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 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 which resulted
from the miraculous act of divine creation. Thus, in order to understand
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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 is unique to God alone. Although humans ascribe 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 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 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 that the
created world and its contents are all originally a part of God. That is,
according to them, God took a part of Himself and made the universe. This
conclusion is based on comparing God to man, who can only ‘create’ by modifying
what already exists. However, God denies any such comparisons which would give
Him human limitations. In the Quran, He states: “…There is nothing like Him and
He is hearer and seer of all.” (Quran 42:11)
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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 of verses throughout the final
revelation to emphasize to humankind that everything belongs to Him alone. “God
created all things and He is the agent on which all things depend.” (Quran
39:62) “And God created you all and whatever you do.” (Quran 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 charms and
amulets, astrology, palmistry, etc. Consequently, in the Quran, God informs
human beings to seek refuge in God from evil: “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord
of the dawn, from the evil of what He has created.” (Quran 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 turn to others besides God for help and protection. “No calamity
strikes except by God’s permission…” (Quran 64:11) The final prophet of God,
Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, further elaborated on
this concept, saying:
“Be aware that if the
whole of mankind gathered together to do something to help you, they would only
be able to do something for you which God had already written for you.
Likewise, if the
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whole of mankind
gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm
you which God had already written to happen to you.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
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 turn 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. 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, may the mercy and blessings of God be
upon him, informed his followers of this reality, saying: “If you did not
commit sins and turn to God, seeking His forgiveness, He would have replaced
you with another people who would sin, ask God’s forgiveness and He would
forgive them.” (Saheeh Muslim) Every one of the 114
Chapters of the final revelation, except one, begins with the prayer, “In the
name of God, the Beneficent the Most Merciful.” God’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 Him in sincere repentance. The Messenger, was quoted as saying:
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“When God created the
universe, He made an obligation on Himself [recorded] in a document kept by
Him: ‘My mercy supersedes my wrath.’” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) He was also reported to have said: “[God
created] mercy with one hundred parts, one of which was sent down upon the
jinn, human beings and other living beings. It is out of this one part that
they love each other, show kindness to each other and even the animals treat their
offspring with affection. God has reserved the remaining ninety-nine parts for
His true worshippers on the Day of Resurrection.” (Saheeh Muslim) Had God 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,
God 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. Aisha, wife of the Prophet Muhammad,
quoted him as saying: “Don’t you know that God created paradise and hell, and
He created inhabitants for each?” (Abu Dawood,
An-Nasai)
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If God had immediately
placed those headed for paradise in paradise, they would not question God’s
decision. Those in 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 of unfairness 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 done righteous deeds.
Consequently, God 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. And
they will accept His judgment as being just and beyond reproach. However, they
will still beg for another chance to do good in this world, as God says in the
Quran: “If only you could see [the 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.’”
(Quran 32:12) However, if God 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 the Quran: “But if they were
returned [to this world], they would certainly go back to what was forbidden to
them. Indeed they are liars.” (Quran 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. God states in the final
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revelation that He loves
those who do good (Quran 5:13), those who are just (Quran 5:42), those who are
pious (Quran 9:4), those who are patient (Quran 3:146), those who put their
trust in Him (Quran 3:159), those who frequently turn to Him in repentance and
those who purify themselves (Quran 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
the Quran, God instructed Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God
be upon him, to say the following to the believers: “If you really love God,
follow me and God will love you and forgive your sins…” (Quran 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 to 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
God’s Messenger, as saying: “God, the Almighty, has said: O son of Adam, as
long as you call on Me and ask of Me, I will forgive what you have done, and I
do not mind. O son of Adam, even if your sins reached the clouds and you asked
My forgiveness, I will forgive you. O son of Adam, if 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 of forgiveness.”
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Divine Grace
As for those in paradise,
they will not enter it solely based on their good deeds. It is the grace of God
which will ultimately carry them there. The final Prophet of God, said in this
regard: “Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none will enter paradise
only because of his deeds.” His companions said, “O Messenger of God! Not even
you?” He replied, “Not even I, unless God envelops me in His mercy and grace.
And bear in mind that the deed most loved by God is one done constantly, even
though it is small.” However, God’s grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both
correct faith and righteous deeds. In the Quran, God says: “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.”
(Quran 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 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 mercy and
forgiveness, His attribute of justice 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 God describes Himself
as being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable. Humans can only understand
what God chooses to reveal to them.
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“…They will only encompass of His
knowledge what He wishes…” (Quran 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 the
Quran, God addresses this point: “He cannot be questioned as to what He does,
while they will be questioned.” (Quran 25:23) In this regard Prophet Muhammad,
was reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas to have said: “Reflect on the creation of God but
do not reflect on God.” To reflect on the reality of God 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, 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 God’s Messenger,
said: “Satan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who created this and that? -
until he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should
seek refuge in God [say: I affirm my faith in God and His prophets] and avoid
[such thoughts].”
Source: islamhouse.com/
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