In order to explain the answer, we must shed light on a few points:

A: The wisdom behind creation:

1- Due to the fact that Allah is Wajibul Wujud  (Necessary being) and His existence is not dependant on anything else, he has no limits, is transcendental and possesses all perfection.

2- One of His excellences and virtues is his unlimited grace and mercy. The Almighty says in the Quran: “and the bounty of your Lord is not confined”[1]

There are no limits to Allah’s grace, therefore when he does not grant something, it is because of the limitations of the receiver not the granter, and what is possible to be granted, will be granted.

3- All perfection stems from Wujud (existence) and all limitations and deficiencies stem from the lack of Wujud (existence). For example knowledge is a type of perfection and ignorance (which is a lack of knowledge) is a limitation and deficiency. Another example would be power, the opposite of disability, which is a type of perfection. Therefore, Wujud (existence) is the source of all goodness and blessing, meaning that all limitations are a form of nonexistence and lack of Wujud (existence).

4- Taking the third point into consideration, one can conclude that Allah’s mercy and grace will only be fulfilled through creation. Therefore, the inevitable result of being graceful is to create.

In other words, if something has the potential to be created and Allah does not create it, this would mean preventing goodness because Wujud is the source of goodness, and therefore such an act would be considered stinginess, and stinginess can not be attributed to Allah. In the light of all this, we conclude that if we were asked “what caused Allah to create?” we would reply: His grace caused him to create.  

5- Allah’s attributes are in complete oneness with his entity. The attributes of human beings and other objects are not in oneness with their essence. For example, an apple has an essence and also has certain attributes such as being red or sweet. Being red or sweet has no unity with the essence of the apple. An apple can be sour and green, but its essence will still exist.

The oneness of Allah’s essence and his attributes is a very deep issue that can be studied in the science of theology. However, what is important to know is that being graceful, which is the “final cause” or “purpose” (Ellate Ghayi) of creation, is Allah’s entity and not something other than his essence.  Therefore if we were asked: “Why did Allah create creatures?” We will answer: Because He is Allah.  So the final cause is actually Allah himself. This is exactly what philosophers mean when they say: The final cause and “efficient cause” are the same when it comes to Allah’s acts.[2]  Moreover, we might be able to find traces of this meaning in some Quranic verses[3] like: “الیه یرجع الامر کله” (All matters return to him).[4]

B: What was mentioned explained the creator’s wisdom behind the whole concept of creation, but to explain the wisdom behind the creation a certain being like man, requires the explanation of another point and that is the particular perfection Allah wanted to create through creating man.

Explanation: The inevitable result of Allah’s grace is for him to create any excellence that has the potential to be created. Before the creation of man, he had already created beings like the angels that possessed all potential excellences from the beginning, meaning that they possessed all their perfection in actuality. Therefore, they would never reach a new form of perfection and their existential perfection could never develop to a higher level. Allah quotes the angles in the Quran saying: “There is none among us but has a known place. Indeed it is we who are the ranged ones. Indeed it is we who are those who celebrate Allah's glory.”[5] 

Imam Ali stated: “Then He created the openings between high skies and filled them with all classes of His angels. Some of them are in prostration and do not kneel up. Others in kneeling position and do not stand up. Some of them are in array and do not leave their position. Others are extolling Allah and do not get tired!”[6]  They worship Allah and do not get tired and this is a perfection Allah has granted them, and they can not choose to disobey Allah. Allah says in the Quran: “لایسبقونه بالقول و هم بامره یعملون” “They do not venture to speak ahead of Him, and they act by His command.”[7] And He also says: “Over that fire are [assigned] angels, severe and mighty, who do not disobey whatever Allah has commanded them, and carry out what they are commanded.”[8]

Due to His unlimited grace, Allah wanted to create a higher perfection in addition to the perfection that angels possessed, and that is the perfection of man reaching excellence through his free will; meaning that he created a creature that could decide and strive to possess all perfections through his free will. Therefore, he created man, a being that does not possess all of his potential excellences from the beginning, but has the power to reach all of them as well. It very clear that the perfection man reaches is of a higher level compare to the excellence angels have been granted. Imam Ali states: “Allah created the angels from the ‘Mind’ and did not give them desire and created animals from desire and did not grant them intelligence, and he created man from mind and desire. Whoever that his mind prevails over his desire will be higher than the angles and whoever that his desire prevails over his mind will be lesser than animals.[9]”

Therefore all causes of creation are the grace of Allah. The inevitable result of Allah’s grace is for Him to create this possible excellence, an excellence higher than any other.

C: Why didn’t Allah create man perfect in the first place?

In light of what was said, one can conclude that the purpose of creation will only be fulfilled when man is created with the potential to reach perfection and does so through his free will. If he possessed that perfection from the beginning, such a thing would definitely not be considered a perfection he earned on his own and the purpose of his creation would not be fulfilled.

We must keep in mind that even reaching the smallest level of perfection is considered possessing excellence through free will and, therefore, fulfills the purpose of creation to that extent.

D: Sinners and Unbelievers:

Even if someone does not reach the lowest level of perfection and his life is full of disbelief and disobeying Allah, his acts still do not contradict the wisdom behind creation, because he too has actualized his potentials. Man has the potential to decline to the lowest levels of value, and Allah has created him in a way that he can choose the way of perfection and truth or the way of evil and astray. Therefore, even an unbeliever has not acted against the takwini (having to do with creation) will of Allah. Obviously, Allah wants man to move towards perfection and does not wish him to go astray. In other words, in creating man Allah had two wills, the first was takwini and the second was tashri’i: his takwini will is for all humans to have the chance actualize their potentials while his tashri’ri will is for humans to take the path of perfection and salvation.

Taking what was said into consideration, one can say that a believer has acted both according to Allah’s tashri’i and takwini will, but an unbeliever or sinner has only acted according to Allah’s takwini will and has not followed Allah’s tashri’i will.

Note: Considering the importance of this issue and the many narrative reasons, there is room for more research and questioning on your part.