Why did Allah create the things He already knew in order to see them?

Does knowing exactly how an incident will take place not eliminate the need to see it?
I do not ask, “If Allah already knows our fate, what is our fault?”. I know the answer to this question. If someone has the knowledge of the outcome of certain acts, it does not mean that he carried out the action. My question is as follows: “If Allah knows everything, why did He create the things He already knew in order to see them?”
Allah knows everything before they happen; this is a natural outcome of his divine being. The one that does not know cannot be a deity. So, why did He create the universe and test the humans though he already knew?

Dear Brother / Sister,

First of all, we should say that anyone who has beauty and perfection wants to show his beauty and perfection. Allah willed to see and show His own beauty and perfection on the beings He created. He created the universe and the creatures for His names and attributes to appear in the universe.

Although everything was available in the divine knowledge pre-eternally, they needed to emerge and appear on reflecting mirrors of existence. That is only possible with the creation of beings.

For example; the creation of smiling flowers and plants needed to be created for His name “al-Jameel (the most Beautiful)” to appear. That makes the creation of the world necessary.

As for the question ““If Allah knows everything, why did He create the things He already knew in order to see them?”

We can summarize the answer as follows:

“Divine Determining (destiny) is a sort of knowledge. Knowledge is dependent on the thing known. That is, it knows it as it is. The thing known is not dependent on knowledge. That is, the principles of knowledge are not fundamental so that the knowledge directs the thing known with regard to its external existence. Because the essence of the thing known and its external existence look to will and are based on power. (Nursi, Sözler, 26. Söz, 2. Menba - The Words | 26th Word 2nd topic)

Divine Determining is only to know, i.e. something related to knowledge. This divine knowledge is related to the declaration and purpose of our will. That is, destiny knows it as where and how the slave will use his tendency and will. The slave does not use his will because destiny knows it.  If the action of the slave were not created, there would not be any knowledge about his doing it in his destiny.

Accordingly, the question “Why did He create the things He already knew in order to see them” is asked due to not understanding the issue fully. If the issue is understood fully and correctly, it will be clear that such a question will not be asked.

Allah knows what and how His slaves will desire and do with His pre-eternal knowledge. That is what we call destiny. If something is not going to happen, that is, if it is not going to be created, on what basis will it be knowledge?

Thus, the information of something exists because it will happen. If it is not going to be created, there will be no knowledge about its existence, but there will be knowledge about its non-existence.

For instance, suppose that a Muslim will perform the morning prayer tomorrow, and that Allah knows with His pre-eternal knowledge that His slave will perform that prayer with his free will. Allah's knowledge about it is relevant to that slave's performing the prayer. Such knowledge exists because he will pray. If we assume that the slave does not perform the prayer, and that prayer was not created, there would be no knowledge about his performing the prayer. For, the knowledge that he would perform the prayer was dependent on his performing the prayer. So there was knowledge that he would perform the prayer because he was going to do so.

Therefore, Allah's divine knowledge appear in accordance with how something is going to happen. If we suppose that that thing did not happen, there would be knowledge that it would not happen. If there is knowledge that something will happen, it is unthinkable that it will not take place and will not be created.

To sum up, to know beforehand how something is going to happen does not prevent it from being created; on the contrary, it increases the will to create it.   

For instance, if a person designs a beautiful painting in his mind, his enthusiasm to paint will increase. The enthusiasm and pleasure of a person who knows how to write poems is more than other people.   

He who does not know them will not want to do and write such things.   

Besides, creation is not only about seeing them, Allah's will to witness the manifestations of His names and attributes is in question. It is possible to understand this from the following sacred Hadith: “I was an unknown treasure and I wished to be known. So, I created the creatures.” (Ajluni, Kashful-Khafa II, 132 )

We should also remember that humans and jinn were created to worship Allah. “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.”  (adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)

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