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In Islam, worship is understood as any utterance or activity, whether manifest or hidden, that Allah loves and is pleased with. It also implies the greatest degree of love and submission on the part of the worshipper.
Every Prophet throughout history called his people to worship Allah alone.
Allah says:
1. It must conform to the dictates of Allah’s Law as found in the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Allah commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) with the following:
Allah commands his Messenger (peace be upon him) with the following:
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) 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, then 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.”
Even the most natural acts can become acts of worship if they are accompanied by the proper intention: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “When one of you approaches his wife, it is an act of charity.”
The same can be said for eating and drinking, as long as it is done out of fear of Allah and seeking to obey him.
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 (peace be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and a person gets only what he intended.”
B. The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrator deserves punishment. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is good, and He accepts only what is good.”
C. The activity must be performed in the best possible manner. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah has prescribed excellence for all things.” He also said: “Allah loves that if one of you does something, he does it well.”
D. The dictates of Islamic Law must be completely observed. Deception, oppression, and iniquity must be avoided. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “He who deceives us is not one of us.”
E. The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. Allah says:
Every Prophet throughout history called his people to worship Allah alone.
Allah says:
And We sent no Messenger except that We revealed to him: There is no God besides Me, so worship Me.The purpose of worship is to attain nearness to Allah with what He loves and is pleased with. It is necessary for this worship to be based on clear guidance and to be free from deviance. Therefore, an act of worship must fulfill two conditions:
1. It must conform to the dictates of Allah’s Law as found in the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Allah commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) with the following:
Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah, then obey me. Then Allah will love you.2. It must be performed purely for Allah’s sake. There should be no other object of worship involved whatsoever.
Allah commands his Messenger (peace be upon him) with the following:
- Say (O Muhammad): I worship Allah alone, sincerely, and with full devotion.
- Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my prayers, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds. No partner has He. With this I am commanded and I am the first to submit to His Will.
Comprehensiveness of Worship
The 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 sincerely seeking Allah’s pleasure through these activities. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:Greeting a person is charity. Acting justly is charity. Helping a man with his steed is 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.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 (peace be upon him) 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, then 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.”
Even the most natural acts can become acts of worship if they are accompanied by the proper intention: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “When one of you approaches his wife, it is an act of charity.”
The same can be said for eating and drinking, as long as it is done out of fear of Allah and seeking to obey him.
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 (peace be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and a person gets only what he intended.”
B. The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrator deserves punishment. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is good, and He accepts only what is good.”
C. The activity must be performed in the best possible manner. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah has prescribed excellence for all things.” He also said: “Allah loves that if one of you does something, he does it well.”
D. The dictates of Islamic Law must be completely observed. Deception, oppression, and iniquity must be avoided. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “He who deceives us is not one of us.”
E. The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. Allah says:
O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of Allah.taken from Islamtoday.com
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