A Creator that gives man free will and provides instruction on how to use that free will for its own benefit.
The aim is that man becomes "like God".
This is not possible without free will, as God has free will.
So the next option is give man free will and guidance on how to utilise it in the manner beseeming to mans potential and destiny.
Suffering comes from man distorting his free will. But if we go back further we see it is free will that has caused suffering and yes God created free will, but there was no option.
This goes back to "we are a way for the universe to know itself" by Sagan, or the Islamic Tradition "I was a Hidden Treasure, and I desired to be known, therefore I created Creation in order to be known"
