The concept of worship in Islam is misunderstood by many people including some Muslims. Worship is commonly taken to mean performing ritualistic acts such as prayers, fasting, charity, etc. This limited understanding of worship is only one of the meanings of worship in Islam. That is why the traditional definition that includes almost everything in any individual's activities. The definition is as follows: "Worship is an all inclusive term for all that Gods loves of external and internal sayings and actions of a person. "In other words, worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. This of course includes rituals as well as beliefs, social activities and personal contributions to welfare of one's fellow human beings. Islam looks at the individual as a whole. He is required to submit himself completely to Allah as the Qur’an instructed the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to do: "Say (O Muhammad) my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death belong to Allah; He has no partner and I am ordered to be among those who submit, (i. e. Muslim). s
The natural result of this submission, is that all one's activities should conform to the instructions of the One to whom the person is submitting. Islam being a way of life, requires that its followers model their life according to its teachings in every aspect, religious or otherwise. This might sound strange to some people who think of religion as a personal relationship between the individual and God, having no impact on one's activities outside rituals. As a matter of fact, Islam does not think much of mere rituals when they are performed and have no influence on one's inner life.
The Qur’an addresses the believers and their neighbours from among the people of the Book (Jews and Christian) who were arguing with them about the change of the direction of the Qibla in the following verse: “ It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salat (iqamat-as-Salat), and gives the Zakat, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). (41-Baqarah:177) the deeds in the above verse are deeds of righteousness and they are only a part of worship. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) told us about faith, which is the basis of worship, that it’s made up of sixty of so branches: the highest of which is the belief in the Oneness of Allah ( i. e., there is no God but Allah) and the lowest in the scale of worship is removing obstacles and dirt from people's way". Decent work is considered in Islam a type of worship. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "No one has eaten better food than that obtained through the hard labour of his hands. Prophet David (Peace be upon him)the Prophet of Allah used to earn his living through his own labour". Seeking knowledge is one of the highest types of worship.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) told his companions that "seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every Muslim." In another saying he said: "A person who follows a path for acquiring knowledge, Allah will make the passage to paradise easy for him". Social courtesy and cooperation are part of Worship when done for the sake of Allah, as the Prophet told us: "Receiving your friend with a smile is a type of charity and putting some water in your neighbour's bucket is a charity.'' It is worth nothing that even performing one's duties is considered a sort of worship. The Prophet (PBUH) told us that whatever ones spends for his family is a type of charity, he will be rewarded for it if he acquires it through legal means. Kindness to the members of one's family is an act of worship as when one puts a piece of food in his spouse's mouth as the Prophet (PBUH) informed us. It is clear, from the previous discussion that the concept of worship in Islam is a comprehensive concept that includes all the positive activities of the individual. This, of course, is in agreement with the all-inclusive nature of Islam as a way of life. It regulates the human life on all levels: the individual, the social, the economic, the political and the spiritual. That is why Islam provides guidance to smallest details by following Islamic instructions in that specific area. It is a very encouraging element when one realises that all his activities are considered by God as acts of worship. This should lead the individual to seek Allah's pleasure for his actions and always try to do them in the best possible manner whether he is watched by his superiors, or he is alone.
There is always the permanent supervisor, who knows everything, namely, Allah. Discussing the non-ritual worship in Islam first does not mean underestimating the importance of the ritual ones. Actually, ritual worships if performed in the correct manner, elevates man morally, spiritually and enable him to carry on his activities in all walks of life according to the Guidance of God. Among ritual worships.
Salah (ritual prayer) occupies the key position for two reasons. Firstly, it is the distinctive mark of a believer. Secondly, it prevents an individual from all sorts of abominations and vices by providing him chances of direct communion with his Creator five times a day, wherein he renews his covenant with God and seeks His guidance again and again: "You alone we worship and to you alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path" (Al-Fateha: 4-5). Salah is the first practical manifestation of Faith and also the foremost of the basic conditions for the success of the believers: "Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers." (An-Nur: 1-2) The same fact has been emphasized by the Prophet (PBUH) in a different way. He says: "Those who offer their Salah with great care and punctuality, will find in alight, a proof of their Faith and cause of their salvation on the Day of Judgment".
After Salah, Zakah (poor-due) is an important pillar of Islam. In the Quran, Salah and Zakah have mostly been mentioned together. Like Salah, Zakah is a manifestation of faith that affirms that God is the sole owner of everything in the Universe. What men hold is a trust in their hand over which God made them trustees to discharge it as He has laid down: "Believe in Allah and His messenger and spend of that over which He made you trustees." (Al-Hadid:7) In this respect, Zakah is an act of devotion which like prayer brings the believer nearer to his lord. Apart from this, Zakah is a means of redistribution of wealth in a way that reduces differences between classes and groups. It makes a fair contribution to social stability. By purging the soul of the rich from selfishness and the soul of the poor from envy and resentment against society. It stops the channels leading to class hatred and makes it possible for the springs of brotherhood and solidarity to gush forth. Such stability or not merely based on the personal feelings of the rich but stands on a firmly established right which, if the rich denied it, could be exacted by force, if necessary.
Siyam (fasting from dawn to sunset) in the month of Ramadhan is another pillar of Islam. The main function of fasting is to make the Muslim pure from "within" as other aspects of Shariah make him pure from 'without By such purity he responds to what we can perceive in the Quranic Verse: "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as or was prescribed for those before you, that you may gain piety" (Al-Baqarah: 183). In an authentic tradition. The Prophet (PBUH) reported Allah as saying with regard to one who fasts "He suspends eating, drinking, and gratification of his sexual passion for My sake. "Thus his reward is going to be according to God's great bounty. Fasting thus awakens the conscience for all society at the same time, thus adding further strength to each individual. Moreover, fasting offers a compulsory rest to the overworked human digestive system for the duration one who ate deprived of life's basic necessities throughout the year or throughout life. It makes us realize the suffering of others. The less fortunate brothers in Islam, and thus promotes in him a sense of sympathy and kindness to them.
Lastly, we come to Al-Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Good in Makkah). This is a very important pillar of Islam manifest a unique unity dispelling all kinds of differences, Muslims from all corners of world, wearing the same dress, respond to the call of Hajj in one voice language: LABAIKALLA HUMMA LABBAIK (Here I am at your service O Lord!) In Hajj, there is an exercise of strict self-discipline and control where not only sacred things are revered, but even the life of plants and birds is made inviolable so that everything lives in safety: "And he that venerates the sacred rites of God, it shall be better for him with his Lord" (Al- Hajj: 30), "And he that venerates the symbols of God, it surely is from piety of the heart." (Al- Hajj: 31) Pilgrimage gives an opportunity to all Muslims from all groups, classes, organizations and governments from all over the Muslim world to meet annually in a great congress. The time and venue of this congress has been set by their One God. Invitation to attend is open to every Muslim.
Every Muslim who attends is guaranteed full safety and freedom as long as he himself does not violate its safety. Thus, worship in Islam, whether ritual or non-ritual, trains the individual in such a way that he loves his Creator most and thereby gains an unyielding will and spirit to wipe out all evil and oppression from the human society and makes the work of God dominant in the World.
العرض العادي
