Why Creation?

Please differentiate between the following 2 issues:

What was the underlying Reason/Motivation behind Allah's decision to CREATE the universe in the first place?
However, "worship" and "test" describe only "tasks" AFTER the creation, and they absolutely don't tell about the reason/motivation BEHIND the creation.

Of course, people were constantly asking Muhammad what was the motivation behind Allah's decision to create the universe and humans in the first place. Allah (i.e. Muhammad) tried to answer this question in the Quran, where he said:

Quran 51:56:

I have not created the jinns and mankind except to worship Me.

However, this Quranic answer received severe criticism, i.e. :

It does not answer the actual question i.e. what was the reason/motivation behind creation, but it merely tells about the "task" AFTER we had already been created. Allah/Muhammad failed completely to answer this core question.
Moreover, it's illogical for Allah to "wish" for worship from lowly creatures such as humans, whom He Himself created. When an entity begins to "wish" or demand worship, it forfeits the attribute of al-Samad (ٱلصَّمَدُ: Eternally-Self-Sufficient/Independent-of-All) and cannot be considered a God.

The Quran claimed:

Quran 11:2:

‏ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ‎

"Allah, the Eternally-Self-Sufficient/Independent-of-All (Himself in no need of anything)

Thus, when an entity starts to wish/demand worshipping and praise, it suggests a need, introducing an element of necessity. This contradicts the essence of an all-powerful being, as such a being wouldn't require anything; no worship, no acknowledgement of its existence, no prayers, no fasting month, and so forth. Consequently, this being cannot maintain the attribute of al-Samad (ٱلصَّمَدُ), indicating eternal self-sufficiency and independence from all.

After this criticism, Islamic preachers tried to cover it up with the excuse that:

Islamic Scholars say that Almighty is not in the need of our worships .. but our prayers are there only to benefit us and to bring us to paradise.

However, it is apparent that the statement of Islamic scholars again fails to answer these core questions.

If not worship, what was then the Reason/MOTIVATION behind Allah's decision to CREATE the universe in the first place?
Similarly, if not worship, what was then the Reason/MOTIVATION behind Allah's choice to put humans (or any other creature) to the TEST?

The combined conclusion drawn from Quranic verse 51:56 and the assertion by Islamic scholars leads to a paradoxical scenario: Allah created jinns and mankind solely for worship, despite not requiring worship. This juxtaposition lacks coherence and logic, akin to Allah proclaiming, "I am eating food, although I do not need food," or "I am sleeping, although I do not need sleep."

Hence, the lingering question remains there: if Allah does not necessitate our worship, then why did He create the universe and us without our consent in the first place?

And this "Worship and Praise Syndrome" extends beyond humans:

Consider angels—they've been engaged in worshipping and praising Allah for nearly eternity, despite gaining no benefit from it, nor are they destined for paradise. Why does Allah demand their constant worship and praise? Yes, Islamists come up with the same lame excuse that Allah does not need worship and praise from angels, but it is the same as if Allah says: "I am eating food, although I do not need food".
But it doesn't stop with angels; all creatures, from animals and insects to celestial bodies like the moon, sun, and stars, as well as mountains and every particle in the universe, worship and praise Allah incessantly. Yet, this devotion will not benefit them, as none of these entities will enter paradise and have 72 houris.
Doesn't Allah's insistence on being worshipped suggest narcissism, indicating a self-centered motive for creating humankind and the universe to praise him?
This narcissism is exacerbated by the belief that individuals who fail to recognize Allah as the true creator will be condemned to eternal hellfire, regardless of their sincere intentions. Many good-hearted individuals born into non-Muslim families contribute positively to humanity, yet they may not acknowledge Allah as the true God, rendering their virtuous deeds futile and subjecting them to eternal suffering.
Furthermore, this narcissism is heightened by the notion that individuals who do acknowledge Allah as the creator but fail to worship/praise Him properly five times a day face severe punishment in the afterlife.
Additionally, why does Allah causes the death of millions of newborn babies or subject millions of innocent children to sever disabilities? The Islamic excuse is: Allah causes them to suffer as a mean of teaching and threatening people to worship Allah properly, otherwise Allah will cause them to suffer too. This further reinforces Allah's narcissim only.

If Allah is Eternal, Why Did He Create the Universe Only 13.8 Billion Years Ago?

Could it be speculated that Allah existed eternally but, for some reason, became exceedingly bored only around 13.8 billion years ago? As a result, it motivated him to create a game featuring two characters: mankind and Satan, and now Allah takes pleasure in their dramas as a means to alleviate His boredom.

