*J
.rra:: p
otg(r"
Cl:}
'6He
raised some of
you over others in rank to test
you with what He granted you."
Qur ' an
6: 165
The desire to accumulate wealth
cannot be satisfied in
this life. The more human beings have, the more they want.
The Prophet (S)
stated, "If a man had a valley of gald, he
would desire another,
for
nothing u,ill
fill
his mouth but the
dirt
[of
his graveJ.
And Allah
forgives
whoever sincerely
repents."56 This negative desire can only be overcome by
#
Sahi h Al -Bukhari , vol . 8,
pp.
297-8. no. 447.
{4.o:oi wi
"Know that your wealth and children are a test."
Qur'an 8:28
God further warns the believers in Chapter' al-
MUlJaafiqoon not to let their desire for wealth and children
divert them from obedience to Him, for this is the test of
possessions.
{.i\ ':iJ loft.ill
"0believers! Do not allowyour wealth and children
to divert you from the remembrance of Allah."
Qur'an 63:9

"He raised some of you over others in rank to test
you with what He granted you."
Qur'an 6: 165
The desire to accumulate wealth cannot be satisfied in
this life. The more human beings have, the more they want.
The Prophet stated, "If a man had a valley ofgald. he
would desire another, for nothing will fill his mouth but the
dirt [of his grave]. And Allahforgives whoever sincerely
repents.,,56 This negative desire can only be overcome by
56 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 8, pp. 297-8. no. 447.
giving
of one's wealth charitably. Thus, Allah commanded
the prophets to collect charity from the more wealthy among
their followers for distribution among the poor.
{g
F.{5-
il
ercl,r
$.r.p
d'r.f
i/
it}
"Take
charity from their wealth to purify
them
and mrke them grow."
Qur ' an
9: 103
Charity was institutionalized in Islam from its inception
under the Arabic name, Zalcsahsi
(compulsory
charity). Every
believer with surplus wealth is obliged to give
a set portion
of it to the needy annually as an act of worship. To withhold
Zakaah is considered a major sin. Giving this charity helps
the believers to realize that their wealth is not their own to
do with as they please. It teaches them that they are only
temporary custodians of this wealth who must give a
portion
of it to those who are destitute. Consequently, God describes
true believers as those who recognize the right of the needy
to a portion of their wealth.
{t.rrt
J''1
JiiJJ
o'
*ltr.i
*tr}
"And
in their wealth the heggars and needy have
a right."
Qur ' an
5l : 19
57
Li teral l y zakaahmeans' puri fi cati on' and' growth'
giving of one's wealth charitably. Thus, Allah commanded
the prophets to collect charity from the more wealthy among
their followers for distribution among the poor.
{If.t j1J 4j..L..P
"Take charity from their wealth to purify them
and make them grow."
Qur'an 9: 103
Charity was institutionalized in Islam from its inception
under the Arabic name, Zakaah
57
(compulsory charity). Every
believer with surplus wealth is obliged to give a set portion
of it to the needy annually as an act of worship. To withhold
Zakaah is considered a major sin. Giving this charity helps
the believers to realize that their wealth is not their own to
do with as they please. It teaches them that they are only
temporary custodians of this wealth who must give a portion
of it to those who are destitute. Consequently, God describes
true believers as those who recognize the right of the needy
toa portion of their wealth.
jJW JJ}
"And in their wealth the beggars and needy have
a right."
Qur'an 51:19
57 Literally zakaah means 'purification' and 'growth'.
The Purpose of Creotion
However, giving
in charity should be done sincerely for
the
pleasure
of God, and not for show or control of others.
The reward for charity is completely lost when it is done for
worldly gains. Allah
addresses this reality in Chapter a/-
Baqarah as follows:
{'.rrlrj
Cr.tU
n*UJ.r
l}le+i
1
l.;rb
,}riJl Qlr-}
"O
believers, do not destroy your
acts of charity
by reminders
of
your generosity
and by injury."
Qur' an
2:254
Craving for wealth is further enhanced by envy.
Consequently, God also instructed
us not to desire what He
has given
others. God addresses this issue in
Chaptet an-
Ni saa' of the fi nal revel ati on as fol l ows:
{'p.
Jt
p.fu4
or .irr
Jt
ai
r" r9r.s
I;}
"Do
not wish for that by which Allah has favored
some of
you over others.tt
Qur' an
4: 32
The Prophet
(4E)
reiterated this divine piece
of advice,
saying, "Look to those less
fortunate
than you,
and do not
look to those above you;
it is betterfor you, in order that you
do not denywhat Allah has blessed
vou
v'ith."58 When human
t r
Sahi hAl - Bukhar i , vol . 8, p. 328.
no. 497. andSahi h Musl i m, vol . 4. p.
I 530. no. 7070.
However, giving in charity should be done sincerely for
the pleasure of God, and not for show or control of others.
The reward for charity is completely lost when it is done for
worldly gains. Allah addresses this reality in Chapter al-
Baqarah as follows:
Ip\,.
"0 believers, do not destroy your acts of charity
by reminders of your generosity and by injury."
Qur' an 2:264
Craving for wealth is further enhanced by envy.
Consequently, God also instructed us not to desire what He
has given others. God addresses this issue in Chapter an-
Nisaa' of the final revelation as follows:
j..:Ai l.a
"Do not wish for that by which Allah has favored
some of you over others."
Qur'an 4:32
The Prophet reiterated this divine piece of advice,
saying, "Look to those less fortunate than you, and do not
look to those above you; it is betterfor you, in order that you
do not deny what Allah has blessedyou with. ,,58 When human
58 Sahih Al-Bukhari. vol. 8. p. 328. no. 497. and Sahih Muslim. vol. 4. p.
1530. no. 7070.
beings focus their attention on those
who have more wealth
than they do, envy begins to develop. They usually feel and
express that God has been unfair to them. Ultimately, they
may commit many sins to fulfill their desire for what others
have. Instead, Islam advises them to consider those less
fortunate than themselves. No matter how difficult
circumstances may be, there are always others in more
diffrcult sinrations. Consequently,
reflecting on others less
fo.rtunate reminds human beings of the many bounties
with
which God
has blessed them. It is in this spiritual struggle
of avoiding envy that the higher quality of contentment
develops. Furthermore, according to the teachings of the
prophets, material
possessions do not constitute the real wealth
of this world. Aboo Hurayrah
quoted the last Messenger
(d*)
as saying, "F[/'ealth is not
[measuredJ
in
property, but in
contentment."59
Being content does npt mean that-human beings should
accepJ whatever circumstance they find themselves in
4nd
not
t y to better themselves. It means that, after striving io do one's
best to achieve a
good standard of living, one should accept
what Al l ah
desti nes
wi th a cl ear consci ence. It
i s onl y by
leaving one's affairs
in the hands ofGod, aftermakingan effo4
that the hearts find rest from the desires for the
pleasures
of this world. In this regard, God states in Chapter ar-Ra'd
of the final revelation:
beings focus their attention on those who have more wealth
than they do, envy begins to develop. They usually feel and
express that God has been unfair to them. Ultimately, they
may commit many sins to fulfill their desire for what others
have. Instead, Islam advises them to consider those less
fortunate than themselves. No matter how difficult
circumsta;nces may be, there are always others in more
difficult situations. Consequently, reflecting on others less
fortunate reminds hu.man beings of the m ~ n y bounties with
which God has blessed them. It is in this spiritual struggle
of avoiding envy that the higher quality of contentment
develops. Furthermore, according to the teachings of the
prophets, material possessions do not constitute the real wealth
of this world. Aboo Hurayrah quoted the last Messenger ( ~ )
as saying, "Wealth is not [measured] in property, but in
contentment. ,,59
Being content does npt mean that human beings should
acceet whatever circumstance they find themselves, in ~ n d not
try to better themseJves. It means that, after striving to do one's
best to achieve a good standard of living, one should accept
what Allah destines with a clear conscience. It is only by
leaving one's affairs in the hands ofGod, after making an effort,
that the hearts find rest from the desires for the pleasures
of this world. In this regard, God states in Chapter ar-Ra'd
59 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 8. p. 304, no. 453,
[s6f
fhe P"rprt" rf Crttttu
_t
{+ptt
,jr"l"
Ar'f*
ft}
"Indeed,
it is in the remembrance
of Allah that
heefts find rest."
Qur ' an
l 3: 28
Calamities
Tests of this life also come in the form
of
.misfortune'
and calamities which
contribute
to the spiritual growth
of the
true believers and
furiff
them of sin. conversely,
life's tests
of misfortune remind
errant believers to return to the correct
path, and they punish
disbelievers in this life before the next.
Patience
cal ami ti es
are the foundati o'
on whi ch
the hi gher
spiritual quality
of patience
is developed.
consequently,
it is
not surprising to find that the righteo-us
are subject
to many
tragedies and difficulties in their lives. sa'd reponedthat
he
asked theProphet(*)
whoamong mankind
had the most trials,
and he replied, "The prophets,
Ihen those most like them
and then those
most like then.
Man is tested according to
the level of his
faith.
If his
faith
is
firm,
his trials increase
in severity, and if there is weakness
in his
faith,
he u,ill
be
tried accordingly."oo
True patience
is the product
of complete trust in God at
the time of calamity. Trust in one's Lord is an important
aspect
o
cof lected by at-Tirmithee and Ibn Maaiah and authenticated in saheeh
Sunan at-Ti rmi l hee. vol . 2. p. 286. no. 1956.
Tht Purpose of Creation
{y.#JI
"Indeed, it is in the remembrance of Allah that
hearts find rest."
Qur'an 13:28
Calamities
Tests of this life also come in the fonn of 'misfortune"
and calamities which contribute to the spiritual growth of the
true believers and purify them of sin. Conversely, life's tests
of misfortune remind errant believers to return to the correct
path, and they punish disbelievers in this life before the next.
