(part 1 of 3): The importance of worship
The concept and meaning of worship in Islam is like no other existing religion. It is a combination of the worldly with the spiritual, the individual with society and the inner soul with the outer body. In Islam, worship has a unique role and through worship, someone is considered a true Muslim who submits his entire life to the will of God.
The importance of worship can be seen from the fact that God also prescribed it for all religions before Islam. God says in the Quran:
“And in every people We raised up a messenger (who preached there): ‚Serve God …’” (Quran 16:36)
The service in Islam has so many facets that it is difficult to put it all in words. The most general meaning of worship in Islam encompasses everything that pleases God, regardless of whether it concerns matters of faith or acts of the body. It can include anything that a person perceives, thinks, intends, feels, says and does. It refers to everything that God demands, externally, internally or interactively. This includes rituals as well as beliefs, work, social activities and personal behavior, the human being as a whole, so that each part influences each other.
Worship can be divided into two types:
1) Particular beliefs, feelings, and visible acts of humility in devotion to God that He has commanded.
2) Generally all other good deeds that are worth recommending in the life of a Muslim.
Devotion to God
This aspect of worship requires that someone accomplish certain things that God has commanded in His religion, whether it is internal or external, and whether they are mandatory or voluntary. This aspect of worship is not limited to obeying His commands, but it is also part of avoiding the things that He has forbidden. In this sense, worship can be defined as anything that someone believes, feels or does out of obedience to God.
In this regard, worship can literally be called “God” – “service”, because although this word means something very specific to Christians, for Muslims it means serving God: we are God’s servants and we live our entire lives in complete servitude to God; we do what He commands and refrain from doing what He forbids, like a servant or a slave entirely in accordance with the will of his master. Essentially, all creatures are servants of God, whether they like it or not, because they are all subject to the laws that He has established about His creation:
„There is no one in heaven nor on earth who should approach the merciful (God) other than as a servant.“ (Quran 19:93)
“What is in heaven and on earth is obedient or obedient to him.” (Quran 3:83)
But worship is different from mere servitude because it must be associated with love, awe, and veneration. No act of obedience is considered worship unless it is associated with the following feelings: you must love the deed and love the one for whom you are doing it, revere and revere Him.
For this reason, when speaking about this topic, it must be emphasized that worship is a right that belongs solely to God. Islam maintains the strictest form of monotheism and does not tolerate any act of worship devoted to anything other than God. It is God alone who demands our obedience, and it is God alone who deserves our love. Any worship of other deities besides God, regardless of whether they are demigods, prophets, angels, saints or martyrs, or their mementos, statues or pictures, represents a break with monotheism; and when someone does this, he leaves the „flock of believers“ and with it Islam. Even if someone justifies that they worship the saints for their service to God, or their memories as a reminder of them; Islam makes no distinction between direct and indirect, or subordinate and superordinate worship. All worship and acts of worship, homage, and obedience must be dedicated to God alone.
The inner forms of worship
As mentioned before, the acts of God prescribed refer to either the inner person or the outer body. Those who relate to the inner person do so with faith and feelings. People have been ordered to believe in certain general truths called Articles of Faith – and this is the most important aspect of worship. Faith is the basis of what the person feels and does – actions and feelings are a reflection of faith. If a person’s belief is flawed or weak, it will never produce the desired results regarding their feelings or actions. For example, if a person believes that God has already forgiven his sins because of his mere belief
God has also commanded us to have certain feelings in our hearts for both Him and others of His creatures. Muslims must love God, fear Him, have reverence for Him, trust Him and worship Him. Muslims have also been ordered to love their fellow Muslims, to show them mercy and compassion, to love righteousness and to hate sin. All of these are seen as acts of worship of the inner person, because the Muslim fulfills the commands of God and will be rewarded for this.
