Divine Purpose: The Duty of Worship
According to the understanding expressed in one of the cited sources, Allah did not create man for a chance existence or for any external purpose, but because man is meant to serve his Creator, who created him out of nothing. In other words, the universe and all its creations have an intentional purpose, and the creation of man for the worship of Allah is a natural duty that reflects deep gratitude for the gift of life. This requirement carries the idea that humanity was created with the purpose of responding to Divine love and wisdom that extends to all creations.Supporting citation(s):"Yet the Lord created man so that man might serve Him. We did not create ourselves, nor did our parents invent us. Parents are merely the instruments of our coming into being, but in truth, it was God who arranged it so wisely; it is He who created our soul out of nothing. Therefore, it would be natural for man to somehow thank God for this." (source: link txt)"So, if man was not created without reason or in vain—since nothing created by God is without purpose in relation to the Creator's intention—and not for the benefit of the Creator Himself or any other of God's creations; then it is clear that if we consider the primary and general cause of all things, God created man for Himself, out of goodness and wisdom manifested in all creations..." (source: link txt)Thus, the meaning of the requirement of worship is that, by serving the Creator, man comes to understand his true nature, takes responsibility for his existence, and expresses deep gratitude for the gift of life he has received.