Our Limitations in Comprehending the Divine
Passing a verdict on something requires first comprehending it. Since human beings are finite creatures, they are incapable of fully comprehending the reality of an eternal Allah and grasping His Perfection. After all, they do not have direct access to Allah, nor the visual or mental capacity to handle such access were it granted, nor do they have access to anything comparable that would allow their imaginations to construct a mental image. Hence, the necessary antecedent for critiquing Allah, which is comprehending Allah, does not exist. The Most High said:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing. [ash-Shura 42: 11].

For this reason, we say that it is beyond the human mind to describe Allah on its own, independently, without revelation. Humans can and should think deeply about the signs of Allah, inferring from them some undeniable truths about the Creator and His attributes. However, this must be done with an awareness that veils have been lowered between their minds and the full essence of Allah’s nature. Intelligence here involves realizing the limits of one’s intelligence.

For instance, examining the magnitude and magnificent design of our universe allows us to infer the Greatness and Graciousness of the One Who brought it into existence. However, our minds are limited in what they can decipher from these signs, and we must therefore refrain from trying to completely comprehend what is locked behind an impregnable door.
These human limitations are also why the Qur’an kept the discussion on Allah—though quite elaborate—limited to certain divine traits, due to the mind’s limited ability to grasp the Divine. Given these limitations, it is inappropriate for a human being to casually question Allah’s Wisdom in asking to be worshipped.

Presuming the Humanness of Allah is a Flawed Premise
Where does this question regarding the Creator’s “need” for worship come from? Why does the issue of how worship “benefits” Him represent a central theme of those asking this question? These questions stem from the human tendency for anthropomorphism (likening non-humans to humans). One major problem with anthropomorphism is the assumption that Allah is comparable to the human being in every respect, with no dissimilarity whatsoever. Such an overextended analogy may unfold in the following fashion: people’s actions and requests are generated by need, therefore all actions and requests result from need, including the actions and requests of Allah.

Thus, those who think that Allah asks for worship in order to fulfil a need or to compensate for some deficiency are essentially anthropomorphizing the Divine. Such people imagine that all requests are generated by the desire to fill a void because their lifetime of experience with humans suggests that this is why people request things. However, extending that motive to Allah when we do not fully comprehend His Nature is clearly fallacious, especially when what we do understand of His Nature—through reason and revelation—indicates that He does not have any needs.

Not Every Request is Prompted by the Requester’s Need
Even among humans, not all requests communicate need. Consider a physician who asks a patient to open his mouth in order to administer medicine. This physician would love for the patient to obey this request, not for personal benefit, but because obeying will result in benefit for the patient. Similarly, Allah’s love for worship points to the benefits that worship entails for humans. Consider a wealthy person who asks a beggar to extend his hand and loves that he complies so that he may hand him money. These examples are better analogies for God’s desire to be worshipped; His loving to be worshipped and obeyed does not necessitate His need for it, nor is any request—even among people—always associated with a desire for more of something.

These and many other examples demonstrate that merely requesting something does not indicate a need for that thing; requests are used for a variety of communicative intentions, many of which do not involve any need on the part of the requester. As for Allah, the most perfect essence and traits belong to Him. He is not increased by people’s worship in the least; rather, opportunities to worship and do good are ultimately offerings from Allah to humans—considering He gifted them the ability to do good in the first place.