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Wa `alaykum as-salam, Samantha. Welcome to Islam, sister.
Your question is not a new one. Indeed, why did Allah make us at all?
We know that Allah has no need of us. If every single person that ever lived or will live worshiped Allah night and day, it would make Him no greater. Likewise, if every single person that ever lived or will live disobeyed Allah night and day, it would not diminish Him one a bit. As to exactly why He made us, the Qur’an gives us somewhat of an answer. The first answer comes from a verse that may be translated thus: *{He cannot be questioned concerning what He does and they shall be questioned.}*(Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:23)
Allah is All-Knowing; whereas we have only limited knowledge. Furthermore, we have no right to question the Creator.
Elsewhere the Qur’an says what means: *{And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: wilt Thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not. And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform me of the names of these, if ye are truthful. They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:30–32)
Even the angels were shocked that Allah was going to create a being with free will who would do harm and shed blood. Allah’s answer to them was simply that He knows what they do not know.
The Qur’an also says what means: *{Verily We have honored the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.}*(Al-Israa’ 17:70)
Remember that the angels were told to prostrate to Adam (Al-Baqarah 2:34 and elsewhere). Man can be regarded as higher than the angels from the perspective that he has free will and can choose to do right or wrong; he can choose to worship and obey Allah. The angels, on the other hand, have no free will to choose. They simply do what they are created or "programmed" to do.
I think you might also look at it this way: By having free will, man can struggle against the temptations of this world. By turning to Allah for help and surrendering to Him, he can overcome many of his weaknesses. Now, in our own human societies, whom do we admire more—the average person who has learned to walk, or someone who has learned to walk, even if with a cane or a limp, after overcoming a birth defect or an accident? Which student deserves more praise—one for whom learning is easy and who gets high grades with little effort, or one who works hard but can only get Bs? (Having been one of the former, I assure you the latter deserves more praise.)
If we were never tempted, or never even had the possibility of being tempted because we did not have free will, would we deserve as much reward as we do for overcoming temptations?
In the end, the knowledge of why we were created as we were is with Allah alone. But we also know that if we had not been created, we would never have had the pleasure, the bliss, of knowing Him.
Please read the links provided for more information.
Thank you for your question. Please do not hesitate to write again.
Salam!
Useful Links: Qadar: A Measured Destiny Are We "Born to Be Free"?
Divine and Human Will Why Did Allah Create Us? Fate and Free Will
Why Did Allah Create Humans? Are We Predestined?
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