What is the Motivation of a Perfect and Self-Sufficient Being for Creating the World?

✍️ Alireza Ghorbani – Social Researcher

Abstract:
The question of the motivation for creating the world by a perfect and self-sufficient being is one of the most profound topics in wisdom and mysticism. This descriptive analysis shows that creation stems not from deficiency, but from the overflowing of the intrinsic perfections of that absolute being. In this view, three primary motivations flow like interconnected rivers:

First, Love as the prime moving force. The intrinsic love of the perfect being is radiant and expansive, requiring a beloved for its true actualization. Here, creation is like a mirror in which the beauty of the lover is reflected.

Second, Creativity as artistic manifestation. The world is the unique masterpiece of an absolute artist, displaying His infinite and invisible perfections in the gallery of existence. This creativity flows like a perpetual and uninterrupted effusion from the source of perfection.

Third, Nurturing as the completion of the cycle of existence. True love is not content with mere creation; it desires the growth and flourishing of the beloved. In this perspective, the world is a cosmic university and a workshop for nurturing beings who can traverse the path of perfection.

These three motivations intertwine to form an integrated system: Love stimulates Creativity, and Creativity sets the stage for Nurturing. Thus, creation is an artistic "Divine Play," a "Mystery of Love," and a "Nurturing Process," all originating from the endless abundance and grace of the perfect being. In this view, the world is a gift born of love, a stage for creativity, and an opportunity for nurturing.

1. Introduction: Formulating the Problem

The classic problem is this: If God is a perfect, self-sufficient (rich-in-essence), and unchanging being, what reason could there be for Him to undertake the creation of the world, which entails a kind of change and a will directed towards the 'other'? Common answers, from 'free will' to 'manifestation of beauty,' all require more precise explanation.

In the realm of profound thoughts and fundamental human questions, few issues have occupied the minds of philosophers, mystics, and thinkers as much as the question of God's "motivation for creation." This ancient question, rooted deep in the history of human thought, takes on more complex and astonishing dimensions when placed in relation to the concept of a "perfect being." Imagining a being that is flawless, absolute, and free from any need or deficiency presents us with this puzzle: What motivation could such a complete and absolute being have for creating a world that, compared to Him, is limited, imperfect, and transient?

This question is not merely an abstract intellectual exercise; it is a key to opening a window towards understanding humanity's place in this vast world and its relationship with the source of its existence. If we consider creation a random accident or a meaningless event, human life and endeavors would also be largely stripped of their true meaning. But if a wise motivation based on perfection can be found behind this creation, then every particle of this cosmos and every moment of life can be a manifestation of a greater wisdom and a deeper love.

Within this quest, three brilliant and interconnected concepts shine forth: Love, Creativity, and Nurturing. These three are examined not as separate and competing motives, but as diverse aspects of a single truth. This treatise believes that the answer to the riddle of creation must be sought in the conjunction and connection of these three.

Love, as a force that inherently desires expansion and bestowal; Creativity, as a yearning for the manifestation of beauty and hidden perfections; and Nurturing, as a will to guide and perfect what has been created. In this view, the world is born not of need, but of abundance and surplus. Like rain that pours down upon the earth from an overflowing sky, or light that shines everywhere from a radiant sun without any expectation.

Continuing on this path, by expanding each of these concepts and analyzing their internal connection, we will discover how these three axes weave together the fabric of an integrated pattern. A pattern in which creation is not a one-time event, but a dynamic, continuous, and meaningful process that begins from absolute perfection and moves towards flourishing and a return to that same perfection. This philosophical journey will guide us towards a richer and more magnificent understanding of the world, its Creator, and our own place within it. This article provides a systematic answer by focusing on the three axes of Love, Creativity, and Nurturing.

2. Theoretical Framework and Conceptual Expansion

2-1. Love as the Necessity of Expression

In this framework, love is not a static attribute, but a dynamic and radiant energy.