Patience
Calamities are the 'foundation on which the higher
spiritual quality of patience is developed. Consequently, it is
not surprising to find that the righteous are subject to many
and-difficulties In tbeir Sa'd reported.that he
asked the Prophet who among mankind had the mosttrials,
and he replied, "The prophets, then those most like them
and then those most like them. Man is tested according to
the level ofhis faith. Ifhis faith is firm. his trials increase
in severity, and if there is weakness in his faith, he will be
tried accordingly. ,,60
True patience is the product of complete trust in God at
the time of calamity. Trust in one's Lord is an important aspect
60 Collected by Tirmi!hee and Ibn and authenticated in (iaheeb.
Sunan at- Tirmi!.b.ee. vol. 2. p. 286. no. 1956.
of worship and the natural consequence of real faith. Since
belief in Allah means accepting that nothing takes place in
the universe without His permission, then only Allah deserves
humankind's complete trust. For. it is only God's promise that
is never broken. No matter how righteous a human being may
be, he or she i s capabl e of error. Humans wi l l al ways l et
each other down due to their erring nature. Consequently,
Allalr
quotes Prophet Jacob in Chapter Yoosuf as saying:
{o_rtEr"l,
J51,a)o
+J*r
.:5j
4r
ii}
)l
r}G.Jr
tl}
"The
decision rests only with Allah. I put my trust
in Him alone, and all who trust should trust only
i n Hi m. "
Qur' an
12:67
Al l ah further assures humanki nd that i f they put thei r
compl ete trust i n Hi m, He wi l l be suffi ci ent for them i n thei r
most tryi ng ti mes.
{..,.-- r#
*'
,F ,F nrl1}
"\ilhoeyer
trusts in Allah. then He will suffice him."
Qur ' au
65: 3
Trust i n God i s embodi ed i n t he f i rm bel i ef t hat Al l ah
alone knows
rvhat is best for hurnankind; firm belief that what
humans may percei ve as bei ng
good f or t hem may not , i n
t he l ong run, be good f or t hem. As Al l ah sai d i n Chapt er
al-Baqarah.
of worship and the natural consequence of real faith. Since
belief in Allah means accepting that nothing takes place in
the universe without His permission, then only Allah deserves
humankind's complete trust. For, it is only God's promise that
is never broken. No matter how righteous a human being may
be, he or she is capable of error. Humans will always let
each other down due to their erring nature. Consequently,
Allah quotes Prophet Jacob in Chapter Yoosufas saying:
I
JS' y "ll 4Jl}
"The decision rests only with Allah. I put my trust
in Him alone, and all who trust should trust only
in Him."
Qur'an ]2:67
Allah further assures humankind that if they put their
complete trust in Him, He will be sufficient for them in their
most trying times.
Js- JS" J}
"Whoever trusts in Allah, then He will suffice him."
Qur'an 65:3
Trust in God is embodied in the firm belief that Allah
alone knows what is best for humankind; firm belief that what
humans may perceive as being good for them may not, in
the long run, be good for them. As Allah said in Chapter
al-Baqarah:
l r n l
fn" Prrp"tt
"f
Crr"tb,
u
JsJ
U=$ l1,.rr,i
r)i
rt'S
F
,-
pf
l.:rr
lJ^F
.li
.r.-s;]
{liyllr;
X
p.ir
d*,6,'-, $J
,-
"Perhaps
you may dislike something and it is good
for you, and you
may like something and it is bad
for you. Allah knows and you
do not."
Qur' an
2: 216
The tri al s by whi ch Al l ah tests human bei ngs are
speci fi cal l y tai l ored to thei r own i ndi vi dual needs and
circumstances.
God creates trials for each person
according
to thei r abi l i ti es i n order to bri ng out the best i n them. It
woul d be unfai r and unj ust for human bei ngsto be tri ed
beyond their capacities and then be punished
for their failures.
Consequentl y, God emphasi zes i n many verses of the fi nal
revelation that He is not unfair to anyone. For example, He
says in Chapter al-Kahf:
{t.r-i
eLtr
dl{
T.,}
"And
your
Lord does not oppress anyone."
Qur' an
I 8:49
If Allah is truly
just,
it means that the trials human beings
face in this life are not beyond their ability to handle: In order
to reassure humanki nd,
Al l ah states thi s fact repeatedl y i n
the
Qur'an.
An example of His reassurance may be found in
the second chapter, entitled al-Baqarah:
JAJ ~ , ~ 0i ~ J ~ ~ JAJ ~ lJAP 0i ~ J }
{oJ~ ~ ~ i J ~ ~ ' J ~ ~
"Perhaps you may dislike something and it is good
for you, and you may like something and it is bad
for you. Allah knows and you do not."
Qur'an 2:216
The trials by which Allah tests human beings are
specifically tailored to their own individual needs and
circumstances. God creates trials for each person according
to their abilities in order to bring out the best in them. It
would be unfair and unjust for human beings10 be tried
beyond their capacities and then be punished for their failures.
Consequently, God emphasizes in many verses of the final
revelation that He is not unfair to anyone. For example, He
says in Chapter al-Kahf:
{\.i:l-i ~ ) ~ 'lJ}
"And your Lord does not oppress anyone."
Qur'an 18:49
If Allah is truly just, it means that the trials human beings
face in this life are not beyond their ability to handle: In order
to reassure humankind, Allah states this fact repeatedly in
the Qur'an. An example of His reassurance may be found in
the second chapter, entitled al-Baqarah:
The htrpose of Creotion
{td.-,r
1!
L*ii ilr
.,,,il5i f}
*Allah
does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.'
Qur'an
2:286
Furthermore, the Almighty promises that the difficult
si tuati ons whi ch humans face i n l i fe wi l l not be wi thout
intervals of rest. If trials were continuous they would certainly
become unbearable. Consequently" every test is followed by a
perid
of relief, as Allah emphatically states twice in Chapter
al-Inshiraaft:
{'r-,- -rjt
g.
0!
rr-r-
,..-rjt
g.
ilp}
*For
surely with difficulty comes
[a
period ofl
ense. Surely with the difficulty comes
[another
period o{f ease."
Qur'an
94:5-6
Despair
It is due to this realitythat suicide is explicitly prohibited
in Islam. Allah says in Chapter an-Nisaa':
{r.*.r,5
ir'E .rr Ol
.lfuti
lrLa
It}
"Do
not kill yourselves,
for surely Allah is merciful
with you."
Qur' an
4:29

"Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity."
Qur'an 2:286
Furthermore, the Almighty promises that the difficult
situations which humans face in life will not be without
intervals of rest. If trials were continuous they would certainly
become unbearable. Consequently. every test is followed by a
period of relief, as Allah emphatically states twice in Chapter
al-Inshiraah:
{,)"'""'! .,,-all iJ! I)"'""'! .,,-al' iJ\5}
"For surely with difficulty comes [a period of]
ease. Surely with the difficulty comes [another
period of] ease."
Qur'an 94:5-6
Despair
It is due to this reality that suicide is explicitly prohibited
in Islam. Allah says in Chapter an-Nisaa ':
iJ! '#
"Do not kill yourselves, for surely Allah is merciful
with you."
Qur'an 4:29
l?ol
Tn, P"rprt,
"f
Crr*i
.
t
I t t I l r
Those who
commi t sui ci de are basi cal l y
sayi ng that
God has burdened
them beyond their capacity. They falsely
accuse the creator of treating them unfairly
and thereby fall
into a corrupt state of disbelief. Due to their rejection
of faith,
their thoughts
about God become evil and they fall into uffer
despai r. "Li fe,"
as they often say,
,.i s
so unfai r that i t
i s
poi ntl ess
to go
on l i vi ng."
{ir1j$r
fl4lt
T!
rlr
3;.r
d/ -,,,!
1
4j!}
"Surel y
onl y
a di sbel i evi ng
peopl e
despai r
of
Al l ah' s mercy."
Qur ' an
12: 87
Consequent l y,
God has i nf ormed
humanki nd
t hat t he
punishment
for those who
harbor evil thoughts
about Him is
the eternal torment of hell. In chapter al-Fat-h
Attah says:
;pU--bJt
.rtfriJr;
a{rijr1
.ttriu.Jr;
i^rrt;*Jt
t;j--f
}
g+-.tl
Fts-lt
eirr '--ar-l
, pJr i;Tl
,r6J*
,J-Jt
Ob
Irr,
{'.0*,
*:tL;
F-fi .r4J
.r*i-1
"That
He may puni sh
the hypocri tes,
men and
women, and the idolaters,
men
and women, who
harbor evil thoughts
about Allah. An evil torment
will encompass
them, forAllah is angry with them
and curses them. And He has prepared
hell for
them; an evi l end."
Qur' an
48: 6
Those who commit suicide are basically saying that
God has burdened them beyond their capacity. They falsely
accuse the Creator of treating them unfairly and thereby fall
into a corrupt state of disbelief. Due to their rejection of faith,
their thoughts about God become evil and they fall into utter
despair. "Life," as they often say, "is so unfair that it is
pointless to go on living."
{lJJ)lS:J
1
jill C)J .:r
"Surely only a disbelieving people despair of
Allah's mercy."
Qur'an 12:87
Consequently, God has informed humankind that the
punishment for those who harbor evi I thoughts about Him is
the eternal tonnent of hell. In Chapter al-Fat-lJ. Allah says:
."..w'J ;oWlJ
\,e )G k\ k4

"That He may punish the hypocrites, men and
women, and the idolaters, men and women, who
harbor evil thoughts about Allah. An evil torment
will encompass them, for Allah is angry with them
and curses them. And He has prepared hell for
them; an evil end."
Qur'an 48:6
fn, P"rprt" rt Cr"ftt
tg!
Hope
On the other hand, the di vi ne promi ses
ofj usti ce and
mercy fill the believers with the confidence
necessary to
patiently face the difficulties of this Iife.
Consequently, hope
in the mercy of God is an essential part of faith. Those who
believe in Allah and patiently
strive to do what
is right have
the right to hope for His mercy, for He has promised
to help
and support those who are palient:
{+-r,riol'g
il'
\
athsl
,Jarjgaiti#;d,*+rr
ft{
U}
"O
believers, seek help in patience
and prayer.
Truly, Allah is with those who
are patient."
Qur' an
2: 153
'cLfri
1
J"'-.
;\rt"+':itr6
,t_liiro
++rr
Lt}
{?'r"rP
hirlr
i*;1 o;t;-
"Surely
those who believed, emigrated
and strove
for the sake of Allah, hopefor Allah,s
mercy, for
Allah is Oft-Forgiving
Most-Merciful."
Qur' an
2:218
Of course, paradise
is the reward for patience
based
on si ncere
bel i ef i n God.