(part 2 of 3): The external forms of worship
The external form of worship
Throughout history, certain religions, due to their evolution, have paid more attention to the inner forms of worship by omitting all or part of the importance of the external form, while others have placed more emphasis on obvious and visible rituals and the value of faith diminished. As mentioned before, in Islam there is no absolute separation between the inner and the outer form – the inner state produces and should produce external appearances, and external conditions and actions have internal effects. There is certainly an interaction between the inner and the outer state, and everyone shapes the other. All intentions lead to corresponding attitudes and actions. Often one can see the inner state of a person on the outside. For example, someone who is desperate or fearful has a certain posture and facial expression. Conversely, if certain activities or attitudes are accepted, then the appropriate inner state appears.
Visible acts of worship rendered to God are the fruits of a Muslim’s faith. For this reason, Islam not only commands that someone believe in the fundamental truths that his doctrine establishes, but also commands that belief in God should have a visible impact. It is not enough for salvation to maintain only certain beliefs, but actions must follow to be successful in this and the next life.
God has ordered Muslims to follow certain instructions throughout their lives, exemplified by the five pillars of Islam. These were prescribed daily, like prayer, annually, like alms and fasting in Ramadhan, or at least once in a lifetime, like Hağğ. There are many other acts of worship besides the five pillars prescribed in Islam, some of which are compulsory and some of which are voluntary, the performance of which is left to the discretion of the Muslim.
Although a ritual is associated with these acts of worship, they should not be misunderstood. In all acts of worship, one must be absolutely aware of what one is doing and the omnipresence of God. Actions that are carried out mechanically, or out of habit, only create automatisms and do not support spiritual expansion.
“It is no piety to turn your faces east or west; Rather, piety is that one believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the book and the prophets and from possessions – although one loves him – to the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the son of the way, the beggars and ( for the free purchase of slaves, that one does the prayer and pays the Zakah. They are the ones who keep their promise when they have given it; and those who are patient in misery, need and in times of war; they are the true and godly. ” (Quran 2: 177)
The meaning and benefits of worship
God doesn’t need any of our ministries. The service was introduced in Islam and all other previous religions for the benefit of people, for individuals as well as for society. It is indispensable for maintaining and increasing spirituality in the life of a Muslim. With formal worship, individuals practice loving their Creator and developing a constant awareness of God’s presence. God says:
“O people! Serve your Lord, who created you and those before you so that you might be godly. ” (Quran 2:21)
God also said to Moses:
“… Serve me and perform the prayer in my memory.” (Quran 20:14)
Acts of worship serve as a means of remembering God and maintaining a connection with Him. Muslims pray at least five times a day to maintain this connection. When a supplicant speaks, implores and praises God, recites verses from His revelation, which is also called the „exhortation“ [1], which, along with other forms of worship, spreads throughout the day, he becomes a sense of omnipresence from God’s power and knowledge at all times, which in this sense gives them fear of God.
Worship also arouses a strong sense in the Muslim to remove the bad from itself, from society and from its environment and to establish the Word of God throughout the world. God Says:
„… Truly Prayer Prevents Shameful and Heinous Things …“ (Quran 29:45)
And again, when someone spends their day doing certain acts of worship, they are constantly reminded of the meaning of life and its ultimate outcome, and this in turn helps them align their lives to God’s will to do what they please and refrain from what displeases him.
One can clearly see the influence that worship has on the community level. Society is just an accumulation of individuals, and if the individuals are spiritually and morally upright, then the entire society itself is upright. Ideally, society will be one in which one feels that God always sees it; a society for which useful acts of kindness are inseparable adjectives and sin and vice are limited.
Even though it may seem to some that worship and obedience to God are similar to captivity and slavery, it is true that worship and servitude actually liberate people from all kinds of subjugation. The person frees himself from the chains of society, the relatives and the family, and takes the freedom to please His One True Lord. This is true freedom, which brings absolute security and satisfaction. Service to God is the ultimate source of freedom.
Footnotes:
[1] This can be found in many verses, such as 15: 9, 36:11, and others.
(part 3 of 3): The comprehensive character of the service
As already mentioned, the definition of worship in Islam is one that is very comprehensive. It includes everything that a person perceives, thinks, intends, feels, says and does. It refers to everything that God demands, be it externally, internally or interactively. This includes rituals as well as belief, work, social activities and personal behavior.
