Worship in Islam

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:

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.

The Purpose of Worship

Worship provides the believers with many benefits that contribute to both their spiritual and worldly
well-being. Some of the most significant of these benefits are as follows:

1. Enrichment and development of the soul: The human body needs material resources for its
existence, like food, drink, and a means of reproduction. As for the soul, its needs cannot be
fulfilled except through nearness to Allah by means of faith and obedience, which can only be
achieved through worship.

Allah must be worshipped in times of hardship and times of prosperity. Allah says:

We truly know how your heart is distressed by what they say. So celebrate the praises of
your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves and worship your Lord until the
sure hour (of death).

Allah says:
When the help of Allah and the victory comes and you see the people entering into the
 religion of Allah in crowds, then glorify the praises of your Lord and seek His
forgiveness. Verily He is Most Forgiving.

2. Realization of human freedom: Worship liberates the human being from subjugation to
anything besides Allah and prevents a person from surrendering his or her will to false gods. This is
true freedom that brings about security and contentment. Submission to Allah is a great source of
strength. Allah says:
If anyone seeks might, then all might is with Allah.

3. Preparation for the life to come: Allah says, quoting Moses (peace be upon him):
O my people, this worldly life is but a provision, while the Hereafter is the eternal
abode.

The worldly life is a time of trial. The substance of this trial is the worship of Allah in fulfillment of
His commandments. Allah says:
(It is Allah) who created death and life to try you as to who is best in deeds.

4. Social reform: We find that worship, in its most comprehensive meaning, embodies every
possible means of individual and social reform. This is because every individual and collective
endeavor can enter into the domain of worship. Islam has prescribed certain obligations on the
societal – as opposed to the individual – level. This takes societal needs into consideration. Allah
says:
Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that he will
give them authority in the Earth as He has done for those who came before and that He
will establish their religion that He wants to replace their fear with security. They may
worship Me and not associate partners with Me.

The advent of Islam brought about great reforms in the domain of worship. Islam came at a time
when there were many forms of worship in the world. Some of these were remnants of the previous
divinely revealed scriptures. Others were completely man-made. Even those acts of worship that
were of divine origin had been corrupted, altered, and removed from their proper contexts.

Some religions exaggerated the importance of formalism and mindless ritual. Others went to
extremes to free themselves of all notions of form and order. Some religions went to extremes that
made worship a harmful and painful thing. Some of them also demanded monasticism from their
adherents. Other religions went to extremes in indulgence, often completely abandoning religious
obligations altogether.

Islam came to correct and reform these excessive tendencies, while establishing principles of its
own. It provided principles to bring about reform and to safeguard worship. The most important of
these principles is that no one deserves to be worshipped except for Allah.

The first thing that Islam came with was the concept of monotheism. Bearing witness to
monotheism is how a person enters into the fold of Islam and is considered to be a believer. The
testimony is as follows:

“There is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

These words are a testimony that there is no one worthy of worship except for Allah. In this way,
Islam negates every possible manifestation of polytheism.
Allah addresses His Messenger (peace be upon him) with the following words:
It has been revealed to you and to those who came before you: If you commit
polytheism, your deeds will be naught and you will be among the losers.

We can see how the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited anything that could lead the people to
polytheism or to their falling into excessiveness in their belief. He made it clear that he was merely
a slave of Allah and His Messenger. He said: “Do not praise me excessively the way that the
Christians praised Jesus the son of Mary. I am only Allah’s slave and Messenger, so say that I am
His slave and Messenger.”

He also said: “None should seek help through me. Help should be sought from Allah alone.”

Near the time of his death, he would repeatedly say: “Allah’s wrath became severe towards those
people who turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship.”

He also said: “Whoever takes an oath in other than Allah’s name has fallen into polytheism.”

He said: “Allah has cursed those who offer sacrifices to other than Allah.”

The Rites of Worship in Islam

We shall now turn our attentions to he four principal acts of worship prescribed by Islam, which are
prayer, Zakâh, fasting, and the Hajj pilgrimage. These four acts of worship – along with the
testimony that there is no god besides Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah – are
the five pillars that Islam rests upon. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Islam is built
upon five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakâh, fasting during the month of Ramadân, and making
pilgrimage to the House if one is able to do so.”

