CREATION IS IN NEED OF ALLAH

Man always looks for what benefits him and what protects him from harm. However, to accomplish this, man must be able to realize what is harmful. He must then know whom he should need, trust, and love so that he can attain what is beneficial as well as feel good about his choice.

He also must know the proper and good approach that would make him achieve this goal. This latter condition requires that man:

1. Know about harm
2. What ways can be used to drive harm away

Certainly, man can have no better guidance than that which comes from the One Who:

• Perfected everything
• Has no need for anything
• Has No deficiency in Himself nor in His Attributes
• Is Ever-Living and Who does not die
• Is Rich
• Controls Man’s soul
• Runs all affairs

Man is so poor to Him. He is Allah, the True and only God.

Man can bring harm to himself if he seeks other than Allah for help. Allah is the One Who can help man drive away any harm for it cannot occur without His Will and His Power.

Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) sent down His Books and chose His Messengers to guide man to:

1. Know His Lord as He (سبحانه و تعالى) has explained about Himself
2. Seek Him Alone while living in accordance with His plan.

Knowing Allah’s Names and Attributes liberates man from worshipping any form of creation because creation is weak and imperfect and is in need of the Creator, Allah.

The knowledge about Allah leads man to know that he is created to live according to Allah’s way as revealed to the last Messenger, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). This Revelation contains a complete code of life. Everything that is beneficial or harmful is established so that man can focus his life around this Revelation. If man commits wrong and knows that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, he would turn to Him and to Him Alone seeking His forgiveness:

“Know, therefore, that there is no God who deserves to be worshipped except Allah; and ask forgiveness for your sins.” (Qur’an 47:19)

It is wrong to think or believe that Allah created other “gods” besides Him so that man turns to them for help, loves them or fear them, etc. He is the same God of all nations. He does not order that people should make of stars, sun, fire, Jesus, Moses, etc. gods besides Him. He (Most Exalted) cannot be “contradictory.”

He has one way (religion) that calls man to surrender his will only to Him. He (سبحانه و تعالى) warned that if man, even Muhammad- صلى الله عليه وسلم and any Prophet or Messenger, would take partners with Him, then his work will fail and he will be among the losers:

“And verily, it had been revealed to you (O Muhammad) as has been revealed to those before you: If you join others in worship with Allah (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain and you certainly be among the losers. Nay! But worship Allah and be among the grateful.” (Qur’an 39: 65-66)

Let us think what Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), the man-Prophet, who knew Allah best, used to say:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You for Your Pleasure and against Your Wrath, and in Your Forgiveness and against Your Punishment and in You from You, I cannot Praise You as You can Praise Yourself.” “I have surrendered myself to You, I have directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of You, there is no resort nor survival from You except (in turning) to You, I have faith in your Book (i.e., the Qur’an) which You brought down and in the Prophet (Muhammad) you have sent.”

When we read in the Qur’an that:
“Whatever of Mercy (i.e., of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All Mighty, the All-Wise” (Qur’an 35:2)

and when we read:
“If Allah touches you with hurt, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will, and He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an 10: 107)

We should be motivated to return to Him Alone at times of ease and at times of hardship.

And when we read that:
“If Allah helps you none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there, after Him, that can help you? And in Allah (alone) let believers put their trust” (Qur’an 3:160)

The Qur’an, therefore, leads man to a true liberation from any false attachment. It brings peace to the heart. It helps the believer against hypocrisy and all forms of dishonesty. Imagine, for example, a believer facing a problem at work. He sees wrong and faces unlawful practices. He does not fear rejecting what is wrong. He knows that the job is only a mean to gain his sustenance. While he may be unable to correct what is wrong, he knows well that Allah is the One Who provides. If he leaves his job for the sake of Allah, Allah will give him a better one:

“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him. He will make a way for him to get out (from) every (difficulty), and He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.” (Qur’an 65: 2-3)

The above necessitates that man must depend upon Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) asking Him Alone for assistance. It also requires that man must love Allah and worship Him alone to gain His pleasure and His help. Is it not true that the people who consider this life as the “Final Goal” end up worshipping many things in it? You see them so careful about “having it all.” They torture themselves: pain; difficulty; constant worry; keeping their hands in the banks for loan after loan to keep up with the “demands” of development.” They are under the constant threat of fore-closure. They constantly see poverty in front of their eyes.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) says: Son of Adam: fill your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness, and end off your poverty. But if you do not, I would make your hands fully busy (i.e., in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your poverty.”

Our purpose of existence on earth is more meaningful than being slaves to worldly gains. There can be no meaningful life better than that prescribed by our Creator Allah. Every act done according to Allah’s way is an act of worship. Man is the beneficiary and Allah is in no need:

“O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all wants and needs), Worthy of All Praise.” (Qur’an 35: 15)