Qur'an 51:56–58 · Surah Adh-Dhariyat · Meccan
The purpose of creation
Arabic text
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ56 مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنۡهُم مِّن رِّزۡقٖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطۡعِمُونِ57 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلۡقُوَّةِ ٱلۡمَتِينُ58
Translation · Saheeh International
56And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me
57I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me
58Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength
Explanation
Our educational summary. It is not part of the Qur'an and is not a tafsir.
Verse 56 is the Qur'an's best-known statement of purpose: to worship God. Verses 57–58 make clear that God needs nothing from people; it is God who provides.
Worship ('ibadah) is understood broadly to include every sincere good act.