Why do we worship Allah?

Question:

We are students of knowledge and we were sitting in on a lecture, and during the talk, the following question was asked: "Why is Allah, the Most Glorified, Most High worshipped?" One of those present answered, saying: "We worship Allah in fear of His punishment and in hope of His Mercy." He further explained this by saying: "It is a requirement of worship that one fulfills the Commands of Allah and His Messenger and abstains from those things which Allah and His Messenger have forbidden; only in this way is affirmation of the Oneness of Allah achieved in worship, which results in recompense from Allah, which is what we all desire and fear." Another person answered, saying: "We worship Allah for His Self because He commanded us to do so and because it is simply His right to be worshipped, without thinking of Paradise or Hell, for if it were ordained that there was no Paradise and no Hell-fire, would we not worship Allah?" And he rejected the first saying.

So which saying is nearer to the truth and what is the truth? Also, is it in accordance with that decorum of knowledge and teaching to reject a saying without producing any evidence, while the saying that opposes it is also without proof? What is the ruling on excessive arguing and debate in such matters? May Allah reward you with the best reward.

Answer :

It is reported in some narrations that when the reckoning takes place in the Hereafter, Allah, the Most High will bring forward a man and ask him: "Why did you worship Me?" The slave will reply: "I heard of the creation of Paradise and the lasting felicity which it contains and so I stayed awake during the nights (in prayer), tired myself out during the day (performing good deeds), I thirsted to be admitted to Paradise, I yearned for it, that I might enjoy that felicity and the great reward." So Allah will say to him: "This is Paradise, so enter it and you will have what you wanted and what you wished for." Then he will bring forth another man and ask him: "Why did you worship Me?" The slave will reply: "I heard of the creation of the Fire and the punishment, the torment, the evils, the fetters and the pain that it contains and so I stayed awake during the nights (in prayer) and tired myself out during the day (performing good deeds), fearful of the Fire and in terror of its pain and punishment." So Allah, the Most High will say to him: "You are safe from the Fire. Enter Paradise, wherein you will find that which you desired." Then Allah will bring forth a third man and ask him: "Why did you worship Me?" He will answer: "I knew Your Attributes, Your Majesty, Your Grandeur, Your Grace and Your Blessings and so I worshipped You, desiring (only) You, and for love of You, for it is You Who has the right to be worshipped and glorified, due to Your Bounty, Your Blessings upon Your creation and because of Your Perfect Attributes and Your Almighty Majesty." So Allah, the Most High will say to him: "Here I am, so look at Me! And I have permitted for you My Reward and given you all that you wished for." In short, all of them are right, but he who worships Allah because he knows that it is His right to be worshipped and to have His rights rendered unto Him, and because He deserves to be feared, and because He is the Owner of forgiveness and the Creator of the worshipper and the One Who bestows Favor upon him and to Him belongs all grace, bounty, praise and goodness etc. Then for this person is the greater reward. And Allah knows best.

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