God i nforms the bel i evers
of thei r
reward as follows:
4yL-ir11a
11 ijd
"^;=";'#.*,iii1
;;jJr ,s+..6t l'l
{o'*..(,
Hope
On the other hand, the divine promises ofjustice and
mercy fill the believers with the confidence necessary to
patiently face the difficulties of this life. Consequently, hope
in the mercy of God is an essential part of faith. Those who
believe in Allah and patiently strive to do what is right have
the right to hope for His mercy, for He has promised to help
and support those who ate patient:
t- "
"0 believers, seek help in patience and prayer.
Truly, Allah is with those who are patient."
Qur'an 2: 153
J IJf-Le

"Surely those who believed, emigrated and strove
for the sake of Allah, hopefor Allah's mercy, for
Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most-Merciful."
Qur'an 2:218
Of course, paradise is the reward for based
on sincere belief in God. God informs the believers of their
reward as foHows:
U!J U! H! ?-iJ}

"...so
announce glad tidings
[of
paradise]
to those
who are
patient; those who, when afllicted with
calamity, say: Truly we belong to Allah and to
Him we will return."
Qu' an
2: 155- 6
Patience is also based on the belief that whatever befalls
mankind is fundamentally a consequence of their own evil
deeds.6r God reminds humankind of this reality in Chapter
ash-Shooraa ofthe final reveiation, saying:
{-g,r
i
rtr6{i
z#
V
# a
i;;ai
u-ry
"Whatever
befalls
you is t .esult of what your
hands have earned. And He pardons much."
Qur'an
42:30
The fact is, God has excused humans for much of their
evil. Were Heto
punish them strictly according to their deeds,
they and all on earth
would be destroyed. God addresses this
issue in Chapter Faagir as follows:
t{,t U
6}h
&
li 6iF
t
u,,t'
itt
ju;t3i-'ijl
"And
if Allih were to punish people for what
they elrned, He would not leave a living creature
on the face of the earth.t'
Qur' an
35: 45
6r
In fact. all of the corruption on earth is a product of human misdeeds.
Allah states that in Chapter ar-Room
(30):41. quoted later in this booklet.
"...so announce glad tidings [of paradise] to those
who are patient; those who, when afflicted with
calamity, say: Truly we belong to Allah and to
Him we will return."
Qur'an 2: 155-6
Patience is also based on the belief that whatever befalls
mankind is fundamentally a consequence of their own evil
deeds.
61
God reminds humankind of this reality in Chapter
ash-Shooraa of the final revelation, saying:
{
.. ' i W "- <-:w,f \:I'}
. : r J
"Whatever befalls you is a result of what your
hands have earned. And He pardons much."
Qur'an 42:30
The fact is, God has excused humans for much of their
evil. Were Heto punish them strictly according to their deeds,
they and all on earth would be destroyed. God addresses this
issue in Chapter Faa[ir as follows:
{
4ii;.. \A IG i .J,(- \!}l 1\ 1o.\,.J x }
" .r ' .Jt.J'J
"And if Allah were to punish -people for what
they earned, He would not leave a living creature
on the face of the earth."
Qur'an 35:45
61 In fact. all of the corruption on earth is a product of human misdeeds.
Allah states that in Chapter ar-Room (30):41. quoted later in this booklet.
l r r l
The Pur pose of Cr eat i on
, .
Consequently, both the trials of good and the tests of
evil benefit the believer. The lives of the true believers are
balanced between the extremes of human behavior. They
neither become so happy with
life's successes that they forget
God, nor do they become so depressed with life's difficulties
and failures that they lose hope in God. Instead, they
remember theirLord and Benefactor, and trust in His decisions.
Suhayb
ibn Sinaan related that the Messenger of Allah
(*)
said,
"The
affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his
life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer.
When good times come to him, he is thanffil and it is good
for
him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is
also godfor him.'$2 This is the state of one who has accepted
God's destiny. Consequently, belief in both the good
and the
apparent evil of what has been destined is the sixth pillar
of
faith in Islam.
On the other hand, i f the bel i evers experi ence a l i fe
devoid of any problems, it should be taken as a sign that
somethi ng i s wrong. Under such ci rcumstances, the true
believer must take time out and reflect on the realities of his or
her life. Either the tests are not obvious and they are unaware
of them or they have devi ated from the ri ght path.
Al l ah
informs the believers in Chapter at-Tawbah that the apparent
enjoyment which the disbelievers take from their great wealth
and chi l dren i s onl y a prel ude
to thei r puni shment.
t '
Sahi h Musl i m, vol . 4. p. 1541. no. 7138
Consequently, both the trials of good and the tests of
evil benefit the believer. The lives of the true believers are
balanced between the extremes of human behavior. They
neither become so happy with life's successes that they forget
God, nor do they become so depressed with life's difficulties
and failures that they lose hope in God. Instead, they
remember their Lord and Benefactor, and trust in His decisions.
~ u h a y b ibn Sinaan related that the Messenger of Allah ( ~ )
said, "The affair ofthe believer is amazing! The whole ofhis
life is beneficial, and that is only in the case ofthe believer.
When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good
for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is
also goodfor him.,,62 This is the state of one who has accepted
God's destiny. Consequently, belief in both the good and the
apparent evil of what has been destined is the sixth pillar of
faith in Islam.
On the other hand, if the believers experience a life
devoid of any problems, it should be taken as a sign that
something is wrong. Under such circumstances, the true
believer must take time out and reflect on the realities of his or
her life. Either the tests are not obvious and they are unaware
of them or they have deviated from the right path. Allah
informs the believers in Chapter at-Tawbah that the apparent
enjoyment which the disbelievers take from their great wealth
and children is only a prelude to their punishment.
62 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p. 1541. no. 7138.
r.......':L
_ fl
.,r-1
q
H.i
bf ii'r
+l.6lF!rJi;
Lil'rf
crh'ri r;l
{a#;?
F; il$i
4,n'y'rg!.,sr
"I)o
not be awed by their wealth or their children.
Allah only wishes to punish them with these things
in this life and allow their souls to die while they
are in a state of disbelief."
Qur' an
9:85
This is not to say that the believers should yearn for
problems and calamities in their lives, for Allah has taught
them to pray: "Our Lord, do not put on us a hurden like
what
you placed on those before us.'t'-t Instead, they should
thank Allah for whatever trials He has spared them. However,
in times of ease they must remain vigilant and not become
oblivious to tests, for success and happiness often blind
people to the trials of life.
Reminder
Tests sometimes serve as a punishing reminder to those
who have gone astray and an encouragement for them to
return to the correct path. When people deviate, they seldom
listen to the advice of those around them. However. when a
calamity strikes them or those near and dear to them, it
jolts
those who still have some faith into recognizing their effor.
{ai.|'|^iilrl,rlt
,-,r;;it
ill
;rlr
,-,rjiir
;1
6r
Soorah al -Baqarah(2):286
.
("+! * *!-: J J (WT Y J

"Do not be awed by their wealth or their children.
Allah only wishes to punish them with these things
in this life and allow their souls to die while they
are in a state of disbelief."
Qur'an 9:85
This is not to say that the believers should yearn for
problems and calamities in their lives, for Allah has taught
them to pray: "Our Lord, do not put on us a burden like
what you placed on those before US.,,63 Instead, they should
thank Allah for whatever trials He has spared them. However,
in times of ease they must remain vigilant and not become
oblivious to tests, for success and happiness often blind
people to the trials of life.
Reminder
Tests sometimes serve as a punishing reminder to those
who have gone astray and an encouragement for them to
return to the correct path. When people deviate, they seldom
listen to the advice of those around them. However, when a
calamity strikes them or those near and dear to them, it jolts
those who still have some faith into recognizing their error.
6J Soorah aJ-Baqarah (2):286.
's164
will make them
taste a lesser punishment
before the greater
punishment
that perhaps
they
may return
[to
the right pathl."
Qur' an
32: 21
The test of calamities
which remind humankind
of their
deviation
may come in the form of man's inhumanity
to his
fel l ow man, as i n the case of the unspeakabl e
atroci ti es
unleashed
bythe serbs against the Bosnian
Muslims who
had
strayed far away from Islam, or saddam's
brutal
invasion
of Kuwait and America's
subsequent
indiscriminate
bombing
of ci vi l i an targets i n Iraq. Al l ah poi nts
out that whatever
humans
suffer at the hands of other humans,
they
brought
upon themsel ves.
However, the sufferi ng
i s a remi nder
to
return to the path
of righteousness.
'&-a+J.-rr
1r
sr:il#';"
FJ';
..r'
-,;
i*lj,
;gl
lt+'t-il$
ir,rt
+rnt ,-i*.
6'Corrufiion
has appeared
on the land and in the
sea because of what man's hands have earned,
in
order that
[Allahf
may make
them taste a part
of
what they have done,
and in order
that thev mav
return
[to
the ri ght path]."
Qur ' an
30: 41
64 *1t r; r. r' i n
t he ori gi nal
Arabi c i s t he maj est i c' we. ' ref erri ng
t o God.
"1
64
will make them taste a lesser punishment
before the greater punishment that perhaps they
may return [to the right path]."
Qur'an 32:21
The test of calamities which remind humankind of their
deviation may come in the form of man's inhumanity to his
fellow man, as in the case of the unspeakable atrocities
unleashed by the Serbs against the Bosnian Muslims who had
strayed far away from Islam, or Saddam' s brutal invasion
of Kuwait and America's subsequent indiscriminate bombing
of civilian targets in Iraq. Allah points out that whatever
humans suffer at the hands of other humans, they brought
upon themselves. However, the suffering is a reJ!linder to
return to the path of righteousness .
.} :..u L....JI\ I'll . ;UI ':.i:.}
fr
, -.- . - .i_c. .is, -.. -
P.r..
"Corruption has appeared on the land and in the
sea because of what man's hands have earned, in
order that [Allah] may make them taste a part of
what they have done, and in order that they may
return Ito the right path]."
Qur'an 30:41
64 "We" in the original Arabic is the majestic we.' referring to God.
