
Did God create this universe for the Prophet Muhammad (عليه الصلاة و السلام)?
Many scholars consider the statement
“لولك لولك لما خلقت الافلاك”
[If it wasn’t for you, I would not have created the universe]
an authentic divine hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (عليه الصلاة و السلام). We can also find it in some reliable hadith books. Yet there are some other scholars who do not accept its authenticity.
If the hadith is authentic, then the meaning is certainly correct; if it isn’t authentic, the meaning may still be correct. Just because a statement is not a hadith does not necessarily mean it is a false statement. So while the authenticity of this particular hadith is controversial, it is still a true statement with a beautiful meaning.
Lets look at some examples to better explain this.
Examples
- Suppose a king constructs a magnificent palace with precious gems and jewels. When the construction is over, he invites the inhabitants of the land to display the magnificence of the palace. Clearly, this king would send one of his assistants to explain the various gems and jewels. He wouldn’t carefully construct this magnificent palace down to the greatest detail only to leave it unknown to others. [See The Eleventh Word]
- Say one builds a museum with the most fascinating historical artifacts. Surely one would find a way to explain those artifacts, either through written notes or through a knowledgeable person. Leaving the artifacts unknown to the public would partially defeat the purpose of that museum.
- Finally, suppose a scientist invents a new technological device with intriguing capabilities. Surely they would be willing to explain its capabilities instead of leaving it unknown and mysterious to other people.
Why did God create us?
God states in the Qur’an that He created this universe to be known and worshiped.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me. [al-Dhariyat 51:56, Translation: Mufti Taqi Usmani]
If God does not send a messenger teaching us that there is a Creator Who deserves to be worshiped and that this universe is an exhibition to teach us the names of Allah (which allows us to better understand our Creator and thus worship Him better), that would partly defeat the purpose of this universe’s existence.
In other words, if God did not create The Prophet Muhammad (عليه الصلاة والسلام), who is the best of messengers, then He may not have created this universe as its purpose would not be fulfilled. It can be said that the Prophet Muhammad’s (عليه الصلاة و السلام) creation is the most significant part of this universe’s creation.
Furthermore, The Prophet Muhammad (عليه الصلاة و السلام) performs the duty of worship in the most perfect fashion. Nobody, not even other prophets (عليهم السلام) can reach his level of worship.
Thus, God created this universe to be worshiped and The Prophet Muhammad (عليه الصلاة و السلام) fulfills this in a perfect way. In a sense it can be said that the universe was created for him.
The Prophet’s (عليه الصلاة و السلام) creation is significant in two ways:
- Firstly, he is the final and most outstanding messenger of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى). He teaches the humans and the jinn about their Creator and how to fulfill their duty towards Him through worship. That is, he teaches us how to fulfill the purpose that God created us for.
- Secondly, he performs this duty of worship himself in the most perfect way possible.
Thus, he serves a primary role in this universe’s creation.

