The Quran

سورة الذّاریَات

Surah Al-Dhâriyât 51:56

The Scatterers · Verse 56 of 60

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

Abdul Mannan Omar

And I have created the jinn (fiery natured and houghty) and the (ordinary) people only that they may worship Me.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.

Ahmed Ali

I have not created the jinns and men but to worship Me.

12 more translations

Ali Unal

I have not created the jinn and humankind but to (know and) worship Me (exclusively).

Daryabadi

And have not created the Jinn and mankind but that they should worship Me.

Faridul Haque

And I created the jinns and men, only for them to worship Me.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.

Maulvi Sher Ali

And I have not created the jinn and the men but that they may worship ME.

Muhammad Asad

And [tell them that] I have not created the invisible beings and men to any end other than that they may [know and] worship Me.

Muhammad Musin Khan

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).

Muhammad Pickthall

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.

Muhammad Sarwar

We have created jinn and human beings only that they might worship Me.

Muhammed ali Shakir

And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.

Rashad Khalifa

I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone.

Shabbir Ahmed

And I have not created the ‘jinn’ and the ‘ins’ but that they obey (serve) Me alone.

Commentary 51:56 This verse informs us about the great and noble purpose of our existence. Li-Ya‘budûnلِيَعْبُدُونِ – “So that they worship” - for ‘ibâdatعِبادت see…

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

51:56 This verse informs us about the great and noble purpose of our existence. Li-Ya‘budûnلِيَعْبُدُونِ – “So that they worship” - for ‘ibâdatعِبادت see 50:11). This is a simple and concise answer to the question of the purpose of life, a question that common folks as well as philosophers have ever struggled with. The innermost purpose of our creation is our cognition of the existence of God - and hence our conscious willingness to conform our existence to whatever we may perceive of His Will and plan. Our life and death, eating and sleeping are all ‘ibâdat if they are according to His Will and plan. It is this twofold concept of cognition and willingness that gives the deepest meaning to what the verse describes as worship – ‘ibâdat. This call does not arise from any need on the part of the Creator who is Self-sufficient and Infinite in His power, but is designed as an instrument for the inner development and the benefit of the worshipper. For the discussion on Jinn see verses 6:128; 15:27 and 7:38; refer to 18:50; 27:17; 34:41; 41:25; 46:18; 46:29; 55:33; 72:5; 114:6.