Allah said: When Adam made an error, he asked: O Allah! I ask you for the sake of Muhammad to forgive me. Allah said: O Adam! How do you recognize Muhammad when I have not yet created him? Adam said: O Allah! When you created me and blew into me the spirit, I lifted my head and saw written on the Arsh (throne) ‘La ilaaha illallah Muhammadur rasoolullah’. So, I got to know that you would only join your name with him who is most beloved to you. Allah said: O Adam! You have spoken the truth. Indeed Muhammad is more beloved to me than anything and when you asked me for his sake, I pardoned you. If Muhammad was not in existence, I would not have created you” (Hakim in Mustadrik, Baihaqi in Dalail an-Nubuwah, Tabrani in Kabeer)
Abdullah ibn Abbas (r.a) said that: “Allah revealed to Prophet ‘Isa ‘(as) that: O ‘Isa! Have Iman in Muhammad and order your ummah to do the same. If Muhammad was not in existence, I would not have created Adam nor would I have made heaven or hell”. (Hakim in Mustadrik and Abu as-Shaykh in Tabqat al-Isfahani’in)
Salman al-Farsi (r.a) said that: “Jibra’il came to Rasoolallah (saws) and said that Allah says: I have not created anyone who is more honoured to me than you. I have created the world and all that is therein so that they may know the rank that you possess. I would not have created the world if I had not created you”.(Ibn Asakir)
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani says: “These reports say that if Muhammad (saws) were not created then Allah would not have made the skies nor the Earth, neither heaven nor hell, neither the sun nor the moon”.
This is because Allah was referring to the depth all His creatures would achieve in knowing Him, and the Prophet Muhammad (saws) surpassed any other creation in that, among all His creatures Mankind surpassed Allah’s other creations, this is mankind’s place with Allah because they fulfilled the reason for Allah creating everything, which is to know Him.
Allah created Death and life to see which of us is best in Deed (surah al Mulk), Heaven and Hell are a reward or punishment for those who Follow and pick up this burden, and those who ignore it and become evil. If neither existed then our actions would not have worth and real consequences, both heaven and hell serve as a balance in creation being the two most opposite places with Allah representing His best rewards and His most sever punishment.
If they didn’t exist no creature would have been deserving of his reward, which means that no creature would have achieved the same depths in knowing Allah to deserve its creation in the first place, everything is in Allah’s foreknowledge and it was all created for the sake of mankind so they could achieve knowing Allah.
Because Allah mentioned both Heaven and Hell in relation to why creation was created, Allah was saying He would not have otherwise created a system in the universe that promoted knowing Him to the same Depths, because Allah says “man can not have anything but what he strives for” (53:39) or earns in other words.
If we keep in mind what Imam al Ghazali said we would understand that in the following Hadith, Allah wanted the companions and mankind after them to understand that creation worshiped him by obeying his Laws, which is why it was made to speak in front of the companions.
Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said,”We were with the Messenger of Allaah, (saws), on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said: ‘Bring the remaining water with you.’People brought a utensil containing a little water. He dipped his hand in it and said:’Come to the blessed water – and the Blessing is from Allaah!’ I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of the Messenger (saws) and we certainly heard the food glorifying Allaah when it was being eaten
If man sees that Allah has just made this inanimate object speak then He will understand that it is obeying Allah’s will and laws.
Allah began teaching the prophet (saws) this fact about the Universe before He (saws) became a prophet to prepare him for what He would reveal through the Quran. The Prophet (saws) said: “I recognize a stone in Makkah which would salute me before my commissioning as a Prophet. I still recognize it.” (Muslim)
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allaah be pleased with him, said,“I was once with the Prophet (saws) in Makkah and we went out to some location. Every mountain and tree which the Prophet, (saws), passed by would salute him (saying) ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allaah.”’ (At-Tirmithi)
Moreover, the tree-trunk which the Prophet (saws) would stand beside while giving his Khutbah (Friday sermon) was one of the inanimate objects which talked to the Prophet, (saws). Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said,“The Prophet (saws) would deliver his Khutbah while standing beside a trunk (of a palm-tree). When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk therefore began weeping, and so the Prophet went to it and rubbed his hand over it.” (Al-Bukhaari)
The signs in Allah’s creation point towards his religion because they speak of His will , command and laws throughout creation.