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Purpose of the creation of human is considered one of the most fundamental and influential issues in human existence. Scholars suggest that this inquiry often stems from psychological motivations, such as life's hardships and tragedies, which compel the human mind to seek the Creator's rationale for existence. Conversely, this issue may also arise from a rational approach to the profound capacities inherent in human nature.

According to Islamic thinkers, questioning the purpose of God's actions—in the sense of a motive that God seeks to achieve—is meaningless, given the perfection of the Divine Essence. Nevertheless, all Divine acts are inherently purposeful and directed toward a specific end. According to Morteza Motahhari, comprehending the objectives humans must attain requires a study of human characteristics, with particular attention to verses and narrations.

The Qur'an and hadith literature delineate specific goals for human creation, some of which serve as preliminary steps toward higher objectives. Goals such as divine trial, retribution, knowledge, gnosis, and Divine worship are regarded as preparatory. These facilitate the attainment of ultimate ends, such as the station of servitude to God—a state of Divine proximity and the realization of the rank of the Vicegerency of Allah (Khalifat Allah). The pinnacle of this rank is possessed by the Perfect Man, exemplified, according to narrations like the Hadith of Lawlak, by the Prophet Muhammad (s) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Beyond theological and exegetical works, the philosophy of human creation has been the subject of independent monographs. Notable examples include Afarinesh wa Insan (Creation and Human) by Muhammad Taqi Ja'fari and Hadaf-i Zindagi (The Goal of Life) by Morteza Motahhari.

Introduction and Importance

The nature of the purpose behind human creation is a cornerstone of human inquiry, intricately linked to discussions regarding the goal of life and the objective of the Prophets' mission.[1] This inquiry is pivotal to anthropological studies; a valid response necessitates a correct understanding of human attributes.[2] It is asserted that the origins of this question trace back to the dawn of human thought.[3]

Motivations for Questioning the Purpose of Creation

Various motivations and factors are cited as the impetus for questioning the end of creation. Psychological factors contributing to this inquiry include physical and spiritual evolution, individual and social transformations, the loss of loved ones, contemplation of the hardships of worldly separation, failure to achieve life goals, and social adversities such as war, looting, and theft.[4]

It is argued that alongside these factors—which primarily stem from a limited perspective on natural and instinctual aspects—this question may also possess a logical and rational genesis. Consequently, through a transcendent perspective and reflection on their superior attributes, humans arrive at the question: what is the true end of their existence?[5]

Meaning of Creation Being Purposeful

The purpose of creation can be examined in two senses:

  1. The Creator's Goal: God, as the Creator, cannot harbor a goal in the sense of a motive, for this would imply a deficiency within Him; God is perfect and requires no perfection.[6] Consequently, Islamic philosophers maintain that God possesses no motive external to His Essence; His act of creation stems from His infinite perfections.[7] Nevertheless, from among all possible existences, God has selected the most perfect possible state,[8] fashioning creation in the form of the Best System (Nizam Ahsan).[9] Thus, if human existence is a necessity within this system, humans are created.[10]
  2. The Creature's Goal: Every Divine act moves toward perfection. This signifies the perfection of the act itself, not the perfection of the agent. Every creature is designed to attain its own specific perfection.[11]

Morteza Motahhari, a Shi'a scholar, elucidates these two meanings, concluding that understanding the purpose of human creation requires attention to human nature and latent potential. Humans are created to actualize their perfections. Accordingly, one must examine the characteristics attributed to humans in verses and narrations to explain the human objective.[12]

Wisdoms of Human Creation

The objectives of human creation are generally categorized into two types: preliminary goals and ultimate goals.[13] Based on Quranic verses, narrations, and rational arguments, the following wisdoms regarding human creation can be articulated:

Test

In Qur'an 67:2, the Holy Quran identifies the testing of humans as the rationale for the creation of death and life.[14] Allamah Tabataba'i, a prominent Shi'a exegete and philosopher, posits that the test is not the ultimate goal of human creation but serves as a means toward other ends, such as servitude and attaining the rank of the Perfect Man.[15] It is understood that the Divine test is not for God to acquire knowledge of human actions, but to facilitate human growth and transcendence.[16]

Recompense and Reward

Some Quranic verses, such as Qur'an 53:31, present recompense—humans facing the consequences of their actions—as a purpose of creation.[17] Recompense and reward are viewed as longitudinal goals, serving as preliminaries to the ultimate objectives.[18]

Knowledge and Gnosis

Attaining knowledge and gnosis (Ma'rifa) is considered another preliminary wisdom of human creation.[19] In Qur'an 65:12, the creation of the Seven Heavens and the earth is attributed to the purpose of human awareness regarding God's infinite power and boundless knowledge.[20] In a hadith, Imam al-Sadiq (a) relays a point from Imam al-Husayn (a)[21] stating that God created humans to acquire knowledge of Him.[22] In mystical literature, relying on the Hadith of Hidden Treasure (Kanz Makhfi), the end of human creation is identified as the knowledge of God, which fosters human growth and perfection.[23]

Worship and Servitude to God

Qur'an 51:56 designates the worship of God as the purpose for the creation of Jinn and humans.[24] Allamah Tabataba'i asserts that the essence of worship lies in the servant positioning themselves in a state of humility and servitude, thereby turning towards the station of their Lord. This aligns with interpretations equating worship with knowledge—specifically, the knowledge derived through worship.[25] Through this analysis, he maintains that worship, in the sense of performing acts of obedience, is a preliminary goal leading to the ultimate objective: servitude to God. In this state, the servant is detached from the self and all else, immersed solely in the remembrance of the Lord.[26]

