So let us take a look at the question again:
Why does God/Allah ask us to worship him?
This question has been a recurrent criticism among antagonists of religion. It has even stirred doubts in many theists who have been worn down by its relentless repetition, or who have simply lost hope in ever having it answered to their satisfaction.

Firstly, who is asking this question?
As Muslims, and especially when it comes to our beliefs and the Commandments of Allah Most High, we have an attitude of سمعنا و اطعنا that we listen and we obey, no questions asked. So who then would ask a question like this?

The arguments of atheists have been so loud and ubiquitous (found everywhere) that they may appear to be many and profound. However, upon closer examination, one soon realizes that they are, in fact, few in number and largely recycled. They usually involve unsubstantiated assumptions about realities beyond our finite realm, such as the eternality of matter or Allah’s qualities and actions. Of course, the latter are more complicated than the former because they involve the non-tangible world, to which we have no direct access.

One common question posed by atheists pertains to the wisdom behind Allah asking His creation to worship Him. Usually, it is phrased something like this: Why does God ask us to worship Him, when He has no need for our worship? How does God benefit from our prayers, supplications, and fasting? Some may first ask: What is the wisdom for which God created us? But the moment they are told that it is for worship, they immediately object: But what does He gain from us worshipping Him? By that, we are brought back to the original question.

Therefore this discussion begins by first understanding why this question—“Why does Allah ask for worship?”—is inherently problematic. It then addresses the more pertinent question, “Why do we need to worship Allah?”
Deconstructing the Question
Understanding the question correctly is necessary because many atheistic arguments are phrased to conceal their inherent fallacies. Attending to the wording of the question itself, reveals its presuppositions. It is important to establish the internal inconsistency of the question before gathering arguments to debunk it. An internal inconsistency exists when the premises that the questioner takes for granted are actually not as “common sense” as they claim.

Tomorrow in sha Allah we will look at why this question itself is flawed!