The Purpose of Creatian
Hypocrisy
Calamities also expose those who falsely claim faith, as
well as show those who disbelieve that they choose hell by
their own free will. There have been many cases of
people
converting to Islam for the wrong reasons, and after finding
more difficulties in their lives than prior
to their conversion,
they revert to their former beliefs. God states in Chapter al-
'Ankaboor
ti st ri;lt-r p; t;i
jii
uiirr'ioi,"or
L.-;(l
{c*,i63r
inrffilij*c*.
br
';.ju1r1g5
neit,
"Do
people imagine that they will be left alone
and not tested with aflliction because they say,
'We
believe'? Indeed, t't have tested those before
you. Allah will know those who are truthful and
those who lie."
Qw' an
29:2
Punishnent
Those who transgress the limits set by God
expose
themselves to punishment in this life and the next. ThFoughout
the
Qur'an,
Allah describes numerous past
nations who rejected
divine guidance and were subsequently destroyed. These
stories serve as warnings to humanity of the consequences
of rebellion against the commandments of God. In Chapter
an-Noor, Allah gives a general warning as follows:
55
"yy.r'
in the original Arabic is the majestic
'we,'
referring to Cod-
Hypocrisy
Calamities also expose those who falsely claim faith, as
well as stmw those who disbelieve that they choose hell by
their own free will. There have been many cases of people
converting to Islam for the wrong reasons, and after finding
more difficulties in their livesthan prior to their conversion,
they revert to their former beliefs. God states in Chapter al-
'Ankaboot of the final revelation:
j..AJ ij ij;;
i)J.:p :;.iA;ij
"Do people imagine that they will be left alone
and not tested with affliction because they say,

'We believe'? Indeed, 1 have tested before
you. Allah will know those who are truthful and
those who lie."
Qur'an 29:2
Punishptent
Those who transgress the limits set by God expose
themselves to punishment in this life and the next. Throughout
the Qur'an, Allah describes numerous past nations who rejected
divine guidance and were subsequently destroyed. These
stories serve as warniJlgs to humanity of the consequences
of rebellion against the commandments of God. In Chapter
an-Noor, Allah gives a general warning as follows:
65 "We" in the original Arabic is the majestic 'we,' referring to God.
l / - -
I r l t I
fn" nrp"t" rI?r""t*"
U
'oAo;;ifr
,qii1
1ii
-';rl;
53Lt
those who contradict his commtnd beware a
trial or a ltevere punishment."
Qur'an
24:63
The punishment
may come in a variety of different ways.
Perhaps the most obvious punishment
afflicting humankind
in all counffies today is the disease AIDS,66 which
appeared
for the first time in medical history in the beginning
of the
'80's.6?
The vast majority of those who
are affected by it
around the
globe
are the promiscuous.
Initially homosexuals
were the main victims, then bisexuals, followed
by promiscuous
heterosexuals and intravenous drug users. All ofthese groups
were in open rebellion against the divine laws that restrict
sexual relations to males and females within
the bounds of
marriage and those laws that prohibit
the use of intoxicants.
Some may point out that AIDS was also spread to chaste
i ndi vi dual s through bl ood transfusi ons and to chi l dren by
thei r parents. However,
medi cal stati sti cs show that such
cases are relatively few in comparison to the other categories.
In any case, Allah has warned
in Chapter al-Anfaal of the
tr
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS)
is a condition transmined
by a virus which anacks ttre body's systm of defence agains disease. leaving
the sufferer extremely vulnerable
to disease and likely to die eventually fiom
any one that he or she catches. (Chambers
Pocket Dictionary, p t9
)
6?
It tras first identified in 1981.(The New Encvclopaedia Britannica,
vof . 10, p. 676. )
., , , . t, :: ,.'. " !.., t, . t, . , " : i,
"e ._,41 J lJ Of .:r iJ.":!'J) _
"
"Let those who contradict his command beware a
trial or a severe punishment."
Qur'an 24:63
The punishment may come in a variety of different ways.
Perhaps the most obvious punishment afflicting humankind
in all countries today is the disease AIDS,66 which appeared
for the first time in medical history in the beginning of the
'80'S.67 The vast majority of those who are affected by it
around the globe are the promiscuous. Initially homosexuals
were the main victims, then bisexuals, followed by promiscuous
heterosexuals and intravenous drug users. All ofthese groups
were in open rebellion against the divine laws that restrict
sexual relations to males and females within the bounds of
marriage and those laws that prohibit the use of intoxicants.
Some may point out that AIDS was also spread to chaste
individuals through blood transfusions and to children by
their parents. However, medical statistics show that such
cases are relatively few in comparison to the other categories.
In any case, Allah has warned in Chapter al-Anfaal of the
66 Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition transmitted
by a virus which attacks the body's system of defence against disease. leaving
the sufferer extremely vulnerable to disease and likely to die eventually trom
anyone that he or she catches. (Chambers Pocket Dictionary, p. 19.)
67 It was first identified in 1981. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,
vol. 10, p. 676.)
fn, nrprt" tf Cr"tt*"
U
final revelation
that when His punishment
comes it is not
limited to the evil, but affects the society as a whole.
lnr
lf
\r-,[bt zbv'Jq.\r{ib
,y-$r
i#
T
i4 i-,ii'r}
{+qlr
fu+s
"Beware
of a trial which will not afflidt only the
sinful among you, and know that Allah is severe
in punishment."
Qur' an
8:25
One thousand four hundred years
ago hophet Muhammad
(*) prophesied
the coming of such a trial. Ibn
'Umar
quoted
him as saying, "Fl4tenever promiscuity
is openly practiced
among a people,
a plagae
and ang;uish will spread among
them whichwas unknown
to their predecessors."ut
Ho*ever,
AIDS is only one in a series of diseases. Before AIDS, a
warning
came in the form of another disease called herpes,
which became widespread
among the sexually promiscuous
beginning in the 1960s and
'70s.
It was
declared an epidemic
in America in the mid-seventies, and there is no known cure
for it until today. People's attention switched from it by the
end of the
'70s
because it was not fatal,6e while AIDS was.
6t
coflected by Ibn Maajah and authenticated in
gafueefisunan
lbn Maajah,
vol . 2. p.
370, no. 3246.
tt
when symptoms occur, fever and malaise are followed by burning pain in
the genital
area and enlargement of ttre lymph nodes in the groin.
Blisters and
small ulcers are usually found in the area of infection. and there is severe
pain
and burning upon urination. (?"he
New Encyclopaedia Britannica,
vol . 21, p. 536. )
final revelation that when His punishment comes it is not
limited to the evil, but affects the society as a whole.
i.,i1IJ}

"Beware of a trial which will not amict only the
sinful among you, and know that Allah is severe
in punishment."
Qur'an 8:25
One thousand four hundred years ago Prophet Muhammad
prophesied the coming of such a trial. Ibn 'Vmar quoted
him as saying,"Whenever promiscuity is openly practiced
among a people, a plague and anguish will spread among
them which was unknown to their predecessors.,,68 However,
AIDS is only in a series of diseases. Before AIDS, a
warning came in the form of another disease called herpes,
which became widespread among the sexually promiscuous
beginning in the 1960s and '70s. It was declared an epidemic
in America in the mid-seventies, and there is no known cure
for it until today. People's attention switched from it by the
end of the '70s because it was not fatal,69 while AIDS was.
" Collected by Ibn and authenticated in s.ab.eeb. Sunan Ibn Maajah,
vol. 2, p. 370, no. 3246.
69 When symptoms occur, fever and malaise are followed by burning pain in
the genital area and enlargement of the lymph nodes in the groin. Blisters and
small ulcers are usually found in the area of infection. and there is severe
pain and burning upon urination. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,
vol. 21. p. 536.)
\ilhy Did God Create the
World?
fTtHE
PURPOSE, RELATIVE
TO HUMANKIND. l'OR which
I
'the
world and its contents were created is specifically
I
defined in the final revelation. Allah says in Chapters
Ibraaheerr and al-An' aam:#
CF.J
rt
"I.-Jt
cr
Jtit
; sltl
r]l;Lr-lt
6lt
.riJr
drr|
oy!
.,r.Jr ,/
g;ts cllilr
F
,*,
ts
u;, c;rr.:lt
gr t
Jutg-;Tr
r*.Jrl r..l'Jr
F
-pS. .ltgr1r
F
r*:
{rreJ' ;
#' #J
"Allah
is the one Who created the heevens and the
earth and sent down rain from the sky and with it
brought out fruit for
your provision. He has
put
ships in
your service, sailing through the sea by His
command;
and likewise He has
put the rivers in
your servi ce.
He has al so
put the sun and moon
i n
their orbits to be of senice
to you; and He made
the night and day in your setryice."
Qur'an
14:32-33
eJ-J' i
ut,-.r
-j rrl .p;Jr,
u(,.pl r
]ql 3l ' r)t
du)
..#
ra r;-ua:l
f3z"Jl F
jtt
giiit
rrr
'n'lrlt
-iiFt ./-$i
{O-r"t--
pyJ
.:u-lt Ll-4, .ri
,r,Jt, ,Jt
+t Ib
Why Did God Create the World?
T
HE PURPOSE, RELATIVE TO HUMANKIND, FOR which
-the world and its contents were created is specifically
defined in the final revelation. Allah says in Chapters
Ibraaheem and a/-An 'aam:#
iJ' JJi
J
.i1}
0...... 4 J \ij) 4.!

j.:J\
"Allah is the one Who created the heavens and the
earth and sent down rain from the sky and with it
brought out fruit for your provision. He has put
ships in your service, sailing through the sea by His
command; and likewise He has put the rivers in
your service. He has also put the sun and moon in
their orbits to be of service to you; and He made
the night and day in your service."
Qur'an 14:32-33
\,;4-'- JIj}
I$jJ\ Jib) jtjAl\;..J.Aj
W,.aj J,j
"[It
is Hel who causes the daybreak,
made the night
for rcst, and the sun and moon for calcu}rting
[timel.
That is the determination
of the Al-Mighty,
the
All-Knowing.
It is He who has made the stsns for
your guidance
in the darkness on land and at sea.
I hsve explained in detail these signs for people
who ktrow.tt
Qur'an
6:96-7
The contents of this world were created for the service
of humankind. whether they are products
of man's invention,
like ships, or they are nature itself, all have been granted
by
God for the benefit of human beings. However,
such gifts
are
not without
responsibility. Humans are required
to recognize
Allah's bounties
and mercies and give
thanks to Him and
gloriff
him. For example, He taught the believers in Chapter
az-zukhrufto pray
as follows whenever they ride an animal
or vehi cl e:
{.-L/,
F+JL-dl
t5l
F-l
i*rj lJJSii
d
o-l-f+li
isle
t1..rdj}
s-JI
-U!,f
-f.r.
dJ 15
[r1 ljl
Ul
,r.-
.g;jJr
rtUr=
.
