Reason for Creation of Mankind

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Mankind is the only being that has a perfect life. He thinks, works, chooses and has everything that is needed for perfection.

Therefore, there has been a defined purpose and plan for creation of such a being and if they are not recognized, man will go astray.

The Holy Quran is the book of life and the set of instructions for man to get to perfection and salvation. So it is necessary to seek answers to life’s fundamental questions in this book. One of the main questions that has always been raised for mankind is the reason for creation. It is a fundamental question as mankind has always sought to know why he has been created and what the purpose of life is.

Among the verses of the Quran that discuss the reason for creation of man and jinn is verse 56 of Surah Adh-Dhariyat: “I have not created mankind and jinn except to worship Me.”

This verse explicitly refers to worshiping God as the purpose of creation. It mentions worshiping as the sole purpose of creation of man and jinn. Worshiping means voicing submission and obeying God’s commands.

But is worshiping the ultimate goal of creation of mankind or a means to reach a greater goal?

Worshiping God is a means for man’s perfection and getting closer to God, Who is absolute perfection. According to verse 61 of Surah Yaseen “… and that you worship Me? Surely, that is the Straight Path.”.

So worshiping is not a goal in itself but it is a way that leads to a goal. Also, the way is one and that is worshiping God, which is the straight path.

Not that we know what the straight path is, why is it that some people refuse to worship God and have no willingness to do it? The main reason is man’s negligence about the purpose of his creation. Due to getting preoccupied with worldly pleasures, man sometimes forgets the main purpose and the main path and gets away from his true self. It is in such a situation that the spiritual dimension of life is weakened and man considers himself to be in no need of worshiping God.