There is a distinction between what is good and what is bad and what is neutral. A good thing is that which behaves according to the purpose for which God created it. It leads to harmony and is therefore a reward in itself because it averts disputes and suffering. It follows that everything that corresponds to this must be a kind of worship.
The Islamic understanding of worship allows the entirety of our lives to become part of the worship as long as the goal of our lives is to please God, which is achieved by doing good and avoiding the bad. You can turn everyday activities into worship by purifying your intent and seriously trying to get God’s satisfaction with those activities. The Messenger of God – may God increase His mention – said:
“Lifting someone or their belongings onto their mount is a charity. A good word is alms. Every step on the way to perform prayer is a charity. Removing an obstacle is a charity. ” (Sahieh Al-Bukhari)
Earning a living can be a religious act. The companions saw a man and were amazed at his hard work and hard work. They said: „If he did all this work at least for God’s sake …“
The Messenger of God said:
“If he works to take care of his little children, it is for the will of God. If he works to support his old parents, it is for the will of God. If he works to keep himself occupied and to keep his desire in check, then it is for the will of God. On the other hand, if he does it to boast and to become famous, then he is working for the will of Satan. ” (al-Mundhiri, as-Suyuti)
Even the most natural deeds can become acts of worship if they are accompanied by a pure intention. The Messenger of God said,
„If one of you approaches your wife, it is a charity.“ (Sahieh Muslim)
The same applies to eating, sleeping, working and good character traits, such as love of truth, honesty, generosity, courage and humility, can become services through a first-class intention and careful obedience to God.
In order for these otherwise worldly deeds to be among the acts of worship that entail a divine reward, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
A. The deed must be accompanied by a pure intention. The Messenger of God said,
“The deeds are in the spirit of intentions and someone receives what he intended. (Sahieh Al-Bukhari)
B. The deed must be allowed. If it is forbidden, the perpetrator deserves to be punished. The Messenger of God said,
„God is pure and good, and He only accepts what is pure and good.“ (Sahieh Muslim)
C. The rules of Islamic law must be fully complied with. Deception, oppression and wickedness must be avoided. The Messenger of God said:
„Whoever deceives us is not one of us.“ (Sahieh Muslim)
D. The activity should not prevent the person from fulfilling his or her religious obligations. God says:
“O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children prevent you from remembering Allah …” (Quran 63: 9)
As we see here, in Islam the concept of worship is neither limited to pure monasticism, meditation or recognition of the reality in which God created us, nor is it based on pure ritualism and the performance of certain actions without obvious meaning. Rather, Islam connected the inside and the outside and precisely defined righteousness and used a reward for it. It is this illuminating concept of worship that enables people to fulfill the purpose for which they were created. God says:
„And I have created the Jinn and the people only so that they (should) serve me.“ (Quran 51:56)
People should not live according to their own desires, automatisms, spiritual conditions or the regulations of social, political or academic authorities, but in accordance with their cosmic, innate purpose in life: to serve God.
“So direct your face to faith; (this corresponds to) the natural disposition with which God created man. There is no change in God’s creation. That is the constant belief. Most people alone don’t know. ” (Quran 30:30)
If someone in his life fulfills the things that God has commanded and neglects the things that God has forbidden, and does all his deeds with God, then their life will be from morning to night, from the time of their birth to their death converted into worship for which they are rewarded. This was the state of the prophets, as God said:
„My prayer and sacrifice and my life and death belong to God the Lord of the Worlds.“ (Quran 6: 162)
When one reaches this state, he comes into harmony with the rest of creation and returns to the natural basic state of all being, because all other creatures are also subconsciously in a constant worship service, as he says:
„Have you not seen that who is in heaven and on earth prostrate before God – as does the sun and the moon and the stars and the mountains and the trees and the animals and many people?“ (Quran 22:18)
Source: https://www.islamland.com/deu/articles/gottesdienst-im-islam