,
I j1ol
{o11;;*l
r{,
"For
you to mount the backs
[of
animalsl then
remember your Lord's blessing,
saying: Glory be
to He who made this subseruient
to us, and we
could not have done so ouruelves. And indeed
our
return is to our Lord."
Qur' an
43: l 3
"[It is He] who causes the daybreak, made the night
for rest, and the sun and moon for calculating [time].
That is the determination of the All-Mighty, the
All-Knowing. It is He who has made the stars for
your guidance in the darkness on land and at sea.
I have explained in detail these signs for people
who know."
Qur'an 6:96-7
The contents of this world were created for the service
of humankind. Whether they are products of man's invention,
like ships, or they are nature itself, all have been granted by
God for the benefit ofkuman beings. However, such gifts are
not without responsibility. Humans are required to recognize
Allah's bounties and mercies and give thanks to Him and
glorify him. For example, He taught the believers in Chapter
az-Zukhrufto pray as follows whenever they ride an animal
or vehicle:
IJ.?.lJ 0JJf1' ..P
U1J .y LoS" lotJ l,la l;l : IijiJJ

"For you to mount the backs [of animals] then
remember your Lord's blessing, saying: Glory be
to He who made this subsenrient to us, and we
could not have done so ourselves. And indeed our
return is to our Lord."
Qur'an 43: 13
Human
beings also carry the responsibility
to
govern the
creation
according
to the laws of God.
This is man's
purpose
relative
to the rest of cteation.
They are commanded
to utilize
the contentsofthisworld
according
to the laws of God.
Aboo
sa'eed
al-Khudree
quoted Allah's
Messenger
(#E) as saying'
,,The
world is beautiful and
green, and Allalr-be
Heexalted
-has
made
you governors over it to see
how you will act."10
Human beings
are not free to do
with the world as they
please.
Consequently,
the negative
attitude of secular
materialist
society towards
nature is contrary to divine
revelation.
Materialist
society
regards nature as an enemy
to be
conquered.
It is not enough
to appreciate
the bbauty
of mount
Everest,
instead,
lives have to be lost every
year in conquering
it by climbing
to its summit.
It is not sufficient
to maruel
at the
exoti c
ani mal s
of the worl d, i nstead,
duri ng the safari s of
the
past century, many
of these ani mal s
were l runted i nto
exti ncti on
to
provi de trophi es
for
Western l i vi ng rooms'
Although
safaris
have
now been stopped,
the reduced
numbers
of animals
like the rhinoceros
continue to be threatened
with
extinction
duetothe
imporfance
of their horns as an ingredient
for Far Eastern
tradi ti onal
medi ci nes
and aphrodi si acs'
Animals
Accordi ng
to the
fi nal revel ati on,
ki l l i ng ani mal s
for
sport
is forbidden
and sinful in the sight
of God. Ibn
'Abbaas
' o
Sohi h
Musl i m,
vol . 4. p' 1a32. no. 6606.
Human beings also carry the responsibility to govern the
creation according to the laws of God. This is man's purpose
relative to the. rest of creation. They are commanded to utilize
the contents ofthis world according to the laws of God. Aboo
Sa"eed al-Khudree quoted Allah's Messenger as saying,
HThe world is beautiful and green. and Allah-be He exalted
-has made you governors over it to see howyou will act. ,,70
Human beings are not free to do with the world as they please.
Consequently, the negative attitude of secular materialist
society towards nature is contrary to divine revelation.
Materialist society regards nature as an enemy to be
conquered. It is not enough to appreciate the beauty of mount
Everest, instead, lives have to be lost every year in conquering
it by climbingto its summit. It is not to marvel at the
exotic animals of the world, instead, during the safaris of
the past century, many of these animals were hunted into
extinction to provide trophies for Western living rooms.
Although safaris have now been stopped, the reduced numbers
of animals like the rhinoceros continue to be threatened with
extinction due to the importance of their horns as an ingredient
for Far Eastern traditional medicines and aphrodisiacs.
Animals
According to the final revelation, killing animals for
sport is forbidden and sinful in the sight of God. Ibn "Abbaas
70 Sahih Muslim. vol. 4, p. \432, no. 6606.
-:,z1
The
.Purpose
of Creatiln
.
reported the MessengerofAllah
(49)
as saying, "Do
not take as
a tqrget any livingthing."Tr Taking the life of any living animal
is prohibited unless it is for food, for protection
of human life,
or for clothing. Killing for fun and enjoyment is fundamentally
evil. And, even when the life of a human is taken for crimes
against society, or the life of an animal is taken for food, it
mrist be done aS
painlessly as possible.
Shaddaad ibn Aws
recounted two things which he remembered the Messenger
of Allah
(*)
saying,"Surely Allah has enjoined goodnessfor
everything; sowhenlnu execule someone, do so in a god wry
and when you slaughter an animal, do so in a god wuy. Let
every one of
you
shrpen his lorife wtd all.ow the slaughtered
animal to die comfortablv."lT Although some
'animal
lovers'
in Western countries have opposed the Islamic method of
slaughtering animals, the Westepr alternative of stunning the
animals by electric shock or crushing blows to the head are
far more painful to the animals. When the neck is cut by an
extremely sharp knife, the animal does not feel it and quickly
loses consciousness as the heart pumps its blood out of the
carotid arteries.
"
Sohi h Musl i m, vol . 3. p. 1079. no. 4813.
Hishaam ibn Zayd rcported that when he and his,erandfather.'Anas ibn
Maalik. visited the home of
Hakam
ibn Ayyoob,
[they
saw] some people
using a hen as a target for their arrows. Anas related that Allah's Messenger
had forbidden the tying of animals
[as
targets]. Sahih Muslim, vol. 3.
p.
1078. no. 4182.
1'
Sohi h Musl i m, vol . 3, p. 1078. no.4810.
reported the Messenger ofAllah as saying, "Do not take as
a target any living thing. ,,71 Taking the life of any living animal
is prohibited unless it is for food, for protection of human life,
or for clothing. Killing for fun and enjoyment is fundamentally
evil. And, even when the life of a human is taken for crimes
against society, or the life of an animal is taken for food, it
must be done as painlessly as possible. Shaddaad ibn Aws
recounted two things which he remembered the Messenger
of Allah saying, "'Surely Allah has enjoinedgoodness for
everything; so whenyou execute someone. do so in a good way
and when you slaughter an animal, do so in a good way. Let
every one of you sharpen his /entre ami al{ow the slaughtered
animal to die AIthough some animal lovers'
in Western countries have opposed the Islamic method of
slaughtering animals, the Western alternative of stunning the
animals by electric shock or crushing blows to the head are
far more painful to the animals. When the neck is cut by an
extremely sharp knife, the animal does not feel it and quickly
loses consciousness as the heart pumps its blood out of the
carotid arteries.
71 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p. 1079. no. 4813.
Hishaam ibn Zayd reponed that when he and his grandfather:Anas ibn
Maalik. visited the home ofHakam ibn Ayyoob. [they saw] some people
using a hen as a target fOT their arrows. Anas related that Allah's Messenger
had forbidden the tying of animals [as targets]. Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p.
1078. no. 4182.
7Z Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1078. no. 4810.
The Purpose of crearion
f
Cari ng for ani mal s
i s enshri ned i n the di vi ne l aw, even
in the case of dogs,
which are generally barred from Muslim
homes.tt Aboo Hurayrah
quoted the Prophet
(fr)
as saying,
"A
man became
lhirsty while walking, so he climbed down
a well and drankfrom
it. On coming out he sclw a thirsty dog
panting and eating mud. The man said
[to
himseffi,
'This
animal
is as thirsty as I wss.' So he climbed down the well
and
filled
his shoe with water.
He then held his shoe between
his teeth, climbed
out and gave lhe dog water. AIIah thanked
him andforgave
him
[and
put him in paradisr|-"'o The people
asked,
"O
Messenger
of Al l ah! Do we get a reward
for
serving
animals?" He replied,"ln
[the
service ofl every living
heing there is a reward."75 Aboo Hurayrah also narrated that
Al l ah' s
Messenger
(H) sai d,
"Al l ahforgave
aprosti tute
[among
the IsraelitesJ16
who tied her shoe to her scarf and
dra,v
out some water
[fro*
a wellJ
for
a dog that-s^he saw dying
of thirst. Because of that, Allahforgave
her-"" Conversely,
73
Musl i ms are di scouraged from keepi ng
dogs as
pets. However,
guard
dogs. sheep dogs and hunti ng dogs are
permi ned. Ibn
' Umar
quoted Al l ah' s
Messe nger
(*) as saying,'"
lvhoever keeps a dog
for
other than v'atching
the herd or hunting,
wi[l lose the weight of two mountdins
front
his
[scale
of
goodJ deeds dai t y' ^
(Sahi h Musl i m'
vol . 3- p. 826. no 38l 5' )
' n
Sohi hAl -Bukhari ,
vol . l .
p. 120. no. 174.
,t
Sohi h
Al -Bttkhari .
vol . 3, pp. 322-3.
no. 551. and Sahi h l vfusl i nt.
vol . 4.
pp. l 2l 5- 6. no. 5577.
' "
Snl ri h Al -Bukhari ,
vol . 4. pp. 448-9- no. 673.
, ,
Sohi h
Al -Bukhari ,
vot . 4. pp. 338-9. no. 538. and Sahi h l vl usl i m.
vol .
4 . p . 1 2 1 6 . n o . 5 5 7 9
The Purpo... e of Creation
Caring for animals is enshrined in the divine law, even
in the case of dogs, which are generally barred from Muslim
homes.
