Why does god want us to worship him

We were talking about what you learned from your teacher in Damascus over more than a couple of decades, I think 26 years. You were privy to a lot of information that was passed on from generations in his family that deeply studied the Quran.

What an incredibly learned man he was. The various texts you learned, and the study of our relationship with God and this life and of course, the Hereafter. I find it fascinating that the verse that we’re discussing at the moment about Allah telling us that He created us only so that we can worship Him, requires so much deep thought:

“I only created Jin and Men so that they worship Me”

Read full details below, transcribed. Therefore the wording often appears as it is spoken by our hosts. Please, listen to above podcast for full value.

Table of Contents

And so we’re breaking the verse down into three categories. The first one is creation. And then the next one is jinn and man. And the third one is the idea of worship. We’ve talked about creation and how we first and foremost, accept that. That God is perfection, and God has created everything in his perfect Wisdom.

And therefore when we are told to worship Him, we continue to explore what that means, and how it’s meant to be played out in this life. That there is perfection even in the good, bad, and ugly.

Allah created jinn and mankind to worship him

Who is judged out of all of creation?

There’s a hierarchy of creation from the lowest to the highest.

So now we need to understand correctly, the two categories of beings that are judged at the end. The jinns and humans, the verses in the Quran are very explicit.

• So are we held accountable for our choices?
• What is it in us, that qualifies us to be able to do this full time worshipping of God?

If we were created only to worship Him then there must be a tremendous definition of the word worship, in order for us to be partaking in it on a on a full time basis.

Many people would look at the verse that says God created us just so we can worship Him, and would assume that He just get pleasure from us bowing down to Him, right?

Yeah, that could be someone’s very ill advised knee jerk reaction I understand.

But what we notice also is that the person who is accusing God of being narcissistic has exactly the same narcissism that they are projecting. The point of this discussion is to encourage the development of ourselves through this concept, and the importance of being detached through objectivity.

A lot of people are uncomfortable trying to explore the idea of jinn because it freaks them out. They don’t want to talk about it. And so, it inevitably always comes back to just them focusing on human beings. But being freaked out doesn’t make it right to ignore it.

Our Creator is specifically pointing to the two categories – jinn and men. We cannot really address that God’s message if we are to ignore any parts of it.

Now, we first need to focus our thoughts on the Creator Himself, and His creation. He is unique. His creation is multiple and varied. And there’s a hierarchy of the lowest to the highest. From thinking creatures to non thinking creatures, and from creatures that are judged to creatures that are not judged.

• So can we define this as a hierarchy or is it not?
• Okay, and who’s at the top of this hierarchy?

Humans have a tendency to think that everything was made for them, right? So they think they’re at the top. There’s really nothing in the Quran that is really saying that, okay, so let’s suspend the question.

Allah created jinn and man as thinking beings who face judgment

Yet they can do anything they want, because they are thinking beings.

The jinn and the humans are in the category of thinking creatures that face judgment. Because they’re able to think their way through life. This is the will of Allah. That we were given thinking capabilities and therefore we will be questioned on those thinking capabilities.

Why would God say in this verse, that “I’ve only created men and jinn to worship Me”, when in fact, all of creation is worshiping God. It is because we are the only two of the thinking creation, so we have a choice.

And often times, people will take the choice not to worship God?

Correct?

Is that where the test lies?

So the fact is that everything is worshiping the Creator. You can read this everywhere in the Quran.

For example, Surah 17 verse 44. We have the seven heavens and the earth and all that is in it praises Him. And there is not a thing that does not proclaim His praise. And I can go on and on. So there is a mystery really of the possibility for these two categories to make choices, that goes against the will of Allah, knowingly or unknowingly. And to face a judgement.

So we’re the only two, jinn and humans, who are in the category of thinking beings. So these two categories can do anything they want because they’re able to think. Whereas the other creation don’t have a choice. They’re not necessarily thinking beings. The point is reflect, to elevate ourselves, to know how much potential devastation of our own selves we possess. It requires clarity of understanding, starting with this verse.

What is worship? Why is having a choice dangerous?

Most find it difficult to understand what worship is.

So us having a choice can be dangerous for us. Because though we are only meant to worship God, something else could be done by us too, because we can do as we think. Which gives which gives the devil an entry point, and we know he is looking to find those openings. He will take them.

The core difficulty is in understanding the concept of worshipping. We have a very poor idea of what worship is in our minds. Absolutely, because many are thinking, this is constant prayer. They think, I’m gonna be in a state of constant prayer all the time just worshiping and beseeching my Lord. It’s like the uninformed approach to this beautiful religion, Islam.

It’s very hard for us to understand that we have a relationship with the Divine Creator, that is a personal relationship. It’s a relationship of the heart.

This kind of relationship did not exist, for example, for the Romans, the Greeks, and other civilisations. What they had is an auto revering of what was working on their focused area. You live in Athena. Athena is the goddess. So you need to pay respect to Athena and to practice the rituals. You worship Athena, because this day you need to do that and you have very little in your house, so you worship that thing.

So basically, whatever is in your heart, whatever you believe in, you practice the current ritual. That’s what it was reduced to. So if I’m Muslim, worshipping means I will obey five angles of Islam. Therefore, I will do my salah, Hajj, fasting, etc. I will follow the rituals and this is my worshipping.

What is true worship? – The concept of the heart connection is in the 5 pillars

Everybody worships something.

But where is the most important concept, it’s there in these 5 pillars, but why don’t they grasp it?

It’s the concept of the heart connection. That is what is in that form, that what you say is ritualistic worshipping. Yet that’s what we are not to do, is to make it so ritualistic that we are completely devoid of a heart connection.

So it’s not following your practice only. Clearly, aspects of the verse have escaped us.