These four pillars are the minimum required acts of worship. Negligence in performing these acts of
worship is considered a major sin and can lead to apostasy.

Muslims are encouraged to perform more than this in order to draw even nearer to Allah. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) relates to us that Allah said: “My servant does not seek nearness to me
with anything more beloved than what I have commanded him to do. My servant then continues to
seek nearness to me with voluntary acts until I love him.”

These acts of worship are as old as they are new.

Acts of worship similar to these were prescribed in the religions that came before Islam. They were
an integral part of those faiths. Allah says, referring to some of the Messengers (peace be upon
them):

And We made them leaders that guided people by Our command. We inspired them to
perform good deeds, establish prayer, and pay the Zakâh, and they were to us devout
worshippers.

Allah says, after speaking about Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (peace be upon them all):
O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who
came before you that perhaps you might be God fearing.
Allah says regarding the Hajj:
And when We gave to Abraham the site of the house (saying): Do not associate with Me
anything in worship, and sanctify My house for those who circle it, or stand up, bow,
and prostrate in prayer. And proclaim the pilgrimage to the people; they will come to
you on foot, on every lean camel, and from every steep mountain pass.

Necessarily, the exact forms taken by these acts of worship were different for the previous
manifestations of the Sacred Law. The manner of prayer in Islam is different than it was for the
Jews and Christians. The same can be said about alms, fasting, and pilgrimage.

These acts of worship, though they are pure acts of devotion that must be carried out no matter how
restricted the worshipper’s understanding of them might be, have wisdom behind them. Knowing
the wisdom behind them and the positive effects that they bring about can increase the worshipper’s
resolve and zeal in performing them. This knowledge can increase the benefit realized by the
worshipper as well.

Prayer
Prayer is the second pillar upon which Islam rests, the first pillar being the testimony of faith. Islam
stresses this act of worship and sternly warns against neglecting it. Prayer is the central pillar of
faith. It is the key to Paradise and the first thing to be accounted for on the Day of Judgment. It is
also the first of the religious obligations brought by the Prophets after faith in Allah. Allah says,
addressing Moses (peace be upon him):

Verily I am Allah. There is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish prayer to
celebrate My praises.

Allah relates to us the supplication of Abraham (peace be upon him) as follows:

My Lord, have me and my descendants establish prayer. My Lord, accept my
supplication.

Likewise, Ishmael (peace be upon him) used to order his family to pray. Allah says:
He used to order his family to pray and pay Zakâh, and he was pleasing to his Lord.

The Messiah (peace be upon him) mentioned prayer when he was in the cradle. Allah relates to us
his words:
And He enjoined prayer and Zakâh (alms) upon me as long as I live.

Some benefits of prayer:

1. It enriches the soul and fulfills its yearning to connect with its Lord. This gives the soul peace
and contentment.

2. It purifies the heart from the effects of indolence and sin by providing a continuous opportunity
for communication with Allah and for repentance. The Messenger (peace be upon him) indicated
this when he said to his Companions: “Consider if one of you had a river by his door in which he
bathed five times a day. Would any filth remain on him?” They responded in the negative. He said:
“Likewise, Allah wipes away sins with the five daily prayers.”

This stresses the meaning of Allah’s words:

 Verily prayer forbids licentiousness and wrongdoing. And the remembrance of Allah is
the greatest thing.

3. It emphasizes the proximity between religion and daily life. Life, from an Islamic standpoint, is
to be directed to Allah. Life is an opportunity for worship and the remembrance of Allah. Praying
repeatedly throughout the day, interrupting the daily activities, brings about the realization of this
concept. The believer, through prayer, acquires a spiritual awareness that he takes with him
throughout all of life’s endeavors.

4. It teaches a Muslim punctuality. Prayer shows how important time actually is. Allah says:
Prayer is enjoined upon the believers at prescribed times.