73
Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Prophet ( ~ ) as saying,
"A man became thirsty while walking, so he climbed down
a well and drankfrom it. On coming out he saw a thirsty dog
panting and eating mud. The man said [to himselfl, 'This
animal is as thirsty as I was. ' So he climbed down the well
andfilled his shoe with water. He then held his shoe between
his teeth, climbed out and gave the dog water. Allah thanked
him andforgave him [andput him in paradisej.,,74 The people
asked, "0 Messenger of Allah! Do we get a reward for
serving animals?" He replied, "In [the service oj) every living
being there is a reward. ,,75 Aboo Hurayrah also narrated that
Allah's Messenger ( ~ ) said, "Allahforgave a prostitute
[among the Israelites/6 who tied her shoe to her scarfand
drew out some water [from a well]for a dog that she saw dying
of thirst. Because ofthat, Allah forgave her."77 Conversely,
73 Muslims are discouraged from keeping dogs as pets. However, guard
dogs, sheep dogs and hunting dogs are permitted. Ibn' Umar quoted Allah's
Messenger ( ~ ) as saying, '., Whoever keeps a dog for other than watching
the herd or hunting, will lose the weight oftwo mountains from his [scale
ofgood] deeds daily.' (Sahih Muslim. vol. 3. p. 826, no, 3815.)
74 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1. p. 120. no, 174.
75 Sahih Al-Bukhan', vol. 3, pp. 322-3. no, 551. and Sahih Muslim. vol. 4.
pp. 1215-6. no. 5577.
76 Sahih A/-Bukhari. vol. 4. pp. 448-9. no. 673.
77 Sahih A/-Bukhari. vol. 4. pp. 338-9. no, 538. and Sahih Muslim. vol.
4. p. 1216. no. 5579,
lT4 |
rn" nrpgts
yf Cr:ttW
_
harmi ng ani mal s i s a maj or
si n accordi ng to Isl ami c l aw.
'Abdullaah
ibn
'Umar
related that the Messenger of Allah
said,
o'A
womwt was ptmished
and placed
in helt because of
a cat which she imprisoned until il died. She neither gave it
food
nor water, nor did she set itfree to eatfrom the rodents
of the earth."18
There are circumstances where it is necessary to inflict
pain
on animals, such as hitting animals to get
them to move
and branding them for identification.
However, even in these
situations, God gave instructions
to protect
them. Jaabir
reported that the Prophet (#)
prohibited
striking animals in
theirfaces or branding them on theirfaces.le
Vegetation
Humankind's responsibility
of looking after this world
does not stop at serving animals. The vegetable kingdom is
also highly regarded in divine law. So much so, that Muslims
engaged in war are forbidden to destroy fruit trees,to and even
the
planting
of trees is considered
an act of charity. Jaabir
quoted Allah's Messenger (#)
as saying, "Any Muslim who
plants a tree gains
the reward of giving
in charity. What is
eaten
from
il is chmity, wlmt is stolenfrom it, wlnt the animals
"
Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4,
p.
456. no. 689. and Saftift Muslim, vol. 4. p.
1215. no. 5573.
1e
Sahi h Musl i m. vol . 3. p t 163. no. 5281.
to
Muwatta Imam Malik p. 200, no. 958. and authenticated by al-Albaanee
i n l rwaa' al -Ghal eel , vol . 5.
p.
l 3-4. no. I190.
harming animals is a major sin according to Islamic law.
'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar related that the Messenger of Allah
said, "A woman was punished andplaced in hell because of
a cat which she imprisoned until it died She neither gave it
food nor water, nor did she set itfree to eatfrom the rodents
ofthe earth."78
There are circumstances where it is necessary to inflict
pain on animals, such as hitting animals to get them to move
and branding them for identification. However, even in these
situations, God gave instructions to protect them. Jaabir
reported that the Prophet (j:$) prohibited striking animals in
theirfaces or branding them on theirfaces. 79
Vegetation
Humankind's responsibility of looking after this world
does not stop at serving animals. The vegetable kingdom is
also highly regarded in divine law. So much so, that Muslims
engaged in war are forbidden to destroy fruit trees,80 and even
the planting of trees is considered an act of charity. Jaabir
quoted Allah's Messenger ( ~ ) as saying, "Any Muslim who
plants a tree gains the reward ofgiving in charity. What is
eaten from it is charity, what is stolenfrom it, what the animals
78 Sahih A/-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 456. no. 689. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p.
1215. no. 5573.
79 Sahih Muslim. vol. 3, p. 1163, no. 5281.
80 Muwatta Imam Malik, p. 200, no. 958. and authenticated byal-Albaanee
in Irwaa' al-Ghaleel, vol. 5. p. 13-4. no. 1190.
The Putpose of Creatlon
fl
eat frd wlnt the birds eat, is all charity. Anyone or anything
tlnt takesfrom it earnsfor the planter the reward of
[giving
,nJ clrorty.'*l Islamencouragesttrat no effort should be spared
in planting, even if it becomes the last thing that the believer
can do in this life. Anas related that the Prophet (48)
said, "ff
'the
fsigts
ofl ttrc beginning of the Day of Resurrection appesr
and one of
you has a seedling
in his hand, he should plant
it ,f he is able to do so before the resurre.ction begins."82
Consequently, human beings have a responsibility to look
after all aspects ofthe environment in which they were created
as a sacred duty to God. This requires an active opposition
to the massive
pollution and destruction of natural habitats
caused by today's materialistic, consumer societies the world
over. According to revel4tion, negligence of this duty is
considered a sin while fulfillment of it is an act of worship.
"
Sahi h Musl i m, vol . 3, p. 818, no. 3764.
12
Col l ect ed byA[ mad i nal -Musnad.
vol . 3. pp. 183, 184 and l 9l , and
al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 479. and authenticated by al-
Albaanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth
ag-$afteeftah. vol. l, p. I l. no. 9.
The Purpose o[Creation
eat and what the birds eat, is all charity. Anyone or anything
that takes from it earns for the planter the reward of[giving
in] charity. ,,8] Islamencourages that no effort should be spared
in planting, even if it becomes the last thing that the believer
can do in this life. Anas related that the Prophet ( ~ ) said, "If
-the [signs oj} the beginning ofthe Day ofResurrection appear
and one ofyou has a seedling in his hand, he shouldplant
it if he is' able to do so before the resurrection begins. ,,82
Consequently, human beings have a responsibility to look
after all aspects ofthe environment in which they were created
as a sacred duty to God. This requires an active opposition
to the massive pollution and destruction of natural habitats
caused by today's materialistic, consumer societies the world
over. According to revela.tion, negligence of this duty is
considered a sin while fulfillment of it is an act of worship.
II Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 818, no. 3764.
11 Collected by Ahmad in al-Musnad. vol. 3. pp. 183, ]84 and 191, and
al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad. no. 479. and authenticated by al-
Albaanee in Silsilah al-A!J.aadeeth a.-s.a!1ee!J.ah. vol. I, p. ] 1, no. 9.
Conclusion
ITHOUT KNOWLEDGE
oF THE PURPOSE
oF cTeation,
human beings wander
aimlessly
through life, like
ships at sea without
rudders. Their goals
are either
wrong
due to incorrect religious
teachings,
or materialistic
and thus confined to this world.
It is, therefore,
essential for
their own well-being
that they know whyGod
created them.
Fundamentally;
Allah created in order to manifest His
attributes. consequently,
creation is the consequence
of His
being the
creator, paradise
manifests His Mercy and Grace,
hell His Justice, humankind's
errors His Forgiveness,
living
and non-living beings His
Generosity, etc. The significance
of knowingthatcreation
is a means by which
Allah manifests
His atfibutes isthathuman
beings can then correctly recognize
God and accept
His decree and their destiny. However, it is
of
eJen greater
importance thht h-uman belngs
know the p.urpose
for which they were created. The finalRevelation
tbachesthat
it is to worship
God because humankind
must worship
Him in
order to attain righteousness
and the spiritual
stafus necessary
to enter paradise.
The
significance of this knowledge is that
human beings understand that worship is as much a necessity
as eating and breathing
and that it is not a favor they are doing
for God.
It is alsoessential
that human beings grasp
the importance
of this world's
bounties and trials. Without knowledge
of the
purpose
behind their creation, humans tend to look at this
The ofCreation
Conclusion
W
ITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE PURPOSE OF creation,
human beings wander aimlessly through life, like
ships at sea without rudders. Their goals are either
wrong due to incorrect religious teachings, or materialistic
and confined to this world. It is, therefore, essential for
their own well-being that they know whyGod created them.
AJIah created in order to manifest His
attributes. Consequently, creation is the consequence of His
being the Creator, paradise manifests His Mercy and Grace,
hell His Justice, humankind's errors His Forgiveness, living
and non-living beings His Generosity, etc. The significance
of knowing that creation is mean,s by which Allah manifests
His attributes is that human beings can then correctly recognize
God and accept His decree and their destiny. However, it is of
greater importance that hpman beings know the p'urpose
for which they were created. The final Revelation teaches that
it is to worship God because humankind must worship Him in
order to attain righteousness and the spiritual status necessary
to enter paradise. The significance of this knowledge is that
human beings understand that worship is as much a necessity
as eating and breathing and that it is not a favor they are doing
for God.
It is also essential that human beings grasp the importance
of this world's bounties and trials. Without knowledge of the
purpose behind their creation, humans tend to look at this
world as being hostile to them. However, God created it
primarily for their benefit. The tests of
good and evil are
designed to bring out the higher spiritual
qualities of the
human being. However, humans are not able to benefit from
the tests unless they put complete trust in God and have
patience in what He has destined for them. For those
who
reject God, the trials of this world become a
punishment for
them in this life prior to the eternal
punishment in the next
world.
Knowledge of the purpose of the world also makes the
bel iever environmentally conscious. Humankind is respons ible
to utilize the bounties of this life
justly.
The creatures of the
earth and seas, the vegetation and the atmosphere have been
put in his care. Consequently, humans should take great care
to preserve the environment and the living creatures within
i t as a means of
gi vi ng thanks to God.
Wi th such a comprehensi ve consci ousness of
purpose,
human bei ngs become
whol e. They are transformed i nto
gui des for humanki nd, showi ng the
way to ri ghteousness.
Consequentl y, Al l ah descri bes them as the best of manki nd
in the final revelation:
JF-e
rJ.f-sf
si.l.f*lr+ Jytb;UJ r-;ri
i.i
,.-
ft.5l
{aU
uril
f,*tt
"You
are the best
peopl e chosen for manki nd
because
you command
righteousness' forbid evil
and believe in Allah."
