Draft:Ibtila versus ibadah

<Title: Title: How 'Ibadah Became the Claimed Purpose of Life: A Historical Investigation

Introduction

The claim that "the purpose of life is worship (ibadah)" is one of the most repeated theological slogans in contemporary Islamic discourse[1]. It is commonly cited by preachers, authors, and da'wah organizations, and almost universally traced to a single Qur'anic verse: "I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" (Q. 51:56). However, a closer examination of the Qur'an's structure, early tafsir, theological traditions, and sectarian developments reveals that this view emerged gradually, often overshadowing the Qur'an's more consistent theme: that life is a divine test (ibtila'). This paper investigates how the concept of ibadah came to be seen as the main purpose of life and how that view evolved over time.

1. Qur'anic Foundation: Two Competing Frames

• Q. 67:2: "[He] who created death and life to test you—which of you is best in deeds."

This verse is grammatically causal (li-yabluwakum) and applies universally[2]. It is reiterated across the Qur'an through related terms: fitnah, balāʾ, imtihān, li-yaʿlama Allāh, etc. It defines life as a test, applying to believers and non-believers alike.

• Q. 51:56: "I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."

This verse, by contrast, is theologically contested. Early mufassirūn did not interpret it as an ontological statement but rather as a normative imperative. Its interpretation depends heavily on preexisting theology.[3]

2. Early Tafsir: Ibtilāʾ as Ontological Purpose

• Al-Ṭabarī (d. 310 AH) and Al-Māturīdī (d. 333 AH) both interpreted Q. 51:56 as a statement of expectation, not fulfilled reality. The verse is about what Allah commanded, not what actually occurs.
• Al-Qurṭubī (d. 671 AH) explicitly limits the verse’s application to those whom Allah knew would worship Him.
• Conversely, Q. 67:2 is treated as a universal truth by all major mufassirūn. No disputes exist about its meaning or applicability.

3. Kalām and Creedal Literature: Trial over Worship

• Classical Sunni creeds[4] do not define ibadah as the purpose of life.
• Their concern is primarily with taklīf, ʿadl, and ḥikmah—explaining why God tests humans and how reward/punishment is just.
• In this paradigm, ibadah is part of the test—not the purpose for which the test exists[5].

4. Sufi Influence: Spiritualizing Worship into Ontology

• Al-Qushayrī (d. 465 AH) and Al-Ghazālī (d. 505 AH) reinterpreted ibadah as an inner journey toward divine intimacy.[6]
• Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638 AH) pushed this further by reading Q. 51:56 as li-yaʿrifūnī ("to know Me")—a rendering based on a fabricated hadith but widely accepted in Sufi metaphysics.[7]
• Thus, ibadah shifted from an external act to a mystical identity, becoming the cosmic purpose in esoteric frameworks.

5. Sectarian Trends: Shīʿī and Muʿtazilī Thought

• Shīʿī theology focuses on wilāyah, ʿadl, and imtihān as central to the human journey. Q. 67:2 is often cited in this context.[8]
• Muʿtazilīs emphasize taklīf, ʿaql, and moral responsibility. For them, life’s purpose is the test that justifies reward and punishment.[9]
• Both traditions treat ibadah as a commanded response, not an ontological purpose.

6. The Shift to Popular Doctrine

• In the post-classical period, especially under Ottoman and colonial-era institutions, simplified creedal teaching began to standardize responses: "Why were we created? To worship Allah."
• The rise of revivalist and missionary movements in the 20th century (e.g., Salafism, Tabligh, school curricula) entrenched Q. 51:56 as the go-to verse for explaining life’s purpose—often without exegetical or theological scrutiny.[10]
• Translations of the Qur’an (e.g., Yusuf Ali) reinforced this framing in global daʿwah literature.[11]

Conclusion: From Command to Ontology

The dominance of ʿibādah as life’s purpose was not established by the Qur’an but by centuries of layered reinterpretation—first spiritualized by Sufis, then simplified by educators and revivalists. The Qur’an itself frames life as a test (ibtilāʾ), not a worship project. Worship is part of the test—but not the reason the test exists. Returning to the Qur’anic structure restores the balance between divine justice, human agency, and the reality of moral struggle.

Keywords: ibadah, ibtilāʾ, tafsir, Sufism, Muʿtazilah, Shīʿism, Islamic theology, Q. 67:2, Q. 51:56

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[1] (see Ibn Bāz, Majmūʿ Fatāwā, vol. 1, p. 127; Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, commentary on Q. 51:56; also see standard creed handbooks used in 20th-century madrasas and daʿwah curricula).

[2] It is reiterated across the Qur'an through related terms: fitnah (Q. 29:2), balāʾ (Q. 2:49, Q. 7:141), imtihān (Q. 9:16), and li-yaʿlama Allāh (Q. 3:140, Q. 47:31). These reinforce the Qur'an's core portrayal of life as a divine test (see also al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān, vol. 29, p. 2; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, vol. 4, p. 394).

[3] (al-Māturīdī, Tafsīr al-Taʾwīlāt, vol. 15, p. 30; al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 17, p. 56).

[4] (e.g., al-Fiqh al-Akbar, al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, Sharḥ al-ʿAqāʾid al-Nasafiyyah)

[5] (al-Māturīdī, Kitāb al-Tawḥīd, ed. Ulrich Rudolph, pp. 229–231)

[6] (al-Qushayrī, al-Risālah al-Qushayriyyah, pp. 112–114; al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, vol. 4, p. 346)

[7] (Ibn ʿArabī, Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam)

[8] (al-Ṣadūq, al-Tawḥīd, pp. 314–316)

[9] (ʿAbd al-Jabbār, al-Mughnī fī Abwāb al-Tawḥīd wa-l-ʿAdl, vol. 16, pp. 208–213)

[10] (Ibn Bāz, Majmūʿ Fatāwā, vol. 1, p. 127)

[11] (Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, commentary on Q. 51:56)