Worship in Islam is one of the important things that every Muslim must preserve and perform without negligence or negligence, as Islamic worship is the right of every adult Muslim, whether worship is in prayer, fasting, zakat, or pilgrimage to those who can reach it. In this article, we will talk about worship in Islam with an explanation of its types, virtues, and pillars.
Definition of Worship Linguistically and Terminologically
In language, worship comes from the verb “abd”, meaning to obey and submit to Allah. Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that worship combines two elements; the ultimate goal of love with the ultimate goal of submission. As for worship in terminology, it refers to acts that Allah -the Almighty- loves, whether they are tangible and evident or hidden, like good intentions. While slavery shows submission and humility, worship is more comprehensive as it represents the ultimate goal of submission.
What is the importance of worship in Islam?
Worship is a fundamental part of Islam and is considered one of the most important acts that Muslims perform to achieve closeness to Allah, gain rewards, and salvation in the hereafter. Worship in Islam includes a set of actions, statements, and beliefs aimed at demonstrating servitude, submission, and getting closer to Allah.
Worship is considered one of the main means to achieve the ultimate goal of human life in Islam, which is to achieve the satisfaction of Allah and salvation in the hereafter. It is also a means to strengthen faith, protect against doubts and suspicions, build the Muslim’s personality, and achieve psychological and spiritual balance.
Worship in Islam emphasizes the importance of justice, mercy, kindness, and tolerance, encourages good morals and behavior, and urges caring for others, helping them solve their problems, and providing for their needs. It can be said that worship provides a framework for achieving stability in society, building a strong and balanced personality, and achieving divine satisfaction and eternal happiness in this life and the hereafter.
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What are the types of worship in Islam?
Worship in Islam includes many types of acts, which are classified into five main categories:
1- Heart-based worship
This includes belief in Allah, monotheism, sincerity, reliance, hope, humility, fear, supplication, repentance, love, and yearning for Allah.
2- Tongue-based worship
This includes prayer, remembrance, glorification, praise, exaltation, declaration of faith, sending blessings on the Prophet.
3- Financial worship
This includes giving zakat, giving charity, fulfilling promises and trusts, spending in the way of Allah.
4- Compound worship
This includes jihad in the way of Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, cooperation in righteousness and piety, and commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong.
5- Physical worship
This includes ablution, washing, dry ablution, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and other acts of physical worship.
Some acts of worship are optional, while others are obligatory. These are explained as follows:
1- Optional worship
These are acts of worship that Allah does not require from humans, but can be performed if desired, such as seclusion for worship, voluntary prayer, and doing good deeds.
2- Obligatory worship
These are acts of worship that Allah requires from humans in certain situations, such as washing after sexual activity, dry ablution, prayer while traveling, fasting during Ramadan, and others.
The Virtue of Worship
In a hadith, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), “Do you know what Allah’s right upon His servants is?” Mu’adh replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet then said, “Allah’s right upon His servants is that they should worship Him alone and not associate anything with Him.
Then the Prophet walked for a while and said, “O Mu’adh ibn Jabal, do you know what the rights of the servants over Allah are when they do what is required of them?” Mu’adh replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet then said, “The rights of the servants over Allah are that He does not punish them.” (Bukhari)
From this hadith, it becomes clear that Allah is the Creator of His servants, and He deserves to be worshiped. The purpose of worship is to draw near to Allah and to increase one’s piety, and to strengthen one’s connection with the Creator.
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This does not mean that Allah needs people’s worship but rather He is independent of the worlds, and if all of His creation turned away from worshiping Him, it would not diminish His dominion in any way. The virtues of worship are as follows:
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Drawing Near to Allah
Worship is a means for Muslims to draw near to Allah, increase in piety, and strengthen their connection with their Creator.
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Forgiveness and Mercy
Worship leads to forgiveness of sins and the encompassing mercy of Allah, through repentance, seeking forgiveness, and returning to the right path.
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Continuation on the Path of Righteousness
Worship motivates Muslims to continue on the path of righteousness by repeating the acts and performing the obligatory duties.
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Elevation in this Life and the Hereafter
Worship elevates the rank of Muslims in this life and the Hereafter, making them closer to Allah and among those who succeed in this life and the Hereafter.
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Assistance and Cooperation
Worship strengthens the spirit of cooperation and assistance among Muslims, making them work together for the good and righteousness, and strengthen the social ties between them.
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Pillars and Conditions of Worship
Worship in Islam consists of pillars and conditions that govern the performance of these acts correctly. The following are the pillars and conditions of some of the basic religious acts of worship:
1- Prayer
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Pillars of the five daily prayers
Standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting, and reciting the final Tashahhud.
