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Old Wednesday, August 24, 2005
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Concept of worship

By Dr. Khalid Mahmood Shaikh


Islam is not simply confined to prayers, rituals or some other religious practices. It is spread over a wide spectrum of life. It would be no exaggeration to claim that the concept of Ibadat in Islam includes every act or deed that we perform according to the Quranic code and Sunnah.

We will be either rewarded or punished on the Day of Reckoning for every act that we do in our lifetime. Therefore, every good deed that is carried out for the sake of Allah in accordance with the Shariat is, in fact, an act of Ibadat.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says: "The whole of earth is declared a place of worship for me." (Sahih Muslim) It gives a clear conception of Ibadat in Islam. The whole earth is declared a mosque, a sacred place where our activities are closely watched by our Creator.

Every good deed that we perform comes under the heading of Ibadat. At one time the Prophet remarked that the one who removes the sadness of his brother and entertains him with a pleasant smile is the noblest of men.

He also says that person who earns his livelihood by lawful means to feed his children is a greater abid (worshipper) than his brother who is simply absorbed in ritual worship.

Before the advent of Islam all the worship and prayers were meant to please God. Offerings were made at the gods' altars to please them. Islam has revolutionized the very concept of Ibadat.

In Islam the objective of Ibadat is to reform and build up one is character. In Islam, too, the purpose of Ibadat is to seek the pleasure of Allah. But it is sought through following and obeying His commands and injunctions. It aims at the moral and spiritual development of the believer. Ibadat has direct bearing and impact on one's character and behaviour.

Our worship and prayers must change our thinking and behaviour. If no change and improvement takes place, it means that acts of Ibadat have lost all their effectiveness for us. We are no more receptive to them.

It doesn't mean that Ibadat have lost their inherent effectiveness. It is just like the fire that doesn't burn the wet wood. But you can't say that the fire has lost its capability. The fire does burn but the wood has lost its receptivity. Just take the example of salah.

The Quran says: "O believers! seek help in patience and salah." (2:153) Two things are necessary in order to build strength to bear the heavy responsibility of living life in accord with the orders of Allah: developing patience, perseverance and steadfastness from within; and invoking our minds, hearts and souls to reinforce and strengthen patience with the physical act of salah. At another place in the Quran Allah says: "Indeed salah forbids all indecent deeds and evil." (45:29)

If a person offers his five prescribed prayers regularly but along with it he does not stop from doing wrong things, it clearly indicates that his salah has no more moral and spiritual impact on his behaviour and conduct.

All our worship and prayers do not add in the least to his kingdom. God does not depend upon his creatures to be praised. He is free from all want and praise. Whatever a man does, he does it for his own benefit. Allah is 'al-Ghani' and 'al-Hameed.' He says: "He who strives does so for himself. Verily God is independent of the creatures of the world." (29:5).

We are always after the quantity and are least concerned with the quality whereas God Almighty demands from us the quality. Even the smallest act that is done with Ikhlas (sincerity of purpose) and in accord with Shariah is highly valued and weighs heavier in the sight of Allah than the greatest act of Ibadat that is performed without Ikhlas/ we miss the quality and essence of Ibadat.

It is the quality and essence of Ibadat that changes the thought and behaviour of a person who enters the fold of Islam. It, in fact, builds up a strong character in him. A perceptible change takes place in his attitude and behaviour.

He undergoes a continuous process of moral and spiritual improvement. This world, according to Islam is a place of trial for us. We have been given a fixed period of life during which we are being judged.

All our activities are closely watched by our Creater who will reward or punish us for our good or bad deeds on the Day of Reckoning. And during this period of life whatever God Almighty has bestowed upon us in the form of offspring, wealth, property and whatever sufferings, pains, miseries and tribulations we undergo are, in fact, all trials and tests.

If in this world, Allah has blessed some people with affluence and some with little riches or has deprived others altogether, this does not mean that He has done it on merit. But He has rather planned it purposely in order to try and test humankind.

This distribution of material goods as well as power opportunities etc. is in accord with the Divine plan and purpose. But ignorant people cannot understand this. The Quran has explicitly mentioned it in Surah al-An'am. "It is He who made you trustees on the earth and exalted some in rank over others in order to try you by what He has given you." (6:165).

In case of blessings and favours that are lavished upon us, we are being evaluated by Allah to see how much we are grateful to Him and in case of sufferings and loss of life and property we are being tested that how much we show patience and perseverance. According to an Hadith: "Iman (Faith) is made up of two halves: one half is sabr another half is shukr."

This tradition sums up Iman in a few words. In other words Islam can be easily defined and explained in terms of 'sabr' and 'shukr.' Hazrat Ali says that Iman is like a bird that has two wings one is that of sabr and the other is that of shukr.

Man's gratitude to Allah is not a thing that benefits Allah, for Allah is high above all needs. It does not add to God's glory and honour in the least. If a man adopts an attitude and behaviour of thankfulness and gratitude, it is for his own benefit. It, in fact, improves his own soul and gives him a higher rank in the life to come.

We express our gratitude to Allah for his favours and bounties. Shukr is the very basis of faith (iman), religion (din) and obedience to Allah. WE thank Allah for the guidance He sent us through His messengers and prophets. To give thanks is to show by our conduct and behaviour that we appreciate the gifts of Allah and use them in His service.

The Quranic meaning of having sabr includes having patience, forbearance and endurance. It is to exercise self-control and restraint in all circumstances. It is to be constant and steadfast.

It denotes will power, firm resolve and control over one's animal desires. A believer can overcome the internal temptations and all of the external obstacles he/she faces on a daily basis.

It is specially important for a believer to have this steadfastness, this endurance in difficult times, for it is in these times that one's faith is truly tested.

The objective of all Ibadat is to inculcate in the believer the qualities of sabr and shukr. Islam has changed and revolutionized the very concept of Ibadat that has been accepted and practised for centuries.

Before Islam the concept and objectives of Ibadat were confined and limited to mere worship and to please Got. It was not concerned with character-building. Moral and spiritual development of the individual were not among his objectives.

In Islam, the Ibadat has direct bearing on one's mind and character. If it does not bring about any substantial change in our attitude, behaviour and conduct, it is quite clear that it has lost all its effectiveness for us. When Allah has explicitly declared in his Book that the Ibadat has a deep impact on the mind and conduct of a believer, it becomes all the more necessary to review our modes of Ibadat.
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Adil Memon
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