Question: Although Allah is not in need of any help, why did He create angels? Why does He have angels do the affairs that He can create by only saying “Be!”
ANSWER
It is true that Allahu ta’âlâ is not in need of anyone’s help, and He can create everything from nothing by only saying “Be!” The purport of an âyah (Qur’anic verse) is as follows:
(When Allah wants to create something, He says “Be!” and it is.) [Sûrat-ul-Baqara, 117]

However, His divine habit is such that He creates everything through causes and means. For example, He charged Jabrâil ‘alaihis-salâm with the duty of bringing revelation to prophets and Azrâil ‘alaihis-salâm with the duty of taking away the souls of human beings. If He had willed, He could have sent revelation to his prophets without Jabrâil ‘alaihis-salâm. As a matter of fact, He sent messages to them by means of inspiration to their blessed hearts as well. He can take away our souls without Azrâil ‘alaihis-salâm. He can bring rain without there being any clouds. He has made parents a cause for His creating a child. Even though His divine habit is such that He creates something through some cause, if He wills, He can create it without any causes or means, too. He created Hadrat ‘Îsâ, for instance, without a father and Hadrat Âdam without a father and a mother.

In the same way, it is Allahu ta’âlâ who creates useful effects in medicines, which are given to the sick. He could cure them without medicines, but His divine law is such that they should take medicines. Once Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm became ill. They told him its medicine. “I do not want medicine. Allahu ta’âlâ will cure it,” he said. The illness lingered, getting even worse. “The medicine of this illness is well known and has been tried. You will recover soon,” they said, but he replied, “No, I do not want medicine,” and his illness became even worse. Then the wahy came down to him, declaring, “If you do not take medicine, I shall not bless you with healing.” Upon this he took the medicine and recovered health, but something occurred to his heart. Then the wahy came in which Allahu ta’âlâ declared: “In order to have tawakkul, you want to change My law, My hikmat. Who gave useful effects to medicines? Of course, I create them.”

As Allahu ta’âlâ has made bread a means for feeding, so He has made medicines means for removing illnesses. It is Allahu ta’âlâ alone who creates all means and gives them effective power.

Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm asked such a question:
“O my Rabb! Who makes diseases and who cures diseases?”
“I make both of them.”
“Why should we need doctors, then?”
“Doctors know the means which I created for healing and give them to My slaves. And I give them sustenance and rewards through this way” (Kimyâ-i Sa’âdat).

Then asking why angels were created is like asking why Allah gave useful effects to medicines. Therefore, our ancestors said, “He is not to be questioned about hidden divine reasons.”