WORSHIP IN ISLAM

THE MEANING OF WORSHIP 

   The concept and purpose of worship in Islam is unparalleled to any other religious in existence. It combines the mundane with the spiritual, the individual with the society, and the internal soul with the external body. Worship has a unique role in islam , and through worship a person is regarded as a true Muslim who accords his entire life to the Will of Allah.
    The importance of worship may be seen in the fact that it has been prescribed by Allah in all religious prior to Islam. Allah SWT said in the Glorious Qur'an:
"And assuredly We have sent among every people a messenger (with the command): worship Allah..." (Qur'aan 16:36)

   Worship in Islam has so many facets that it is difficult to describe them all in words.
The most general meaning of worship in Islam is inclusive of everything which is pleasing to Allah, whether they deal with issues of belief, or deeds of the body. It also refers to everything that Allah requires-external or internal. This includes rituals as well as beliefs, work, social activities, and personal behavior; for a human being is a whole, such that every part affects every other.

        DEVOTION TO ALLAH

    This facet if worship entails that one fulfil certain deeds which Allah has commanded in His religion, whether they deal with the inner self or the outer body, and whether they be obligatory or voluntary.
    This facet of worship is not only limited to following His commandments, however, but it is also inclusive of leaving those things which He has forbidden. Worship, in this sense, maybe defined as anything believed, felt, or done as an act of obedience to Allah.
    In this respect, worship may also be called servitude, as it is in essence living one's life in complete servitude to Allah, doing what He commands, and avoiding what He forbids, as a slave lives within the will of his master. In essence, all creations are slaves of Allah, whether they like it or not, for they are all subject yo the laws He has placed within His creation.
"There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes into the Most Beneficent (Allah) as an obedient slave." (Qur'aan 19:93) 

"To Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or  unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned..."
(Qur'aan 3:83).

But worship differs from servitude in that it must be coupled with love, awe and reverence. No act of obedience is regarded as worship unless it is coupled with these feelings; one must love the action and love, hold in awe, and revere the One for whom the action is being performed.


   For this reason, in discussing this topic, it must be emphasized that worship is solely for Allah.
   Islam adheres to the strictness form of monotheism and does not tolerate that any act of worship be directed towards other than Allah. It is Allah alone who demands our obedience, and it is Allah alone who deserves our love.
   Any veneration of other deities besides Allah, whether they be demigods, prophets, angels, saints, or matryers or their relics, statues, or pictures, is considered as a breach in this monotheism, and a person is rendered out of the fold of Islam if committed.
    Even though one may justify that they venerate saints due to their services to Allah, or their relics as a remembrance of them, Islam does not differentiate between direct and indirect, or subordinate and superior worship.
   All worship and acts of veneration, homage, and obedience must be offered to Allah alone.

THE INNER FORMS OF WORSHIP 

    As mentioned above , acts of worship prescribed by Allah either deal with the inner self or the outer body. Those which deal with the inner self do so with belief and feelings.
    Humans are commanded to believe in certain ultimate truths, discussed in the articles of faith, and this it the most important aspect of worship. Belief is the basis for what a person feels and does which simply implies that action and feelings are a reflection of belief.
    If a person's belief in incorrect or weak, it will never produce the desired results in regards to their feelings or action. For example , if a person incorrectly believes that Allah has forgiven them their sins due merely to their faith, their belief will not produce the desired feeling of the fear which should be present in their hearts, nor will this belief cause a person to cease sinning and perform deeds or righteousness.
    Allah has also commanded us to maintain certain feelings in our hearts, both towards Allah and as well as others of His creation. Muslims must love Allah, fear Him, have awe in Him, place their trust in Him, and revere Him.
    Muslims have also been commanded to love righteousness and hate sin. These are all considered acts of worship of the inner self because they are in essence a fulfillment of the commandments of Allah ; Muslims will be rewarded for fulfilling them.

