If Allah has no wants/needs, why do anything?
The question of why Allah acts given His self-sufficiency and lack of needs is addressed in various verses of the Qur'an and the accompanying tafsir. The Qur'an states clearly that Allah has no needs: He hath no needs! His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Ye have no warrant for this. Tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?
10:68. This verse emphasizes Allah's independence and the futility of claiming that He has a son or any needs.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains that Allah's actions stem from His wisdom and will, rather than any necessity. All of creation exists by His command, and He does not require anything from His creatures. Instead, as stated in the verse from Surah Faatir, O mankind! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise
35:15. This reflects that while humanity is in constant need of Allah, He is self-sufficient and worthy of all praise.
Furthermore, in Surah Az-Zumar, it is emphasized that if Allah had chosen to take a son, He could have done so from His creation, but He remains exalted and unique: If Allah had willed to choose a son, He could have chosen what He would of that which He hath created. Be He Glorified! He is Allah, the One, the Absolute
39:4. This underscores that any action taken by Allah is based on His sovereign will and wisdom, not out of need or want.
In essence, Allah acts out of His will and wisdom, which is beyond human comprehension. His actions serve a greater purpose in the divine plan and reflect His attributes of power, mercy, and justice, rather than any necessity or need on His part.
Sources
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10:68 · Yunus
10:68 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۖ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ۖ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنْ عِندَكُم مِّن سُلْطَٰنٍۭ بِهَٰذَآ ۚ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
They say: Allah hath taken (unto Him) a son - Glorified be He! He hath no needs! His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Ye have no warrant for this. Tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?
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35:15 · Faatir
35:15 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
۞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ
O mankind! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.
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39:4 · Az-Zumar
39:4 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
لَّوْ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًۭا لَّٱصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۖ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ
If Allah had willed to choose a son, He could have chosen what He would of that which He hath created. Be He Glorified! He is Allah, the One, the Absolute.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 10:68
Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 10:68
Allah Almighty here strongly denies the claim of those who say that He has a son. He says, “Glory be to Him, He is the Self-Sufficient,” meaning He is far above having offspring or any such attribute. He does not need anyone else, whereas all creatures are dependent on Him. Then He highlights the absurdity by saying, "To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth," emphasizing that all creation belongs to Him, is under His control, and serves Him alone. Given this reality, how could He have a son from what He created? Everything is His servant and possession. He then challenges these claimants, saying, "Do you have any authority for this?" — meaning there is no valid evidence for their false and baseless assertion. They are accused of speaking about Allah without knowledge. This is a strong denial and warning, as Allah will hold them accountable for such lies. Ibn Kathir references the verses from Surah Maryam (19:88-95) where Allah condemns those who say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son," describing their claim as monstrous and causing the heavens to almost split apart, the earth to crack, and the mountains to crumble — emphasizing how inappropriate and impossible this idea is. It stresses that all beings in the heavens and the earth are servants of Allah alone, each counted and known by Him, and all will return to Him on the Day of Judgment individually. Following this, Allah warns the liars who falsely attribute offspring to Him. These deniers will neither succeed in this world nor in the Hereafter. In this life, Allah allows them some enjoyment for a limited time, leading them on to their eventual ruin, then He will bring them to severe punishment. Here, “a provision in this world” means a brief respite, after which they return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, where they will taste a painful torment due to their disbelief and lies against Allah. Their punishment is deserved because of their falsehood and rejection of the truth concerning this matter.
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