Okay.

Firstly, understand what we are told to do is directly by the words of Allah. There is no doubt in these verses of the Quran.

• So the question you must answer to yourself is, is your worship of other than Allah?
• Is your life limited, worshipping other than the Creator?

Because then you are so limited. What a thing to do to yourself.

And everybody worships something. Just be sure you worship only God, before any other thing that you worship destroys you.

And it will.

Which means you don’t give yourself any level of security when you worship anything other than God. It’s best that you don’t give that level of divinity to anything, if you knew what was best for you. And on a day to day basis we see people that are desperate for something, whether it’s a material thing, or a relationship, or anything.

Yet are completely not mindful of where their heart should remain – with God, who provides everything. Whilst we’re in the pursuit of gaining in this world, which is not a crime or sin, we should certainly be attaining success of every kind in this life, but always be mindful of where your heart connection is. It must remain with Allah.

Called to worship – Ascribing divinity

You’re focal point on anything to the point that you think your life cannot exist without it.

Because what is Divinity?

When we say La ilaha illallah, there is no divine, meaning there is no god, except Allah. Allah is God. What do we mean when we say there’s no ILA, we mean there’s no divinity. And you will learn from the Quran, that divinity, God, is anything on which you count for your life. You think that without the support of this thing, you can’t live well.

It can even be things like you worshipping your health to such a point, without attributing your hope for good health to Allah. Similarly, it can be money, right? It can be fame, it can be someone that you just can’t forget about.

And so on.

All these, it must be understood, are from Allah, and belong to only Allah. Including yourself, whether you know it or know, believe it or not, you ONLY belong to Allah.

You’re focal point on anything to the point that you think your life cannot exist without it. This has become your ILA, your god. Be very careful, that is dangerous and you will get hurt when you make anything but God your god.

But, for example, if one doesn’t have their health, then they think they have nothing and they feel like they’re just losing grip on life.

Realize that your health is coming from Allah, your Creator. So pass the worry of health through your connection with God, who can give you all that. Exactly, so do what it takes to be healthy and be proactive in all the prevention and healing possibilities available to you, but never forget that health is not your God. Yeah, okay. It can be taken away or it can be put back for no reason.

By the way, a lot of people often do everything right and they can get ill. It’s all from Him. Others do nothing and they are cured. Without apparent reason. It is all part of an order. He has everything under control. Trust only God, whether it’s good or bad.

Everything you are given, good health, spouse, family, home, car, etc – it’s a blessing. Yes. And He can take it and He can give it. Everything you have is a gift. And there was absolutely no power in your life, no strength, without Him, okay? Because everything again is under His control, be mindful of that and just do as God says, it is best for you.

So instead of focusing on, I must get more money for example, or I must, attain my next goal, job, or whatever success. All that becomes such an obsession for all of us. Your point is, that it becomes a point of worship, rather than us keeping our focus on the most important thing, God.

Only worshipping Him can get us to great places. He is the master of all of these things. So He controls all of these things for us. Yes, in our lives, And again, striving with excellence in all aspects of your life, your job, your family, your health, etc is what Allah is pleased with. Right, so we must commit to excellence in everything, it’s a part of our worship of God.

Why did god create us to worship him – The fruits of our excellence

Don’t just follow the wind.

Now if the fruits of our excellence in our effort is denied to us, we are not supposed to crumble, and to say, Oh, I did everything right, why. And one has a cancer for example. It is not your health, it belongs to God and is a gift from your Him. So we must put our trust in God in order for us to get through our trials of where we are.

We’re told in the Quran, that this life is a test and our solution to those tests is to hold on to the rope of God and to not let go. Hold on tight to God.

So be very careful.

People often take someone they idolize, someone that they really look up to, and they start following their instructions. They take their example rather than really understanding what God wants from them.

They’d rather see what the person wants from them, this is a terrible trap. Don’t do it. That’s how we find people get lost in life, because they’ve been focusing on the wrong track. Following others is not your track, following God is the only right track.

He did not create jinn and men so that they lose themselves and suffer humiliation and disgrace under the tyranny of the misleading ones. If you do this, you have proclaimed a so called divinity of them. Okay. So the point of life is not to be under the thumb of other beings is never good, so it is a great news that He only created us, so that we worship Him. Now we look at it as good news.

Whereas before we could have been very confused as to why God would even say that He created us to worship Him. Now it’s good news because then we’re not under the thumb of tyranny.

We’re not following the winds.

And we come to know quickly, that some trends and some popularities and whatnot aren’t for us, and we can take a pass on them.

Final thoughts – Worship Allah

In Surah Tawbah (9) verse 31, says, they have taken their spiritual leaders and their priests as Lord and the son of Mary. All of them, apart from Allah. And they were commanded to worship but One unique divinity and there is no divinity or deity except the One.

He is limitless glory.

Separate from anything you will ascribe a share of his divinity to.

Okay.

So this again addresses, this tendency to take other humans or even beings, as your idols. There’s another verse where it says, He will gather them all together to do just what We asked. The angels will be asked, was it you that they used to worship and the angels we answer, limitless are You in Your Glory. You are outwardly their Protector. Rather they were serving the jinn. Most of them believed in them. What a terrible loss to man if he worships anything but God.

Which is remarkable because in today’s world, you do see people doing all sorts of crazy things.

They are calling and invoking upon spirits and they’re invoking upon what they believe to be angels or what they believe to be dead people that were believed to be special when they were alive.

They don’t see they are only muddying the waters, and wasting their time, because in the end, we could go straight to the Lord of all of these things. They must know, He is also the Lord of all of these people, so they could just go directly to Him and invoke the only Lord, the One and Only God, for what it is that we’re asking for.