Purpose of creation of Human Beings

 

 

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

My Dear Readers,

ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)
  

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(See Note below)

Purpose of creation of Human Beings
 

Rāghib al‑Iṣfahānī states the Qur’anic “reasons/purposes” for the creation of the human being most explicitly in his ethical work:

Book: al‑Dharīʿah ilā Makārim al‑Sharīʿah (الذَّرِيعَةُ إِلَىٰ مَكَارِمِ الشَّرِيعَةِ), Chapter 1 (الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ: فِي أَحْوَالِ الْإِنْسَانِ ), subsection titled “مَا لِأَجْلِهِ أُوجِدَ الْإِنْسَانُ” (“What the human being was brought into existence for”).  
 

In the common printed edition referenced by later writers (Dār al‑Salām, 2007), it is around pp. 82–83. 

What he says the human being was created for (summary)

In that subsection, al‑Iṣfahānī argues that every created thing has a defining purpose/function, and then he says the distinct human function is “three things” (الْفِعْلُ الْمُخْتَصُّ بِالْإِنْسَانِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْيَاءَ). 

1) ʿImārat al‑Arḍ — Building/cultivating the earth (عِمَارَةُ الْأَرْضِ)

• He anchors this in the verse “He produced you from the earth and settled you in it / made you cultivate it” (Qur’an 11:61, wa‑staʿmarakum fīhā). 

• He glosses it as securing and sustaining livelihood—not just for oneself but also for others (i.e., constructive life‑building and benefit). 

In plain terms: Humans are meant to responsibly develop life on earth—work that supports society, not فَسَادٌ/ruin.

2) ʿIbādah — Worship/servitude to God (عِبَادَتُهُ)

• He anchors this in Qur’an 51:56 (“I did not create jinn and humans except that they worship Me”).

• And he defines this worship in a broad, practical way as living by God’s guidance: “compliance with the Creator in His commands and prohibitions” (الِامْتِثَالُ … فِي أَوَامِرِهِ وَنَوَاهِيهِ). 

In plain terms: Worship is not only ritual—it's a whole posture of obedience and alignment with God’s moral order.

3) Khilāfah — Vicegerency/stewardship (خِلَافَتُهُ)

• He anchors this in verses about God making people successors on earth, citing Qur’an 7:129 (and “other verses”). 

• He explains “khilāfah” as acting as God’s steward on earth within human capacity, especially in siyāsah (governance/ordering collective life), by living out the “noble virtues” of the Sharīʿah. 

• He even lists examples of those virtues: wisdom, justice among people, forbearance, benevolence, and excellence/graciousness (الْحِكْمَةُ، الْعَدَالَةُ، الْحِلْمُ، الْإِحْسَانُ، الْفَضْلُ). 

In plain terms: Stewardship means making human society reflect divine moral qualities—starting with justice and wisdom—rather than domination or ego.

He adds a warning 

Al‑Iṣfahānī doesn’t present these as “nice extras.” He argues that a thing’s honor is tied to fulfilling what it was made for (he gives analogies like a horse made for running, a sword for cutting). Then he says:

• If someone is not fit for God’s vicegerency, nor His worship, nor cultivating His earth, then “an animal is better than him”—and he supports this with Qur’anic blame of those who fall beneath their human calling (he cites verses including the “like cattle” theme). 

How his three purposes fit together

My read of his framing: he’s not giving three unrelated “life goals.” He’s giving a single human vocation viewed from three angles:

• Worship (ʿibādah) = the inner orientation (obedience to God),

• Cultivation (ʿimārah) = the outer constructive work (benefit on earth),

• Stewardship (khilāfah) = the social-moral responsibility (justice/wisdom in collective life).

That makes his view deeply practical: true spirituality should produce justice and constructive contribution, not withdrawal or mere slogans.

 

How to read the Qur'an?

 

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

My Dear Readers,

ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)
  

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(See Note below)

How to read the Qur'an?

Most people who read the Qur'an, or recite it know that the way we do it is called tilawah(تِلَاوَةٌ), or recitation.  According to any specialist of this field (مُجَوِّدٌ) this would mean:

التَّجْوِيدُ هُوَ إِخْرَاجُ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ مِنْ مَخْرَجِهِ، وَإِعْطَاؤُهُ حَقَّهُ وَمُسْتَحَقَّهُ مِنَ الصِّفَاتِ وَالأَحْكَامِ.

Tajwīd is articulating each letter from its proper point of articulation and giving it its due and what it is entitled to (in terms of its characteristics and rules), without affectation or forcing in pronunciation.
 

This is most certainly true, and there are merits in it. But tilawah(تِلَاوَةٌ)carries the meaning of following closely:

 

 وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلٰىهَاۖ

 And the moon, as it follows. QS 91:2.

 

 

Hence, for the fuqaha (الفُقَهَاءُ), the jurists; scholars of Islamic law (fiqh), those deeply learned in legal understanding and interpretation as well as for the broader Muslim ummah (الأُمَّةُ) (the community; a collective bound together by faith, purpose, and shared moral responsibility—often referring to the global Muslim community), this means much more, and here we postulate an inspired definition:

 

 بَلْ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ تِلَاوَةٌ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَتَعَقُّلٌ وَتَدَبُّرٌ بِالْجَنَانِ، وَعَمَلٌ بِالْجَوَارِحِ وَالْأَرْكَانِ

 

Rather, one should know that the Qur’an is recitation with the tongue, understanding and contemplative reflection with the heart, and practice through the limbs and the bodily faculties.

 

May Allah guide us, and help us be on the right path.

وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ

 
  Wa Allahu 'Alam (And Allah is the All-Knowing)

Note:

This post starts with the well known opening lines of at least one of Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ sermon. Al-Nisaa’i (May Allah have mercy on him) reported in his Sunan al-Nisaa’i: Kitaab al-Jumu’ah (Click Here) that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammadﷺ taught us the Khutbah Haajah .