Authorship
Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Reviewing
Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Short Description
Discusses the question
of why Allah created, and why Allah created humans
Part Seven
Why Did God Create the World
The 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 al-An ‘aam’M
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“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
til_i'i UL~j- J-^' J*rj
^ S Ifc ^ J«r .,*-1*11 jij*J>
j frl» tU-J' ja Jji\j Jpfoj JijJ'
oyit ^ siilfll' J* 4j-
>—-j j—
{j^'j JJ'
“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
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^ S Ifc ^ J«r .,*-1*11 jij*J>
“[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 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 glorify him. For example, He taught the believers in Chapter az-Zukhruf to pray as follows whenever they ride an animal or vehicle
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“For you to mount the backs [of animals] then remember your Lord’s blessing, saying: Glory be to He who made this subservient to us, and we could not have done so ourselves. And indeed our return is to our Lord”
Qur’an 43:13
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 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 glorify him. For example, He taught the believers in Chapter az-Zukhruf to pray as follows whenever they ride an animal or vehicle
pqje-*\ \i\ iwu ^ fljJ*
j** ^ ^ '■J j**-*' j
L»j
“For you to mount the backs [of animals] then remember your Lord’s blessing, saying: Glory be to He who made this subservient 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 creation. They are commanded to utilize the contents of this world according to the laws of God. Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree quoted Allah’s Messenger (M) as saying,
“ The world is beautiful and green, and Allah—be He exalted —has made you governors over it to see how you will act” 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 climbing to its summit. It is not sufficient 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 reported the Messenger of Allah (M) as saying, “Do not take as a target any living thing.”1' 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 ($s) saying, “Surely Allah has enjoined goodness for everything; so when you execute someone, do so in a good way and when you slaughter an aninml, do so in a good way. Let every one of you sharpen his knife and allow the slaughtered animal to die comfortably.”11 Although some animal lovers’ in Western countries have opposed the Islamic method of slaughtering animals, the Westeni 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
70 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1432. no. 6606
71 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p. 1079. no. 4813
Hishaam ibn Zayd reported that when he and his grandfather*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
72 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1078. no. 4810
Hishaam ibn Zayd reported that when he and his grandfather*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
72 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1078. no. 4810
Caring for animals is enshrined in the divine law, even in the case of dogs, which are generally barred from Muslim homes.71 Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Prophet (M) as saying, “A man became thirsty while walking, so he climbed down a well and drank from it. On coming out he saw a thirsty dog panting and eating mud. The man said [to himself}, ‘This animal is as thirsty as I was. ’ So he climbed down the well and filled his shoe with water. He then held his shoe between his teeth, climbed out and gave the dog water. Allah thanked him cmd forgave him [andput him in paradise] ”1A The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Do we get a reward for serving animals?” He replied, “In [the service off every living being there is a reward”15 Aboo Hurayrah also narrated that Allah’s Messenger (H) said, “ Allah forgave a prostitute [among the Israelites]16 who tied her shoe to her scarf and drew out some water [from a well] for a dog that she saw dying of thirst. Because of that, Allah forgave her”11 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 of two mountains from his [scale of good] deeds daily." (Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p. 826, no. 3815.)
74 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 120. no. 174
75 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, pp. 322-3. no. 551. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. pp. 1215-6. no. 5577
76 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4. pp. 448-9. no. 673
77 Sahih Al-Bukhan, vol. 4. pp. 338-9. no. 538. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p. 1216. no. 5579
74 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 120. no. 174
75 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, pp. 322-3. no. 551. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. pp. 1215-6. no. 5577
76 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4. pp. 448-9. no. 673
77 Sahih Al-Bukhan, vol. 4. pp. 338-9. no. 538. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4. p. 1216. no. 5579
harming animals is a major sin according to Islamic law. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar related that the Messenger of Allah said, UA woman was punished and placed in hell because of a cat which she imprisoned until it died. She neither gave it food nor water, nor did she set it free to eat from the rodents of the 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 (^) prohibited striking animals in their faces or branding them on their faces19
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 (M) as saying, “Any Muslim who plants a tree gains the reward of giving in charity. What is eaten from it is charity, what is stolen from it, what the animals
eat and what the birds eat, is all charity. Anyone or anything that takes from it earns for the planter the reward of [giving inJ charity'*' Islam encourages 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 (M) said, “If the [signs of] the beginning of the Day of Resurrection appear and one of you has a seedling in his hand, he should plant it if he is able to do so before the resurrection begins Consequently, human- beings have a responsibility to look after all aspects of the 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 revelation, negligence of this duty is considered a sin while fulfillment of it is an act of worship
78 Sahih Al-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 by al-Albaanee in Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, vol. 5. p. 13-4. no. 1190
79 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1163, no. 5281
80 Muwatta Imam Malik, p. 200, no. 958. and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, vol. 5. p. 13-4. no. 1190
11 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 818, no. 3764
12 Collected by Ahmad in al-Musnad, vol. 3. pp. 183, 184 and 191, and al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 479, and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah. vol. 1, p. 11, no. 9
12 Collected by Ahmad in al-Musnad, vol. 3. pp. 183, 184 and 191, and al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 479, and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah. vol. 1, p. 11, no. 9
Conclusion
WITHOUT 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 thus confined to this world. It is, therefore, essential for their own well-being that they know why God 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 knowing that creation is a means 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 even greater importance that h.uman beings know the purpose 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 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
“You are the best people chosen for mankind because you command righteousness, forbid evil and believe in Allah.”
Qur’an 3:110
WITHOUT 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 thus confined to this world. It is, therefore, essential for their own well-being that they know why God 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 knowing that creation is a means 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 even greater importance that h.uman beings know the purpose 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 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
“You are the best people chosen for mankind because you command righteousness, forbid evil and believe in Allah.”
Qur’an 3:110
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