Qur' an
3: I l 0
world as being hostile to them. However, God created it
primarily for their benefit. The tests of good and evil are
designed to bring out the higher spiritual qualities of the
human being. However, humans are not able to benefit from
the tests unless they put complete trust in God and have
patience in what He has destined for them. For those who
reject God, the trials of this world become a punishment for
them in this life prior to the eternal punishment in the next
world.
Knowledge of the purpose of the world also makes the
believer environmentally conscious. Humankind is responsible
to utilize the bounties of this life justly. The creatures of the
earth and seas, the vegetation and the atmosphere have been
put in his care. Consequently, humans should take great care
to preserve the environment and the living creatures within
it as a means of giving thanks to God.
With such a comprehensive consciousness of purpose,
human beings become whole. They are transformed into
guides for humankind, showing the way to righteousness.
Consequently, Allah describes them as the best of mankind
in the final revelation:
IJJt---iJ J IJJr
G
...r
WJ
4..i ;?"-

"You are the best people chosen for mankind
because you command righteousness, forbid evil
and believe in Allah."
QUf'an 3: 110
l-?s I
fA nrprt"
"f
Cr"tt*"
_t
Index
of Hadeeths
*
[Allah
createdJ mercywith
one htmdred parts....,'
I
g
*AIIah
forgave
a prostitute
[among
the IsraelitesJ
7j
who tied her shoe..."
*Allah,
the Almighty, has said: O son of Adam, as Zz
long as you
call on Me..."
"A man became
thirsty while walking,
so he 73
climbed down a well and drankfrom
it...."
"Any
Muslim who plants
a tree gains the reward 74
of
giving
in charity."
"A woman was punished
and placed
in hell 74
because of a cat."
"Be aware that if the whole
of mankind gathered
17
together...
"
"Do not take as a target any living thing."
72
"Don't you
htow that Allah created paradise
and lg
hel l ..."
Index of Hadeeths
"[Allah created} mercy with one hundredparts...." 18
"Allah forgave a prostitute [among the Israelites} 73
who tied her shoe... "
"Allah, the Almighty, has said: 0 son ofAdam, ds 22
long as you call on Me: .. "
"A man became thirsty while walking, so he 73
climbed down a well and drankfrom it...."
"Any Muslim who plants a tree gains the reward 74
ofgiving in charity. "
"A woman was punished and placed in hell 74
because ofa cat. "
"Be aware that ifthe whole ofmankindgathered 17
together... "
"Do not take as a target any living thing. " 72
"Don't you know that Allah createdparadise and 19
hell... "
l r a t
I t l r r
The hrpose of Creati?n
.
.
"He who innovates something in this matter of 38
ows that is not of it will have it rejected."
"He who loves
for
Allah and hates
for
Allah...
"
43
*If
Allahloves a seruant He informs angel Gabriel 45
that He loves So-and-so..."
"If o man had a valley of gold, he would desire 52
another...."
"If the
[signs
ofl the beginning of the Day of 75
Resurrection appear..."
"If you
ask in
proyer,
ask only Allah..."
"If
you
did not commit sins and turn to Allah l8
seeking His
forgiveness...
"
"Look to those less
fortunate
than you, and do not 54
look to those above vou..."
"O
Allah, thanla is due to You,
for
it is You who 37
has clothed me with it.
"
"O people of
Quraysh,
secure deliverance
from
48
Al l ah...
"
46
"He who innovates something in this matter of 38
ours that is not ofit will have it rejected. "
"He who loves for Allah and hates for Allah... .. 43
"IfAllah loves a servant He informs angel Gabriel 45
that He loves So-and-so... "
"If a man had a valley ofgold, he would desire 52
another...."
"If the {signs ofl the beginning of the Day of 75
Resurrection appear... ,-
"Ifyou ask in prayer, ask only Allah. .. " 46
"If you did not commit sins and turn to Allah 18
seeking His forgiveness... "
"Look to those less fortunate than you, and do not 54
look to those above you... "
"0 Allah, thanks is due to You,jor it is You who 37
has clothed me with it. "
"0 people of Quraysh, secure deliverance from 48
Allah. .. "
"...prohibited striking
animals in their
faces
or 74
branding them in theirfaces."
"Retlect
on the creation
of Allah but do not reflect
Zs
on Allah."
"Satsn will come to everyone of you
and ask: Who 25
created this and that?*
"Supplication is worship."
46
"Surely
Allah has enjoined goodness
-fo,
72
everything..."
"The
afair of the believer is amazing..."
63
"The prophets, Ihen those most like them and those 56
rnost
like them..."
"The world is beautiful
and green,
and AIIah has 7l
made you governors
over it..."
"To give Allah a partner even though
He created 39
v1rt."
"Try
your
best to do right..."
23
"...prohibited striking animals in their faces or 74
branding them in theirfaces. "
"Reflect on the creation ofAllah but do not reflect 25
on Allah."
"Satan will come to everyone ofyou and ask: Who 25
created this and that?"
"Supplication is worship. " 46
"Surely Allah has enjoined goodness for 72
everything. ., "
"The affair ofthe believer is amazing. .. " 63
"The prophets, then those most like them and those 56
most like them... "
"The world is beautiful and green, andAllah has 71
made you governors over it... "
"To give Allah a partner even though He created 39
you. "
"Try your best to do right... " 23
'Wealth
is not
[measuredJ
in property,
but in 55
contentment."
"Wen AIIah created the universe. He made an l8
ob ligation on Himself..."
When Allah created Adam, He took from him a 27
covenant at a place
called Na'maan...
"Wltenever promiscuity is openly prflcticed
among 68
a people, a plague
and anguish will spread among
them..."
"Pfhoever po.ese^rses
fthe followingJ
three 43
characteristics has tasted the sweetness offaitlt...
"
"Wealth is not [measured] in property, but in 55
contentment. "
"When Allah created the universe, He made an 18
obligation on Himself.. "
When Allah created Adam, He took from him a 27
covenant at a place called Na'maan...
"Whenever promiscuity is openly practiced among 68
a people, a plague and anguish will spread among
them..."
"Whoever possesses [the following] three 43
characteristics has tastedthe sweetness offaith. .. "
Index of
Qur'anic
Verses
"Abraham
was neither a Jew nor a 3:67 35
Christitn...tt
"Allah
created all things and He is the 39:62 16
agent...tt
"Allah
does not burden a soul beyond 2:286 59
its capacity."
"Allah
has favored some of youover 16:71 5l
others in sustenance.tt
"Allah
is the one lVho created the 14:32-3 69
heavens and the earth..."
*And
Alleh created you
all and whatever 37:96 16
you
do.tt
"And
if Allah were to punish people
for 35:45 62
what they earned...tt
*And
in their wealth the beggars and 5l : 19 53
needy...tt
The Purpose 0/Creation
Index of Qur'anic Verses
"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a 3:67 35
Christian..."
"Allah created all things and He is the 39:62 16
agent..."
"Allah does not burden a soul beyond 2:286 59
its capacity."
"Allah has favored some of you over 16: 7] 51
others in sustenance."
"Allah is the one Who created the 14:32-3 69
heavens and the earth.."
"And Allah created you all and whatever 37:96 16
you do."
"And if Allah were to punish people for 35:45 62
what they earned."
"And in their wealth the beggars and 51:19 53
needy.."
l ^ - h
I qJ T The Purpose of Creation
rrr
"And
they denied
[the
signsf wrongfully 27:14 4l
and arrogantly..."
"And
whoeverdesires a religion besides 3:85 36
Islam will not...tt
"And
your Lord does not oppress 18:49 58
anyone.tt
"Beware
of a trial which will not afflict 8:25 68
only the sinful.,."
6tBut
if they were returned..." 6: 28 2l
"Corruption
has appeared on the land 30:41 65
and in the sea...tt
"Do
not be awed by their wealth or 9:85 64
their children ..."
"I)o
not kill
youruelves, for surely Allah 4:29 59
is merciful,.."
"Do
not wish for that by which Allah 4:32 54
has favored some...tt
"And they denied [the signs) wrongfully 27: 14 41
and arrogantly..."
"And whoever desires a religion besides 3:85 36
Islam will not..."
"And your Lord does not oppress 18:49 58
anyone."
"Beware of a trial which will not afflict 8:25 68
only the sinful..."
"But if they were returned..." 6:28 21
"Corruption has appeared on the land 30:41 65
and in the sea..."
"Do not be awed by their wealth or 9:85 64
their children ..."
"Do not kill yourselves, for surely Allah 4:29 59
is merciful..."
"Do not wish for that by which Allah 4:32 54
has favored some..."
r-1-
fnt Prrp"tt ,f Cr""ttm
Ld
"Do
people
imagine that they will be 29:2 66
left alone...t'
"For
surely with everT difficulty comes 94:5-6
59
[a
period o{l ease..."
"For
you to mount the backs
[of
43: l 3 i 0
animalsl then remember.,."
"Gl ori fy
the prai ses
of your
Lord."
I l 0:3 Zt
"Have
you
seen the one who takes his 25:43 42
desires as his god?"
"He
cannot be questioned
as to what He ZI.23 25
does...tt
"He
rai sed
some of youovrot hersi n
6: t GS 52
rank...tt
"If
onl y you
coul d see
[the
ti mel when 3Z:l Z Z0
the si nners wi l l bow..."
o' ff
you
real l y l ove Al l ah, fol l ow me..." 3:31 Zz
"If
you try to count Al l ah' s bl essi ngs..." l 4:i 4 43
"Do people imagine that they will be 29:2 66
left alone..."
"For surely with every difficulty comes 94:5-6 59
[a period of] ease..."
"For you to mount the backs [of 43: 13 70
animals] then remember..."
"Glorify the praises of your Lord." 110:3 28
"Have you seen the one who takes his 25:43 42
desires as his god?"
"He cannot be questioned as to what He 21 :23 25
does..."
"He raised some of you over others in 6: 165 52
rank..."
"If only you could see [the time] when 32: 12 20
the sinners will bow..."
"If you really love Allah, follow me..." 3:31 22
"If you try to count Allah's blessings..." 14:34 43
*' I
di d not create the
j i nn
and the
5l :56 27
humankind
except..."
' sl ndeed,
i t i s i n the remembrance
of 13:28 56
Al l ah..."
"Indeed,
the creation of the heavens
and 40:57 l3
the earth is greater..."