At the deepest layers of analyzing the motivation for creation, "Love" appears as the fundamental force and primary driver. But this love should not be mistaken for the limited human emotional concept. Love in the perfect being is not a static and passive attribute, but a fluid and radiant current that inherently desires manifestation and expansion. This love is the very breath of existence, and existence is the very breath of love. At this level, love can be called the "necessity of expression"; a necessity arising from the infinite and all-encompassing nature of the perfect being.

Imagine a spring gushing from the depths of the earth. Gushing and flowing is not a choice for it, but the expression of its essence and nature. If it does not gush, it is not a spring. The perfect being is likewise; absolute love is His innermost nature, and creation is the inevitable gushing forth of this love. This love is a radiation that cannot not radiate, a bestowal that cannot not bestow, and a word that cannot remain unspoken. Here, creation is not an external "need," but an internal and intrinsic "desire" stemming from the lover's perfection. This is a key distinction: need comes from a place of lack, but desire arises from a place of surplus and abundance.

This intrinsic desire drives love towards the creation of the "other." Because true love always seeks a beloved. Love without the "other" is an incomplete love, imprisoned within itself. By creating the world, the perfect being creates a "Thou" to realize the loving "I-Thou" relationship. The world and its creatures are all "Thou"s in relation to "Him." This is where creation finds its meaning as a mirror. The perfect being sees His endless beauty reflected in the various mirrors of creation and glorifies Himself.

This concept is crystallized in Islamic mysticism in the famous saying, "I was a hidden treasure; I loved to be known, so I created the creation that I might be known." This "loving to be known" is precisely the necessity of love's expression. Being known necessitates the existence of a knower, and the knower is the "Thou" or the beloved who comes into being through the light of creation. Therefore, creation is the language of love for expressing itself, and the world is a book in which the lover writes His love letter. In this view, every particle of existence is a word of this love letter, narrating the story of eternal love.

2-2. Creativity as the Manifestation of Perfection

Continuing the analysis of the motivations for creation, after "Love" as the primary motivator, we arrive at "Creativity" as the mechanism of this manifestation. Creativity in the perfect being is not an aimless game or a random experiment, but an intrinsic necessity for revealing the boundless treasure of hidden perfections. The world, in this view, is the greatest and most complex work of art, brought from non-existence into existence by an infinite artist.

Imagine an artist who has in their mind endless designs, colors, melodies, and ideas. This inner treasure remains in a potential state and lacks its ultimate blossoming until it reaches the stage of emergence and manifestation. The perfect being is also replete with countless names, attributes, and perfections: knowledge, power, beauty, wisdom, and life. These perfections are gathered in His single essence, but creation is the stage for the objectification and visibility of these attributes. Just as a painter has the concept of "beauty" in mind, but it is through creating a painting that this mental beauty becomes objective and comprehensible to others.

This process in philosophy is often explained by the theory of "Emanation" or "Effusion." According to this, the world "emanates" from God's essence; just as light flows from the sun or intellect flows from the mind. This flow is not a momentary choice, but a perpetual and necessary current arising from the status and essence of that perfect being. God's creativity is not a one-time act in the past, but a constant continuity that sustains the world at every moment.

Hence, creation is a "Divine Play" (Lila). A play in which the absolute artist, without any need to play, engages in creation solely due to the joy and delight arising from creation and because of the overflowing of His inner creative energy. This world, with all its precise laws, stunning beauties, astonishing diversity, and wondrous complexities, is a display of this unending and uncalculated creativity. Every galaxy is a movement of the cosmic symphony, and every flower is a design in the mural of nature. Therefore, creativity is the second language of the perfect being for speaking with His creatures; a language of beauty, order, and splendor.

2-3. Nurturing as the Will for Flourishing

In the evolutionary progression of analyzing the motivations for creation, after "Love" as the primary motivator and "Creativity" as the mechanism of manifestation, we arrive at the third and most completing component: "Nurturing." If creation had stopped at the stage of creativity, the world would be like a beautiful but soulless and static painting. Nurturing breathes this dynamic and directed spirit into the body of creation, transforming it from an "attribute" into a "process" and from a "thing" into a "journey."

