We sometimes ask ourselves, What was God's purpose in creation, and why did He create us and the universe? We ask these questions because of a latent assumption: rational beings seek goals for what they do; their voluntary actions are not without a purpose and objective. This assumption, however, is only applicable to limited beings. We are limited in two ways:
A necessary consequence of scarcity of resources is that anything that we do becomes a sacrifice because it involves using limited resources that could have otherwise been retained or used for some other purpose (a.k.a 'opportunity cost'). Therefore, a wise person will not decide unless it has the greatest benefit for him or her when compared to other alternatives. The second aspect of limitation only reinforces this, because if we were perfect, infinite beings who did not lack anything and were not subject to any loss, then we would not have to worry about the loss or mismanagement of resources even if they were limited. Neither of the two kinds of limitations applies to God, however.
Because God is a perfect being (i.e. infinite, unlimited) it is not inconceivable to talk about Him acquiring any good or perfection since He is absolute good and ultimate perfection; He does not lack in good or perfection for Him to seek it through an action, such as creation. Therefore, His actions are not the causes of His perfections; rather, they are effects of His perfections. This idea is also found in other traditions such as Hinduism: "The Supreme has nothing to do, but because He is omnipotent, everything is performed by Him naturally, as if done automatically." 1
Other beings live to achieve perfection continue to pursue this path as long as they have not reached absolute perfection. God, however, does not seek to reach an objective through His creatures; rather, He is Himself the ultimate objective of all beings. To illustrate, consider the sun that shines, not to gain something, but rather, because it is in its nature to do so, or a spring that naturally gushes water and the ocean waves. (These examples are, of course, imperfect, as is every example for the Absolute.)
Likewise, it is God's perfection that is the cause for His actions: His qualities and attributes necessitate the occurrence of certain events. This, however, does not contradict the fact that His actions have some purpose. God Himself is without purpose because He is the purpose; however, based on His wisdom, His actions follow a purpose according. Thus, if we define purpose to be the acquirement of some perfection that was not there before, then the 'purpose of creation' would not refer to any perfection to God; instead, it refers to a perfection that accrues to His creatures.2
A Qur'anic Synopsis
The following are verses in the Qur'an that talk about the purpose of creation:
It is Allah who has created seven heavens, and of the earth [a number] similar to them. The command gradually descends through them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah comprehends all things in knowledge (65:12).
He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the All mighty, the All-forgiving (67:2).
I did not create the jinn and the humans except that they may serve Me (51:56).
Had your Lord wished, He would have made mankind one community; but they continue to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy - and that is why He created them - and the word of your Lord has been fulfilled: 'I will surely fill hell with jinn and humans, all together!' (11:118-119).
