Every single day we look at the world around and find the life thriving. But we hardly think who has created this life and provided the means and resources to let it thrive. Who has created us, the human beings? And who has created the universe and all that is within it? Are they all running on their own? Or, is there some power that has created all this and is running and sustaining them.
An atheist would say they are running on their own. But the question is: If things are running on their own, why do we witness decay and destruction, degeneration and annihilation of things? Had they come into being and are running on their own, they should have continued to go on for ever – with no decay and no destruction in sight. But this does not happen. This proves that there must be some power who has created us as well as the universe. And this power is universally known as God.
In His Last Revealed Book, the Qur’ān, God tells us repeatedly how munificently He created us. The Qur’ān (4:1) says: “Mankind, fear your Lord, who has created you from a single soul, and from it created
its mate, and from the two of them spread abroad so many men and women.” Here God enjoins people to fear their Lord, and informs them that it is He Who alone created the first man and populated the world. The purport of this divine assertion is clear and simple, that people may turn to their Lord.
When we reflect on the universe and the system that governs it, we will come to the conclusion that, by all arguments, it is the work of the Lord Creator Who has devised its elaborate system. It is impossible for man to perceive that something comes into existence out of nothing. It is God, the Most Wise, Who creates, originates and brings things into existence.
Thus we see that creation is the foremost quality of Godhead. Then the question is why has God created man and what does He want him to do? God says He has created man to worship Him alone. The Qur’ān (2:21) directly addresses man and enjoins him to worship Him alone. “Mankind, worship your Lord Who has created you and those who lived before you, so that you may become God-fearing.”
God alone is the Creator, and He alone must be worshipped. Man’s worship of God fulfils a definite purpose – to make him God-fearing. It is through worship of God that he can attain the honourable status of believing in, and fearing none other than God. And in attaining this honourable status alone lies the ultimate success for man.