Why does Allah show concern specifically for our Earth in this vast universe, and even more specifically for mankind, who supposedly arrived on Earth only a couple of thousand years ago (i.e. Adam and Eve)? The fossils of dinosaurs are 65 million years old, but of modern humans, they are hardly 300 thousand years old. And according to the Bible and some Islamic traditions, Adam came only about 6 to 7 thousand years ago (Link 1, Link 2).

In this vast universe, why would Allah be concerned about our individual homes and bedrooms, monitoring us even there to see what we are doing?

In our galaxy alone, the Milky Way, there are billions of stars, each potentially hosting planets like Earth. The universe itself contains billions of galaxies. Why create such a vast, complex cosmos if the focus is on Earth and its relatively recent human inhabitants? What's more, the Hadiths suggest that the Mahdi is expected to arrive soon to end humanity's dominance by non-Muslims. When the Mahdi comes, instead of exploring space and using spaceships to explore this immense universe, he is prophesied to engage in violent conflict and ultimately lead to the end of the world. The heavens will collapse onto Earth, and the entire universe will be destroyed. This narrative feels narrow and Earth-centric, failing to account for the enormous scale of the cosmos.

Thus, the question persists: What is the purpose behind the creation of such a vast universe, where numerous stars (that are even bigger than Earth) are destroying every day?

There are numerous signs of the last hours, yet none of them mention humans reaching the moon, sun, or other stars, let alone acknowledging the existence of space. Why would the Buraq, the mule-like creature purportedly used by Muhammad for his ascension journey, need wings to navigate space? If it were capable of flying in space without wings, it could surely do so in our earthly atmosphere as well. Additionally, the Quran (verse 35:1) states that angels fly in the heavens with 2, 3, or 4 wings. Do any of these assertions make logical sense?

Ultimately, these considerations lead one to question whether this god is a creation of human imagination.

Islamist's Argument: Our Parents also gave birth to us without asking us first

Response:

There's a significant difference between human parents and Allah. Human parents are subject to natural forces, societal pressures, and personal needs. To cope with the challenges of life, they may feel a wish, or even feel compelled to have children. Additionally, some parents fear the isolation that can come with aging, and they seek companionship through family.

Muslims believe that Allah, however, is "al-Samad," which means He is self-sufficient and not in need of anything. If Allah starts "desiring" something, it would suggest dependency or incompleteness, contradicting the concept of being "al-Samad." Thus, the motivation behind human parents' decision to have children is understandable. In contrast, Allah's reasons/motivation for creating the universe and humanity remain completely unanswered (both by Allah and by Muslims too).

Given these differences, the comparison between the motivations of human parents and Allah does not hold. While human parents may create life to fulfill personal needs, but it is claimed by Muslims that Allah is free of any personal needs.

Islamist's Argument: Allah does not need to tell us why He created us

At this stage, Islamic apologists come up with the following two excuses:

Allah does not need to tell us why He created us.

And even if Allah told it, we could not comprehend it.

Response:

Firstly, at least Islamic apologists admit openly that God neither told us about the underlying motivation for creation nor He told the reason for not telling it to us.

Secondly, if Allah expects us to use our intellect to recognize Him, then He must be prepared to address our genuine and honest questions.

It's contradictory to "challenge" our intellect first to find Allah, only to later "abuse" our intellect by telling us that our intellect cannot grasp His motives for creating the universe. This approach undermines the very intellect that he encourages us to use.

Thus, here's the issue:

Allah hasn't provided an explanation for the purpose behind creation or the test that comes with life.
This can lead to various interpretations, including the notion that there exists no Allah in the heavens at all, and Muhammad was creating the revelations on his own. Given Muhammad's limited perspective as a human being, he had no ability to answer the question regarding the reason/motivation behind creation and test.

In fact, the Qur'an indeed tried to answer this question that humans and jinns were created to worship Allah, but this assertion met with severe criticism. Why would an all-sufficient God, who is supposed to be "al-Samad," need worship and praise from His own creations? If He is self-sufficient, He shouldn't desire or need any form of adulation or recognition from others.

In summary, if a God seeks intellectual engagement with humanity, it's only logical to expect clear and concise answers to fundamental questions. Without such clarity, every Tom, Dick and Harry can claim that their gods created humans for the sole purpose of worshipping and praising them, rendering the claims indistinguishable and unsubstantiated. There is no discernible difference between Muhammad's claims about Allah and the claims of others about their gods - all lack concrete evidence to support their assertions. This lack of proof renders all claims equally dubious and unverifiable.