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Conditions of prayer
Purity, facing the Qiblah, the appropriate time, covering the body, facing the Qiblah and showing respect, seeking refuge from arrogance and seeking refuge from Satan.
2- Fasting
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Pillars of fasting
Intention, abstaining from food and drink, and fasting from dawn until sunset.
Conditions of fasting
Islam, sanity, puberty, ability, justice, and being appointed.
3- Zakat
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Pillars of Zakat
Intention, the passage of a lunar year, the minimum amount (Nisab), the poor, the needy, and the destitute.
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Conditions of Zakat
Islam, freedom, sanity, puberty, ownership of wealth subject to Zakat, the attainment of Nisab, the passage of a lunar year, and the distribution of Zakat to those who deserve it.
4- Hajj
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Pillars of Hajj
Entering the state of Ihram, standing on the plain of Arafat, circumambulating the Ka’bah, walking between Safa and Marwah, stoning the pillars, and shaving or cutting the hair.
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Conditions of Hajj
Islam, puberty, freedom, sanity, ability, having enough money for Hajj and supporting oneself, safety, compliance with Islamic rules, and standing on the rules of Sharia.
Worship in the Quran and Sunnah
The Quran and Sunnah encourage the continuation of worship and not to stop, by adhering to the commands and reminding of their importance. Worship and drawing near to Allah are considered fundamental to the Islamic faith, and are among the righteous acts that are rewarded in this life and the Hereafter.
The verses of the Quran urge worship, and likewise, the noble Sunnah emphasizes the importance of worship. This is a clarification of that.
“I did not create the jinn and humans except to worship Me.” [Surah Al-Dhariyat: 56]
“Establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.” [Sura Al-Ankabut: 45]
“Whatever the Messenger has given you, take it, and whatever he has forbidden you, abstain from it.” [Surah Al-Hashr: 7]
“Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.'” [Al-An’am: 162]
“And those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, justly moderate.” [Luqman: 33]“The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are continuous, even if they are little.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
“Allah hates the servant who speaks with a foul tongue.” [Muslim]
“Stick to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise.” [Muslim]
“When one of you prays, let him think that he is bidding farewell to the prayer.” [Muslim]
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Worship in the Lives of the Companions and the Righteous Predecessors
The Companions and the Righteous Predecessors were an example to follow in worship and their commitment to performing it. The following are some examples of their commitment as reported in the narrations:
1- Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq’s commitment to prayer
Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq used to pray even when he was a young man in his twenties, and he slept on his side with a pebble under his cheek so that he would not doze off during prayer. He also observed recommended fasts and performed Tawaf around the Kaaba on foot, speaking with good manners.
2- Umar Ibn Al-Khattab’s commitment to prayer
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was keen on praying in the mosques and was considered one of the Companions who were most concerned about attending congregational prayers on time. He once said, “Without prayer, there is no meaning to Umar Ibn Al-Khattab in Islam.”
3- Al-Hasan Al-Basri’s commitment to reading and contemplating the Quran
Al-Hasan Al-Basri used to recite the Quran every night until he finished reading it every three nights. He used to say, “Whoever wants to love Allah and His Messenger should read the Book of Allah.”
4- Al-Hasan Al-Basri’s commitment to righteous deeds
Al-Hasan Al-Basri considered righteous deeds as the basis of religion, and he used to say, “Righteous deeds bring a great profit, while bad deeds bring terrible loss.”
5- Rabi’ah Al-Adawiyyah’s commitment to prayer and fasting
Rabi’ah Al-Adawiyyah used to fast three days every month and pray at night with humility and contemplation. She used to say, “O people, fear Allah and know that this life is a fleeting enjoyment while the Hereafter is the permanent abode.”
5- Tamim Al-Dari’s commitment to reading the Quran
Tamim Al-Dari used to recite the Quran continuously and completely in one Rak’ah of his prayer.
6- Abu Uthman Al-Nahdi’s commitment to prayer
Abu Uthman Al-Nahdi used to pray one hundred Rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha prayers.
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Wahion Youha Academy Inspired for Quranic Sciences is one of the academies specializing in memorizing the Qur’an and clarifying the foundations of worship in Islam for children, where our teachers and sheikhs supervise this process first-hand, and each specialist plays his role in establishing children on the pillars of Islamic worship, and on the other hand, the Academy offers many courses in Islamic studies, and we also have classes to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, contact us now, to start your educational journey with us.