Perfection and Divine Proximity

The culmination of worship and servitude is the attainment of Divine proximity (Qurb).[27] In his exegesis of Qur'an 53:42, Allamah Tabataba'i notes that the verse explicitly states that all things terminate in God, identifying the existential end of all creatures as reaching God and His proximity.[28] Rational analysis suggests that humans are beings not confined to this world, possessing life after death. Furthermore, they are infinitely perfection-seeking beings who, through free will and conscious choice, are capable of infinite growth. Therefore, the Wise God's purpose must be for humans to attain infinite perfection through voluntary action. Since God is the only infinite being, humans are created to achieve voluntary Divine proximity.[29]

Realization of Vicegerency of Allah and Perfect Man

Qur'an 2:30 declares the purpose of creating an earthly being like man is to establish him as the Caliph and Successor of God on earth.[30] According to the authors of Tafsir-i Namuna, the angels assumed that if the goal were worship and servitude, they—who are constantly immersed in worship—would be more deserving of the Caliphate. However, their worship, devoid of lust and anger, differs from human worship, which contends with desires and Satanic temptations. It is through these conflicts and characteristics that humans undergo testing and growth. The angels were unaware that from the lineage of Adam (a), prophets such as Muhammad (s), Abraham (a), Noah (a), Moses (a), and Jesus (a), along with the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and righteous servants, would emerge.[31]

File:Book Hadaf Zindagi Motahhari.jpg
The book Hadaf-i Zindagi (The Goal of Life) by Morteza Motahhari

According to Allamah Tabataba'i, the Perfect Man constitutes one of the goals of creation, a concept that does not contradict the existence of other objectives. However, since humans are the most perfect physical creatures, and assuming they grow in knowledge and action, they supersede other beings—including angels. Thus, it can be posited that all other beings were created to facilitate human perfection. Consequently, the most exemplary individuals of humanity, those who have fully actualized their existential capacities, represent the ultimate purpose of the creation of the heavens and the earth. The Hadith Qudsi of Lawlak alludes to this, stating that the goal of creation is the realization of the supreme human, corresponding to the existence of the Prophet (s) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a).[32]

Monographs

In addition to their treatment in theological and exegetical works, discussions on the philosophy of human creation have been the subject of dedicated monographs, including:

  • Afarinesh wa Insan (Creation and Human) by Muhammad Taqi Ja'fari (d. 1998), one of his earlier works, which elucidates human creation and its inherent purposefulness.[33]
  • Hadaf-i Zindagi (The Goal of Life), a compilation of speeches by Morteza Motahhari, covering topics regarding the end of human life and creation.[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Muṭahharī, Hadaf-i zindagī, 1402 Sh, pp. 9-10.
  2. ↑ Shujāʿī, Hadaf-i āfarīnish-i insān, 1397 Sh, p. 9.
  3. ↑ Naṣrī, Falsafa-yi āfarīnish, 1386 Sh, p. 5.
  4. ↑ Naṣrī, Falsafa-yi āfarīnish, 1386 Sh, pp. 40-45.
  5. ↑ Naṣrī, Falsafa-yi āfarīnish, 1386 Sh, pp. 45-48.
  6. ↑ Muṭahharī, Hadaf-i zindagī, 1402 Sh, p. 10; Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, pp. 41-42.
  7. ↑ Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī, al-Asfār, 1368 Sh, vol. 7, p. 106; Sabziwārī, Asrār al-ḥikam fī l-muftataḥ wa l-mukhtatam, 1383 Sh, p. 176.
  8. ↑ ʿUbūdiyyat and Miṣbāḥ, Khudā-shināsī, 1399 Sh, pp. 270-272.
  9. ↑ Ibn Sīnā, al-Mabdaʾ wa l-maʿād, 1363 Sh, p. 88; Ibn Sīnā and Ṭūsī, Sharḥ al-ishārāt wa l-tanbīhāt, 1403 AH, vol. 3, p. 318; Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī, al-Asfār al-arbaʿa, 1368 Sh, vol. 7, p. 57.
  10. ↑ Ilāhī Rād, Insān-shināsī, 1399 Sh, pp. 112-113.
  11. ↑ Muṭahharī, Hadaf-i zindagī, 1402 Sh, p. 10; Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, pp. 42-43.
  12. ↑ Muṭahharī, Hadaf-i zindagī, 1402 Sh, pp. 11-12.
  13. ↑ Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, p. 67.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 19, p. 349.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 10, pp. 151-152.
  16. ↑ Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, pp. 110-111.
  17. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 19, p. 42.
  18. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 10, pp. 151-152.
  19. ↑ Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, pp. 115-116.
  20. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 19, pp. 326-327.
  21. ↑ Shaykh Ṣadūq, ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, 1385 AH, vol. 1, p. 9.
  22. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 22, pp. 396-397.
  23. ↑ For example see: Ibn ʿArabī, Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, 1356 AH, vol. 2, p. 61, 303, 326; Āmulī, Jāmiʿ al-asrār, 1368 Sh, p. 164; Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī, Kasr al-aṣnām al-jāhiliyya, 1381 Sh, p. 179; Imam Khomeini, Ādāb al-ṣalāt, 1378 Sh, p. 288.
  24. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 18, p. 386.
  25. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 18, p. 388.
  26. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 18, p. 388.
  27. ↑ Ghaffārī Qumī, Falsafa-yi khilqat-i insān dar Qurʾān wa riwāyāt, 1395 Sh, p. 277.
  28. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 19, pp. 47-48.
  29. ↑ Ilāhī Rād, Insān-shināsī, 1399 Sh, pp. 114-115.
  30. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 114-115.
  31. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 174-175.
  32. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 1352 Sh, vol. 10, p. 152.
  33. ↑ Jaʿfarī, Āfarīnish wa insān, 1386 Sh, p. 9.
  34. ↑ Muṭahharī, Hadaf-i zindagī, 1402 Sh, p. 9.

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