Section 4: Ibadah (Worship): Its Meaning and Comprehensiveness

The meaning of Ibadah: Its linguistic origin implies humility and surrender. In the Shari'ah: It has several definitions, but the meanings are same. Ibadah, means to obey Allah - glorious is He - by fulfilling whatever command He issues upon the tongue of His Messengers; Ibadah is humility (and submission) to Allah - glorious is He; perfect surrender associated with absolute love (for Allah); The most comprehensive definition is that Ibadah, is a noun that encompasses all that Allah loves and is pleased with in utterances and actions; manifest or hidden. So, it is divided amongst the heart, the tongue and the limbs. Fear, hope, love, reliance, desire for and dread, are acts of worship of the heart. Glorification, praise, exaltation, gratitude and thanks with the tongue and heart, are acts of worship of the tongue and the heart combined. Salat (Prayer), Zakat (Alms due), hajj (Pilgrimage) and Jihad, are acts of worship involving the heart and the limbs. Similarly, for other acts of worship, which involve the heart, the tongue and the limbs, there are several examples. Allah created creation for the purpose of Ibadah. He - the Most High - said; So, Allah informed that the wisdom for creating the jinns and humans was to establish worship to Him, and that He is not in need of them; rather, they are the ones in need of Allah - the Most High. So, they should worship Him in accordance with His Shari'ah (Law); whoever refuses to worship Him is arrogant; whoever worships Him and worships others along with Him is a polytheist; whoever worships Him alone with other than what He has enacted as law, is an innovator; but he who worships Him alone in accordance to what He has revealed, is the true Believer and a Monotheist. Types of Ibadah and Its Comprehensiveness: Worship is of several types (or forms). It encompasses all forms of obedience manifested upon the tongue and the limbs, and those, which emanate from the heart, such as, Dhikr (making remembrance of Allah), Tasbih (saying: subhanallah), TahlTl (chanting: 'La ilaha illallah’), recitation of the Qur’ an, Salat (prayer), Zakat, fasting, pilgrimage, jihad, enjoining good and forbidding evil, kindness to kith and kinsmen, to orphans, the poor and the wayfarer; also, love of Allah and His Messenger, fear of Allah, repentance unto Him, purifying worship for Him, perseverance upon His decrees and contentment upon His ordainments, reliance upon Him, hope for His mercy, and fear of His punishment. It encompasses all the affairs of a believer whenever he intends to seek closeness (to Allah) therewith or seeks what facilitates closeness to Him. Even his habitual actions, when he intends therewith to strengthen himself upon obedience (to Allah), such as sleeping, eating, drinking, buying and selling, seeking for sustenance and marriage. These habitual actions, when associated with a good intention become acts of worship, for which one will be rewarded. Worship is not restricted to the known symbols of Islam (the fundamental acts of worship; prayer, fasting, alms due and pilgrimage).