"It
is He who causes the daybreak,
made 6:96-7 70
the night..."
"[It
is Hel who created
death and life to 67.2 49
test whi ch..."
"f
wi l l make them taste a l esser
i Z:Zl 65
puni shment
before..."
"Know
that your
weal th and chi l dren
8:28 Sz
are a test.tt
"Let
those who contradict his command 24:63 67
beware...tt
"No
cal ami ty stri kes except by Al l ah' s
64:l I 17
permission.tt
"I did not create the jinn and the 51 :56 27
humankind except..."
"Indeed, it is in the remembrance of 13 :28 56
Allah..."
"Indeed, the creation of the heavens and 40: 57 13
the earth is greater..."
"It is He who causes the daybreak, made 6:96-7 70
the night..."
"[It is He] who created death and life to 67:2 49
test which..."
"I will make them taste a lesser 32:21 65
punishment before..."
"Know that your wealth and children 8:28 52
are a test."
"Let those who contradict his command 24:63 67
beware..."
"No calamity strikes except by Allah's 64: 11 17
permission."
The Purpose
of Creation
"O
believers! Do not allow your wealth 63:9 Sz
and children,.,"
"O
believers, do not destroy your
acts 2:264 54
of charity..."
"O
bel i evers!
Remember Al l ah
often." 33:41 32
"O
bel i evers,
seek hel p i n pati nce
and 2:153 6l
prayer.tt
"O
you
who believe!
Fasting has been 2:l 83
jz
prescribed
for you..."
"Perhaps
you may dislike something
2:216 58
good
for you,.,"
"Sat an
got t he bet t erof t hem
and caused 5B: 19 33
t hem. . .
t t
"Satan' s
pl an
i s to i nci te enmi ty and 5:91 33-34
hatred among you...t'
"Say:
I seek refuge in the Lord of the I 13: I
-2
I 6
dawn. t t
"0 believers! Do not allow your wealth 63:9 52
and children..."
"0 believers, do not destroy your acts 2:264 54
of charity..."
"0 believers! Remember Allah often." 33:41 32
"0 believers, seek help in patience and 2: 153 61
prayer."
"0 you who believe! Fasting has been 2: 183 32
prescribed for you..."
"Perhaps you may dislike something 2:2 I6 58
good for you..."
"Satan got tbe better oftbem and caused 58: 19 33
them... "
"Satan's plan is to incite enmity and 5:91 33-34
hatred among you..."
"Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the ] 13: 1-2 16
dawn."
"Sry
[O
Mu!amma'd]:
'f
have no power
7: I 88
to bring good..."
"Say:
' Surel y
my prayer, my sacri fi ce, 6:162
my l i vi ng...'
"
"...so
announce gl ad
ti di ngs
[of
2:155-6
paradisel
to those..."
"Surel y
Al l ah' s rel i gi on i s Isl am."
3: l 9
"Surely
Allah will not forgive
the 4:48
worship of others..."
"Surely
I have created all that is on l8:7
earth as its ornaments..."
47
36
62
35
40
49
"Surel y
onl y a di sbel i evi ng peopl e
1287
60
despai r..."
"Surel y,
those who bel i eve and do 98:6
righteous
deeds..."
"Surely
those who believed, emigrated 2:218
and stroYe...tt
39
6t
"Say [0 M u ! ! a m m a ~ ] : 'I have no power 7: 188 47
to bring good..."
"Say: 'Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, 6: 162 36
my living... ' "
" ...so announce glad tidings [of 2: 155-6 62
paradise] to those..."
"Surely Allah's religion is Islam." 3: 19 35
"Surely Allah will not forgive the 4:48 40
worship of others..."
"Surely 1 have created all that is on 18: 7 49
earth as its ornaments..."
"Surely only a disbelieving people 12: 87 60
despair..."
"Surely, those who believe and do 98:6 39
righteous deeds..."
"Surely those who believed, emigrated 2:218 61
and strove..."
The Purpose of Creatiotr
' oSurel y,
t hose whom you
cal l on i n
j : l g4
46
prayer..."
"Take
chari ty from thei r weal th
to 9:103 53
puri fy them..."
"That
He may puni sh
the hypocri tes,
48:6 60
men and women...t'
' oThe
deci si on rests onl y wi th AIIah. I 12:67 57
put my trust..."
"There
are among men t hose who 2: 165 42
worshi p
others..."
"There
i s not hi ng l i ke Hi m and He i s 4T: l l 15
hearer and seer of all.tt
"The
seven heavens and the earth
and 17:44
Zg
whatever is in them glorify
Him..."
"They
wi l l onl y encompass
of Hi s 2:255 24
knowledge what He wishes."
"Surely, those whom you call on in 7: 194 46
prayer... "
"Take charity from their wealth to 9: 103 53
purify them... "
"That He may punish the hypocrites, 48:6 60
men and women..."
"The decision rests only with Allah. I 12:67 57
put my trust..."
"There are among men those who 2: 165 42
worship others..."
"There is nothing like Him and He is 42: 11 15
hearer and seer of all."
"The seven heavens and the earth and 17:44 29
whatever is in them glorify Him..."
"They will only encompass of His 2:255 24
knowledge what He wishes."
"Those
who, havi ng done somethi ng 3:135 34
shameful.,.tt
"Veri l yr
I am Al l ah, there i s no god 20:14 32
beside Me, so worship Me...'l
"\lVarn
your nearest relatives." 26:214 48
"Whatever
befalls
vou
is a result ofwhat 42:30 62
your hands. . . "
"When
My servant s ask you
[ O
2: 186 45
Mul ammadl about Me..."
"When
your Lord extracted from the 7:172-3 26
l oi ns of Adam' s..."
"Whoever
bri ngs a good deed, shal l 6: 160 23
have ten l i ke i t..."
"'Whoever
trusts in Allah will find Him 65:3 57
sufficient."
"You
are the best peopl e chosen
fi or
3: I l 0 77
manki nd,.."
"Those who, having done something 3: 135 34
shamefuL.."
"Verily, I am Allah, there is no god 20:14 32
beside Me, so worship Me...':
"Warn your nearest relatives." 26: 214 48
"Whatever befalls you is a result ofwhat 42:30 62
your hands..."
"When My servants ask you (0 2: 186 45
Muhammad] about Me... "
"When your Lord extracted from the 7: 172-3 26
loins of Adam's... "
"Whoever brings a good deed, shall 6: 160 23
have ten like it..."
"Whoever trusts in Allah will find Him 65:3 57
sufficient."
"You are the best people chosen fur 3: 110 77
mankind.. ~ "
t
eof fnt P"rp:tr
rf Crtt!*"
_
Bibliography
Albaanee, Naasirud-Deen
al-, Irwaa' al-Ghaleel
Beirut:
al-
Maktab
al-Islamee, lst ed.. 1979.
$afteeh
Sunan Abee Daawood, Beirut: al-Maktab
al -Isl amee,
l st ed., I988. Daowood
,
Safteeh Sunan at-Tirmigfiee,
Riyadh: Arab Bureau
of Educati on for the Gul f States, I st ed.. l 9gg.
,
gafueeh
Sunan lbn Maajaft, Beirut:
al-Maktab
al-
Isl amee,
3rd ed., 1988.
,
Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth a;-gafoeehah,
vol. l, Beirut:
al -Maktab
al -l sl amee, 4th ed., 1985.
,
Silsilah al-Afuaadeeth as_-$afoeefiah,
vol. 4, Riyadh:
Maktabah al -Ma' aari f,
4th ed., l 9gg.
Chambers Pocket Dictionary, Edinburgh:
W & R Chambers,
1992.
Hasan, Ahmad, Sunan Abu Dawud
fEnglish],
Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad
Ashraf Publ i shers, I st ed.. l gB4.
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Naasirud-Deen al-, Irwaa J al-Ghaleel, Beirut: al-
Maktab al-Islamee, 1st ed., 1979.
-----------, Sunan Abee Daawood, Beirut: al-Maktab
al-Islamee, 1st ed., 1988. Daawood
-----------, Sab.eeb. Sunan at-Tirmithee, Riyadh: Arab Bureau
of Education for the Gulf States, 1st ed., 1988.
-----------, Sab.eeb. Sunan Ibn Maajah, Beirut: al-Maktab al-
Islamee, 3rd ed., 1988.
-----------, Silsilah al-Ab.aadeeth vol. 1, Beirut:
aJ-Maktab al-IsJamee, 4th ed., J985.
-----------, Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth vol. 4, Riyadh:
Maktabah al-Ma'aarif, 4th ed., 1988.
Chambers Pocket Dictionary, Edinburgh: W & R Chambers,
1992.
Hasan, Ahmad, Sunan Abu Dawud [English], Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, 1st ed., 1984.
Khan, Muhammad Muhsin, Sahih Al Bukhari,
[Arabic-
Englishl, Riyadh: Maktabah ar-Riyaad al-Hadeethah,
1981 .
Rahimuddin, Muhammad, Muwatta Imam Malik
[English],
Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf. 1980.
Reese, W.L.. Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, lrlew
Jersey: Humani ti es Press. 1980.
Robson, James, Mishkat Al-Masabih,I-ahore: Sh. Muhammad
Ashraf, 1981 .
Si ddi q. Abdul Hami d. Sahi h Musl i m
fEngl i sh],
Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publ i shers. 1987.
The Living \I/ebster Encyclopedic Dictionary, Chicago: The
English Language Institute of America, 1975.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago: Encyclopaedia
Br i t anni ca. l 5t h ed. . 1991.
The World Book Encyclopediq, Chicago: World Book, 1987.
Khan, Muhammad Muhsin, Sahih Al Bukhari. [Arabic-
English], Riyadh: Maktabah ar-Riyaad al-Hadeethah,
1981.
Rahimuddin, Muhammad, Muwatta Imam Malik [English],
Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1980.
Reese, W.L., Dictionary ofPhilosophy and Religion. New
Jersey: Humanities Press. 1980.
Robson, James, Mishkat AI-Masabih, Lahore: Sh. Muhammad
Ashraf, 1981.
Siddiq. Abdul Hamid. Sahih Muslim [English], Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publishers. 1987.
The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, Chicago: The
English Language Institute of America, 1975.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 15th ed., 1991.
The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, 1987,.
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only their descendants. Will you then destroy us

are also shirk. Even Christians who shun saint worship

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