Nurturing at this level is the manifestation of committed love and purposeful creativity. True love is not content with merely creating the beloved; its highest manifestation lies in the commitment to the growth, perfection, and flourishing of the beloved. The perfect being does not create the world to abandon it to its own devices, but nurtures it like a compassionate and wise gardener so that every seed of potential becomes a full blossom and every sapling of existence becomes a towering tree.

This will for flourishing has turned the world into a "cosmic workshop" or a "divine university." The immutable laws of nature, the seasons of life, challenges, sorrows, and joys are all tools of this workshop for polishing and refining beings. Especially for humans, who are equipped with free will and intellect, this path of nurturing becomes a "voluntary spiritual journey." God, as the mentor, provides the grounds and guides, but it is the human who must take steps and, through their choices, build their own destiny on this path of nurturing.

In Christian theology, this concept is sometimes interpreted in the form of God's "Self-Emptying" (Kenosis); an idea according to which God, to some extent, empties a "space" from His absolute glory and power to give His creature independence, freedom, and room for growth. This itself is an ultimate nurturing act: giving space to breathe and to be. Therefore, nurturing is not only about giving, but also a wise withdrawal to allow room.

Finally, nurturing completes the cycle of love. Love creates the world, creativity shapes it, and nurturing directs it towards a perfection where it can ultimately return to its source of love and, with full awareness and flourishing, be dissolved in it. Therefore, creation without nurturing is incomplete, and love without the will for the beloved's growth is deficient. These three together form a perfect triangle within which the whole of existence finds its meaning and path.

3. Final Synthesis: The Unity of the Threefold Motivation

We now reach the peak of our analytical journey; where the three main currents of Love, Creativity, and Nurturing unite not as separate motives, but like interconnected rivers flowing into the shoreless ocean of the perfect being. These three components form the pillars of an integrated theological model in which creation is understood as a "dynamic process" and a "continuous event," not a one-time act within history.

This unity can be depicted as a sacred cycle: Love stimulates Creativity, Creativity creates the stage for Nurturing, and Nurturing guides the creature back towards reunion with the source of Love. This is not a linear path, but an evolutionary and dynamic loop. Love, as the central core, is both the starting point and the ultimate destination. It is this Love that, with its creative eruption, calls the world from non-being into being, and then, with its nurturing will, invites it to perfection and return.

In this model, the perfect being appears simultaneously in three transcendent roles: He is the "Lover" who creates the world out of yearning and passion, the "Artist" who adorns it with wisdom and beauty, and the "Mentor" who, with patience and kindness, guides it towards perfection. These three roles, in an inseparable interaction, complete each other. Love without Creativity remains unspoken; Creativity without Nurturing remains unfinished; and Nurturing without Love becomes devoid of meaning.

This synthesis gives creation an unparalleled depth and richness. The world is no longer an "object" or an "incident," but a "living text" with three layers of meaning: On the first layer, it is a love letter from the Creator to the creature. On the second layer, it is a unique work of art manifesting endless beauty and wisdom. And on the third layer, it is a nurturing workshop and cosmic university where every being traverses its own path of flourishing.

This three-dimensional view provides a final answer to our fundamental question: The motivation for creation is not one thing, but an "existential condition." A condition in which absolute perfection, because of that very perfection, cannot remain imprisoned within itself. He must bestow, must manifest, must nurture. Creation, therefore, is a necessity of the nature of bestowal, beauty, and growth, not of the nature of need and lack. These three axes together form the crown of divine wisdom and create a world that is purposeful, beautiful, and brimming with endless love.

