What is the relationship between God and man in Islam?
God created man and established him as His vicegerent on earth and made the universe with its heavens and earth and all that lies between them subservient to him and instructed him to populate the earth. This indicates that God intended that man should be the master in this universe, but at the same time he should not forget that God created him. In this sense only is he a slave to God, his Creator whom he is expected to serve as one who worship Him and not as a servile or abject slave. God Almighty gave man the freedom of choice between obeying Him or disobeying Him, between believing in Him or rejecting His Faith and this is stated in the following Qur'anic verse: "Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it)". [18/29] Freedom of choice is the opposite of slavery Man has always been granted the right and freedom of choosing his way in life and is consequently responsible for his actions: "if any one does a righteous deed, it is for the benefit of his own soul; and if he does evil, it works against (his own soul). "[45/l5]
God has honoured man and preferred him to many of His creatures as is stated in: "We have honored the sons of Adam". [17/70] This honor with which God has blessed man is the exact opposite of servility, and when God created man and breathed into him of His spirit, he ordered the angels to prostate themselves before him: "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down in obeisance unto him". [15/29] In this process of divine spiritual animation lies the intimate relationship between man and his Creator, and every human being retains within his soul the essence of this divine process which always assures him that he is in the Divine presence of God, wherever may be: "And He is with you where so ever you may be" [57/4]
The Qur'an also assures us that God Almighty nearer to man than his own jugular vein. [50/4] and that He is always near to him and that He answers the prayers of every person who invokes Him [2/186] and that His Mercy extends to all things [7/l56] and that He is Most Merciful, Although God Almighty has been described in the Qur'an as being All-Compelling once and as being the Supreme Controlling Power twice and as being Irresistible six times, He has been described as being the Most Gracious and Beneficent fifty-seven times and as being the Merciful one hundred and fourteen times, in addition to being described as the Most Merciful of the merciful four times. God Almighty has also been described as kind and affectionate and the attribute of His Mercy has been mentioned innumerable times.
The aforementioned verses all prove the intimate relationship between man and his Creator for it is a relationship of proximity, mercy and response to man's prayers and invocations. God Almighty is more merciful and compassionate to His creatures than a mother is to her child and this mercy is felt by every Muslim in the depths of his heart.