TRUE WORSHIP

Shaikh Omar   

What is true worship? Is it performing Salaah (prayers) in the Masjid? Is it observing Saum (keeping fast) in the month of Ramadhaan, Giving Zakaah (obligatory alms-giving) once in a year and doing the rituals of Hajj and Umrah (pilgrimage) once in the life? Is it reciting a Du’aa or supplication? True worship is all these things, and much more........

Islam has widened the scope of worship to include rituals and every virtuous action which is sincerely performed in compliance with the commandments of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa), in order to seek His pleasure. However, this concept is sometimes used as a pretext to support the erroneous view that the obligatory rituals of worship can be dispensed with, or that they are not very important. For example, one may say that the code of dress for Muslim women, as specified in the Quraan and the Sunnah, is not obligatory or important as long a woman dresses decently.

The truth is quite contrary to this. The specific obligatory rituals are the chief means for strengthening our attachments with Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa).

It is absolutely wrong to imagine that true faith does not consist of specific rituals, and that the basis of true faith is merely purity of heart, goodness of intention and soundness of conduct.

This represents misrepresentation of Islamic teachings. The intention to do good alone does not mark off the true men of faith from the rest.

Religion, after all, has an external aspect in the same way as it has an internal aspect.

This attitude of deliberate disregard of ritual obligations is destructive of the very foundations of religion. For, if that viewpoint to be adopted, every one, even those who are in fact opposed to religion could claim to be the best of all worshipers.

Ibaadah is actually the manifestation of o person’s submissiveness as a slave of his Ma’bood, the Lord that should obviously encompass ones whole life and not only the rituals. 

So the real purpose of Islam in declaring that Ibaadah embraces the total life of man is to make faith play a practical and effective role in reforming human life, in developing in man an attitude of dignified patience and strength in the face of hardships and difficulties and in creating in him the urge to strive for victory of good over evil.

Islam is opposed to those defeatist and isolationist philosophies which are based on world-renunciation, on resignation from the resources of life, on withdrawal from the life of action and struggle, on sheer stagnation and decadence.

These things have nothing to do with Islam. Rather, they are the symbols of defeatism and escape from the challenges that we find throughout the life.

For life requires strength of determination and active habits. The role of Islam in the struggle of life is a positive one.

SUBMISSION AND LOVE
It is clear now that when we talk about worship we talk about total, willing obedience and submission to Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa). Because this obedience and submission is a voluntary act, a free choice we have made with a sound mind, it must have been motivated by love for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa). We could not have begun to worship Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) without first loving him above anything and anyone else. Thus, there is no worship without obedience and submission, and there is no worship without love.

True worship is made of two elements. 

First: compliance with the total commandments of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa), the positive and the negative.

Second: such compliance and obedience must emanate and come from a loving heart for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa).

Such love for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) should be based on the awareness and recognition of His grace, bounty, kindness, mercy, beauty and perfection. He who knows Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) loves Him. This is why the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) was the most loving person for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) because he was the most knowledgeable of Him.

Love and submission to Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) are the essence of worship in Islam, which is established by a commitment of faith, a contract which we undertook when we accepted Islam as religion and way of life, when we recited the Kalimah and bore witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.

Once we are committed and faithful to this contract, then we must submit our life to Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa), to follow His message and be guided by his Book and the Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). This is the foundation of our worship.

REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS
In order to be able to perform it as it is prescribed, we must know the requirements and conditions of true worship.

Sincerity of Intentions
One of these required conditions that a Muslim should be aware of while performing any worship is the sincerity. Almighty Allah said:

“So whoever hopes for the meeting with His Lord let him work deeds of righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of His Lord” (18:110)

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said: “Indeed Allah does not look at your faces nor your wealth but He looks at your hearts and your actions.” Also there is a Hadeeth Qudsee where the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said that Allah said:

“I am in no need of having partners. Thus, whoever does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine, will have that action rejected by Me.”

Correctness and Conformity
Another vital condition of worship is that it is correct so that it may be acceptable to Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa). Our Worship of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) should be as He and His Messenger, have commanded us. Almighty Allah says:

“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not let your actions be done in vain (useless). (47:33)

Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) has said: “Whoever does an action which we have not commanded will have it rejected” And he, also said: “Whoever does an action in a way different from ours will have it rejected”.

Fudhail ibne ‘Ayaadh, a Tabe’ee (the student of Sahaabah i.e. the companions of the Prophet SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), said regarding the verse: “that He may test you, which of you is best in deeds.” (11:7), “The most sincere and the most correct”, if it is correct but not sincere it will not be accepted and, if it is sincere but not correct it will not be accepted until it is both sincere and correct. Sincere means that nothing but the pleasure of Allah is sought and correct means that it is in conformity with the Sunnah of the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam).”

Ihsaan
Another characteristic of our worship is being aware of the presence of Allah, that His knowledge is with us and He sees and hears us. This point is called Ihsaan -- perfection or doing one’s utmost. Almighty Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa):

“The One Who sees you when you stand up for the prayer and when you move amongst those who prostrate themselves” (26:218)

We all know the Hadeeth of angel Hadhrat Jebreel when he said to the Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam):

“Ihsaan is that you worship Allah as if you see Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you”.

Allah has also commanded us: “So call upon Him (out of) Fear and Hope” (6:56)

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), used to supplicate: “I ask Allah for Paradise and I seek refuge in Him from the Fire”.

The Verse and the Hadeeth clearly tells us that our worship should be in between hoping for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Mercy and reward and fearing His punishment.

So these are the essential points which we must keep in mind concerning our worship, namely:

We must acknowledge that Worship of Allah is the purpose of our existence; 

We must have absolute Sincerity in fulfilling that purpose; 

We must observe Correctness of our worship by conducting it in the manner of the Sunnah of the Messe-nger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam).

Worshipping Allah (Subhaan-ahu wa Ta’aalaa) by combining Love, Fear and Hope; and 

Maintaining Ihsaan -- a keen awareness, excellent consciousness of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa).

Here Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) gives the example of one who learns and builds all of his actions on the essential points concerning the worship of his Lord, and one who does not.

“Which then is best? He who lays the foundation of his house upon Taqwaa (i.e. Allah-Fearing) and His Good Pleasure, or he who lays the foundation of his house upon an undetermined sand cliff ready to crumble down, so that it crumbles down with him into the Fire of Hell?” (9:109).

So, let’s be mindful of the purpose of our existence, aware that our worship and good deeds could be frustrated if they are insincere or incorrect, striving to combine love and fear and hoping to attain the degree of Ihsaan.

At the day of Judgment, some people will find that their deeds and actions have been rejected By Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) and turned into floating dust. In this regard, Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) says:

“And We shall turn to whatever actions they did and turn them into scattered dust” (25:23)

Let us become cautious and send something forward for the Day of Judgment, the Day when we will be in great need for good actions — that is our sincere and correct worship. Let us try to achieve the degree of Ihsaan by worshipping Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) as if we see Him, and being constantly aware that even if we don’t see Him, He sees us.

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