   THE OUTER FORMS OF WORSHIP 

   Throughout history, certain religions, due to there tempering, have placed more emphasis on the inner format of worship, wholly or partially dismissing the importance of the outer, while others have placed more emphasis on apparent and visible acts of rituals diminishing the value of belief.
   As mentioned earlier, in Islam, there is no absolute separation between the inner and outer forms of worship, because the inner state produces and ought to produce outer manifestations, and outer conditions and actions have inner consequences.
   There is certainly a correspondence between the inner and the outer state,and each tends to modify the other.
All inner intentions lead to equivalent postures and actions. One can often judge a persons inner state by his outer.
   A person is despair or fear, for instance, has a certain posture and expression on his face.
Conversely, if certain activities or postures are adopted the the equivalent inner state will result.

   Visible acts of worship offered to Allah are fruits of the Muslim's belief. For this reason, not only does Islam require that a person believe in the ultimate truths laid out in its doctrine, but it also requires that faith produces tangible action. It is not enough for one to maintain certain beliefs for salvation, but rather deeds ate essential in order for one to be successful in this life and the next.

   Allah has commanded that Muslims fulfill certain commandments throughout the course of their lives, exemplified in the five pillars of Islam. Other have been prescribed daily, such as the compulsory charity and the fast of Ramadan, or as little as once in a person's life, such as the Hajj.
   There are many other acts of worship prescribed in Islam other than the five pillars, some of which are obligatory and others of which are voluntary, their performance left to a Muslim's discretion.
    Though other is a ritual connected with these acts of worship, they should not be mistaken for ritualism or regimentation. Acts of worship must be done and awareness of the presence of Allah. Actions performed mechanically or ad habits produce only automatons and do not facilitate spiritual growth.

 "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the East or the family West, but righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Lad Day and the Angels and the Book and the Prophets, and gives his beloved money to his relatives and the organs and the needy and for the ransoming of captives and who observed prayer and pays the poor-due and those who fulfill their promises when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and affliction and the steadfast in the time of war; it is those who have proved truthful and it is those who are the God-fearing. " 
(Qur'aan 2:177).

THE PURPOSE AND BENEFIT OF WORSHIP

   Allah is not in need of our worship. Worship had been legislated in Islam and all other previous religions for the benefit of humanity, both in the individual and societal sense.
   Worship is essential fr the maintenance of spirituality in the life of Muslims and its growth. Formal worship trains the individual yo love his Creator and yo develop constant awareness of Allah.
Allah (The Exalted) says:
"O people! Worship your Lord Who has created you and those before you in order that you may be of the God-conscious"
(Qur'aan 2:21).

Allah also said to Moses:
"...And establish the prayer in order to remember Me."
  (Qur'aan 20:14).

   Acts of worship serve as a means through which one remembers Allah and maintains a relationship with Him. Muslims perform prayer a minimum of five times daily in order to maintain this relationship. When one supplicates, implores, praised Allah, recites verses from the Qur'aan, which has been called "The Reminder", along with other forms of worship throughout the day, they will gain the sense that the Power and Knowledge of Allah is present with them at all times, leading to this sense of God-consciousness.
   Worship also created a strong sense within a Muslim to remove the evil within himself and in the community and environment and to establish the word of Allah throughout the world. Allah (The Exalted) says:
"...indeed the prayer prevents one from committing licentious and evil deeds..."
(Qur'aan 29:45). 
 
Again, when a person spends his day performing specific acts of worship, they are constantly reminded of the purpose of life and their final end,  and this in turn helps them to accord their lives to the Will of Allah, doing what He is pleased with and avoiding what He dislikes.
One can clearly see the impact worship has on a collective level. Society is merely a conglomeration of individuals, and when individuals are spiritually and morally upright, the society itself will be one which feels that Allah is ever-watching over them, one to which beneficent acts of kindness will be an inseparable adjective, and sin and vice will be confined and limited.
   Although it may seem to some that worship and obedience to Allah is similar to imprisonment and slavery, the worship of Allah and servitude to Him actually liberates humans from all types of subjugation.  
   A person break frees from the chains of society, peers, and family, and liberates him to please His One True Lord. This is true freedom that brings about security and contentment. Servitude to Allah is ultimate source of freedom.

THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF WORSHIP 

   As mentioned earlier, the definition of worship in Islam is one which is comprehensive, including everything a person perceives, thinks, intends, feels, says and does. It refers to everything that Allah requires, external, internal or interactive. This includes rituals as well as beliefs, works, social activities, and personal behavior.
   There is distinction between that which is good, that which is evil and the which is neutral. A good thing is that which is according to the purposes and nature made by Allah. It leads to harmony and is, therefore, a reward in itself because it removes conflict and suffering. It follows that anything that accords with this must be a form of worship.

   This Islamic understanding of worship allows the whole of one's life to be an act of worship, as long as the objective of that life is the pleasure of Allah, which is achieved by doing good and refraining from evil. A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and the sincerity seeking Allah's pleasure through these activities.
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"Helping a person or his belongings onto his mount is an act of charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity." 
(Narrated by Imamul Bukhari) 
 
   Earning a living can be a form of worship. The companions saw a man and were astonished by his hard work and industry. They lamented: "If he were only doing this much work for the sake of Allah..."
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"If he is working to support his small children, then it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to support his elderly parents, the it is for the sake of Allah. If he is working to occupy himself and keep his desires in check, then it is for the sake of Allah. If, on the other hand, he is doing so to show off and earn fame, then he is working for the sake of Satan." 
(Narrated by Munthiri and As Suyuti)

Even the most natural acts of worship if the are accompanied by the proper intention:
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"When one of you approaches his wife, it is an act of charity."
(Narrated by Imamu Muslim)

The same can be said of eating, sleeping, working and traits of good character, such as truthfulness, honesty, generosity, courage, and humbleness, can become worship through sincere intention and deliberate obedience to Allah.
In order for these otherwise mundane actions to be counted as acts of worship deserving of divine reward, the following conditions must be met:
  A. The action must be accompanied by the proper intention. Allah's Messenger ( PBUH) said:
"Actions are but by intentions, and a person gets only what he intended." 
(Narrated by Imamul Bukhari). 
  B. The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrator deserves punishment. Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"Allah is pure and good, and He accepts only what is pure and good." 
(Narrated by Imam Muslim). 
  C. The dictates of Islamic Law must be completely observed. Deception, oppression, and iniquity must be avoided. Allak's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"He who deceives us is not one of us." 
(Narrated by Imam Muslim). 
  D. The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. Allah The Exalted says: "O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of Allah..." 
(Qur'aan 63:9). 

   As we see here, the concept of worship in Islam is not restricted to mere monasticism, meditation, or acknowledging the reality in which Allah had created us, nor is it one based upon mere ritualism and performance of certain actions with no apparent meanings. Rather Islam has combined the inner and the outer and has defined righteousness and placed for it a reward. It is this comprehensiveness of the concept of worship through which humans may fulfill the purpose for which they have been created.  Allah The Exalted says: "And I did not create jinn nor mankind except to worship Me." 
(Qur'aan 51:56) 

    Humans are required to live not according to their subjective desires, automatisms, mental conditioning or according to the dictates of social, political or academic authorities, but in accordance with their cosmic purpose inherent in us: the worship of Allah.
"So set you your face towards the straight religion, the nature (framed by) Allah with which He has created humankind. No change let there be in the creation of Ally, that is the straight religion, but most people do not know." 
(Qur'aan 30:30). 

   When one lives their life fulfilling those aspects which Allah has commanded, leaving those things which Allah has forbidden, and according each of their actions to the Will of Allah, their life , from morning until evening, from the time of birth until death, is turned into worship for which they will ne rewarded.
   This was the state of the Prophets (Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Them), as Allah The Exalted says:
"Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the all that exists." 
(Qur'aan 6:162)
 
When one achieves  this state, they come into harmony with the rest of creation and return to their  natural state of being, as all others of the creations of Allah are unconsciously in constant worship of Allah, as He has said:
"Do you not see that unto Allah bow down in worship (or submit in service and adoration) whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the beasts, and the many among mankind..."
(Qur'an 22:18).