We as human beings definitely have questioned at any stage of our life about our existence in this world. Why we are created? What is the purpose of life? You might be astonished to know that Islam is providing concise and solid answers for these questions. The Qur'an has clearly stated that the purpose of life is to worship Allah and Allah Alone.

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (Quran 51:56)

  It is very clear that we are here to worship Allah the Almighty. It is worth noting that worship in Islam does not imply abandonment of the life of the world and its pleasures. It is a comprehensive term which includes, in addition to such acts of worship as prayer, fasting and the obligatory charity (Zakat), all human acts as long as they are done for the sake of Allah, as the Prophet (PBUH) once observed, "You will be rewarded even when you engage in sexual intercourse with your wives." In this way, worship, despite being the main purpose behind human existence, becomes the essence of life, affording a Muslim the opportunity to turn all daily lawful practices into great acts of worship.

The Qur'an says: "Say: 'My prayer and my sacrifice, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds.'" (Quran 6:162).

We need to know that Allah the Almighty is not in need of human worship.  If not a single human worshipped Allah, it would not diminish His glory in any way, and if all of mankind worshipped Him, it would not increase His glory in any way.   He is not in need of our worship; rather, it is us who need to worship Him because of our total dependence upon Him.

"I have only created the jinn and man to worship Me. I do not require any provision from them and I do not require them to nourish Me. Truly, Allah is the Provider, the Lord of Power, the Ever Mighty" (Quran 51:56-58)

"If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely on." (Quran 3:160)

"O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allâh. But Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise." (Quran 35:15)

Why we worship Allah alone?

Worship or ibaadah comprises all the words and deeds which Allah the Almighty loves and approves of and which He has commanded or recommended, whether such words and deeds are apparent, such as the prayer, zakat or pilgrimage; or hidden, such as love for Allah and His Messenger, fear of Allah, reliance upon Him and seeking His assistance.  Worship embraces all the believer'’s acts if he intends to do them with the intention of getting closer to Allah the Almighty.

We believe that Allah the Almighty is the only one true God.  We believe in His uniqueness regarding Lordship, divinity as well as names and attributes. Furthermore, Islam, the true religion is also known as Tawheed (Oneness of God), for it is based on believing in the Oneness of God regarding His sovereignly and acts, His essence, names and attributes.

"Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam." (Quran 3:19)

"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the  Hereafter he will be one of the losers." (Quran 3:85)

We need to devote all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allah alone, and not worshipping anything or anyone other than Allah.  And this is the meaning of Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah meaning "None has the right to be worshipped except Allah."  So, all acts of worship from Salaah (prayer), Sawm (fasting), Zakat, Hajj, and other than them, then they must be done sincerely for Allah alone and it is not permissible to associate, anything from these acts of worship with anyone other than Allah.

"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him" (Quran 17:23)

"Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship)" (Quran 4:36)

"And We did not send any messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying), none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah) so worship Me (Alone and none else)." (Quran 21:25)

Importance Of The Belief That Allah Is The Only God Worthy Of Worship

The importance of the belief that Allah is the only God who deserves to be worshipped is apparent in a number of aspects:

1)    Worshipping Allah is the ultimate purpose of human and jinn existence, as the Qur'an states, “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (Quran 51:56)

2)    Worshipping Allah is also the reason behind Allah’s sending messengers and revealing divine books to affirm that Allah is the only God worthy of worship and to reject false deities worshipped besides or along with Him, as the Qur’an states, “We sent a messenger among every people saying: ‘Worship Allah and keep clear of all false gods.’” (Quran 16:36)

3)    Worshipping Allah is the first duty of man towards his creator.  Giving instructions and orders to Mu?aadh ibn Jabal ? upon sending him to Yemen, the Prophet ? said to him, “You are going to a people from among the People of the Book. Let the first thing you call them to be to testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.” (Saheeh Al Bukhari: 1389; Saheeh Muslim: 19) That is, let them direct all acts of worship to Him alone.

4)    The belief that Allah is the only God worthy of worship is the actual realization of the meaning of the statement Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah. The Arabic word ilaah (generally translated ‘God’) refers to any being that is worshipped. Therefore, there is no God who truly deserves to be worshipped except Allah, and thus no act of worship must be dedicated except to Him alone.

5)    The belief that Allah is the only God worthy of worship is the logical outcome of the belief that He is the Creator, the Master and the Disposer of all affairs.