4. Conclusion

In the light of the presented analysis, the question of the motivation for creation by a perfect and self-sufficient being appears not as an unsolvable riddle, but as a window for understanding a profound and dynamic relationship between the Creator and the creature. This analytical journey showed that the answer to this question cannot be sought in the form of a single, simple motive, but must be sought in the interweaving of three manifestations of the perfect being's perfection: Love, Creativity, and Nurturing.

These three components, like the three sides of a transcendent triangle, form a structure in which creation is not a random act or born of lack, but a necessity arising from the overflowing and bestowing nature of that absolute being. Love, as the beating heart of this process, was the primary driving force; an intrinsic yearning for bestowal and relationship. Subsequently, Creativity, as the language of this love, set the stage of existence for the manifestation of infinite hidden perfections and turned the world into a work of art. And finally, Nurturing, as the will for the continuity of this love, transformed the static world into a dynamic workshop so every being could traverse its path of flourishing towards perfection.

In the final synthesis of these three motivations, we realize that creation is not a singular event in the past, but a continuous and purposeful flow. A world that has flowed from the fountainhead of Love, has been shaped with the tools of Creativity, and is guided back towards that same source under the guidance of Nurturing. This view gives the highest meaning to existence and human life within it. If creation is born of Love, then the world is founded on affection. If it is built by Creativity, then beauty and order are its main themes. And if its goal is Nurturing, then sorrows and challenges are tools for growth and transcendence.

Thus, this threefold analysis provides a harmonious and comprehensive answer to the initial question: The motivation for creation is the eruption of a perfection that gushes forth in the form of Love, creates in the form of Creativity, and brings to perfection in the form of Nurturing. This answer is consistent with the concept of God's absolute self-sufficiency, because everything comes from abundance and bestowal, not need and lack; and it also elevates humanity's status as a being with free will who can play a role in this cosmic "romance" and traverse the path of self-awareness and conscious return to the Origin. Therefore, every particle of this world narrates a story of endless love, uncalculated creativity, and ceaseless nurturing.

References:

Persian Sources

1. Ibn 'Arabi, Muhyiddin. (No Date). Fusus al-Hikam. (Available Persian Commentary and Translation). (Primary source for citing the hadith "I was a hidden treasure..." and the principles of theoretical mysticism).
2. Chittick, William C. (2008). The World of Imagination: Ibn 'Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity (Translation by Ghasem Kakaei). Nashr-e Hirmis. (Source for explaining the concept of creativity and manifestation as divine art).
3. Shojaei, Morteza. (2011). Creation Based on Love and the Rule of 'The One' from Ibn 'Arabi's Perspective. Journal of Rational Doctrines. (Source for expanding the section "Love as the Necessity of Expression").
4. Motahhari, Morteza. (1999). The Causes of the Inclination towards Materialism. Entesharat-e Sadra. (Source for the philosophical explanation of the theory of emanation and responding to doubts about the motivation for creation).
5. Javadi Amoli, Abdollah. (2006). Thematic Interpretation of the Holy Quran: Vol. 4 (The Reality of Monotheism). Nashr-e Esra'. (Source for citing Quranic verses regarding love, creation, and the purposefulness of the world).

Foreign Sources

1. Armstrong, K. (1993). A History of God. Ballantine Books. (Source for the historical analysis of the evolution of the concept of God towards a loving God in Abrahamic religions).
2. Chittick, W. C. (1998). The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology. State University of New York Press. (Primary and specialized source for expanding the section on creativity and the theory of manifestation).
3. Moltmann, J. (1985). God in Creation: A New Theology of Creation and the Spirit of God. HarperCollins. (Source for expanding the section on "Nurturing" and concepts such as creation as space and Kenotic theology).
4. Nasr, S. H. (2006). Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the Land of Prophecy. State University of New York Press. (Source for explaining the theory of emanation in Islamic philosophy and its connection to creativity).
5. Panikkar, R. (1987). The Cosmotheandric Experience: Emerging Religious Consciousness. Orbis Books. (Source for citing the "I-Thou" relationship and love as the foundation of the Creator-creature relationship).