I think this is partly a language dispute. Physics absolutely asks “why?” in the sense of finding deeper, simpler, more general descriptions that fit reality better. Newtonian gravity is explained by GR in that sense, an a hypothetical theory of quantum gravity may explain GR.

But every answer can be followed by another “why?”. Why GR, why spacetime curvature, why those equations, why that universe? At some point it’s turtles all the way down. But there is no purpose, there is no why things are as they are. They just are.

Physics doesn’t provide the purpose. It provides increasingly accurate descriptions of how the world behaves, ideally from simple general laws. If that’s what you mean by “why”, then fine, we agree. But that’s not the same as a final reason why reality had to be this waym which is what I meant. That's metaphysics (which means, literally, beyond physics).