5. It teaches the Muslim the virtues of constancy and perseverance. Allah’s Messenger (peace be
upon him) said: “The best of deeds with Allah are the ones performed most regularly, even if it is
small.”

6. It cultivates brotherhood, equality, and humility between the Muslims.

Zakâh
Zakâh is the third pillar of Islam. It consists of the payment of a specific portion of wealth whenever
a person’s total savings reaches a specific level and is held for a specified period of time. This
wealth is then distributed to a predetermined set of beneficiaries.

The previous scriptures recognized the essential meaning of the Zakâh tax, this being consideration
for the poor by giving them a portion of wealth. Allah says:

And when We took the covenant of the Children of Israel: do not worship anyone except
Allah and show respect to parents, near relatives, the orphans, and the poor, and speak
righteousness to the people, and establish prayer, and pay the Zakâh.

The Messiah (peace be upon him) mentioned Zakâh when he was in the cradle. Allah relates his
words:
And He enjoined prayer and Zakâh upon me as long as I live.

Islam encouraged spending in charity even before the institution of Zakâh was established. Allah
says:
In their wealth is a clear right for the beggar and the destitute.

When the Islamic state was established in Madinah, Zakâh became one of the formal Islamic rites
with a distinct system of its own based on the following principles:

1. It is an obligatory duty on the wealthy. It is not voluntary charity. Allah describes Zakâh as a duty
from Him and commands His Messenger (peace be upon him), saying:
Take from their wealth charity.

2. It is taken from specific types of wealth, each type having a unique minimum limit, whereby no
Zakâh is levied unless it is reached.
3. The amount of Zakâh levied is inversely proportionate to the effort needed to acquire the wealth.
In the Zakâh on produce, for instance, rain-fed produce is taxed more heavily than produce that is
cultivated with irrigation.

4. It is given to a specific set of beneficiaries that are mentioned in the Qur’ân. Allah says:
The charity is only for the poor, the destitute, the Zakâh collectors, to reconcile hearts to
Islam, to free the slaves, people in debt, those in the path of Allah, and the wayfarer; an
obligation from Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Zakâh is a manifestation of Islam’s concern for the human being. Allah says:
Truly, We have honored the descendants of Adam.

One of the ways in which this honor can be seen is Allah has taken into consideration those who are
unable to provide for themselves. He has made society responsible for their needs through a number
of injunctions in the Divine Law, among the most important of which is Zakâh. This concern is
conditional. The needy person is expected to expend the maximum possible effort to provide for his
or her self, so that any charity given will be of a supplementary nature. Thus, this charity might be
to remedy a temporary misfortune, or it might be to provide for someone who is completely
incapable of providing for his or her own needs.

Zakâh is an institution managed by the state. It is the responsibility of the political authority to
collect the Zakâh, safeguard it, and distribute it to its rightful recipients who are mentioned in the
Qur’anic verse. Allah commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) in the following way:
Take from their wealth charity to cleanse them and purify them.

In an Islamic state, the government must appoint the officials who are responsible to collect,
safeguard, record, and distribute the Zakâh. The political authority must also set the salaries of these
officials, which is also drawn from the Zakâh.

Some benefits of Zakâh:

Zakâh is a means of purification. It purifies the character of the wealthy individual from the stain of
selfishness that, if left unchecked, can bring ruin to the social fabric by making society constricted
and egotistical. It also purifies the wealth by taking from it the right of the poor. If this right were
not taken from it, the wealth would become bereft of all blessings. Zakâh also purifies all the
members of society, rich and poor, by removing the causes of social strife and discord.

Zakâh causes an increase of wealth:

1. It elevates the social standing of the wealthy by cultivating within the wealthy person a sense of
tranquility and a kind heart, because doing good is one of the greatest reasons for contentment of
the heart. It also develops the personality of the poor person by providing for him a sense of
solidarity with others in society.

2. It increases wealth and allows it to be blessed. The apparent decrease in the wealth of the affluent
is more than offset by the social stability and security that circulating this wealth provides for
society.

3. Zakâh is an important means of providing social security.

Islam refuses to allow individual members of society to be denied the basic needs of life, like food,
clothing, and shelter. It is necessary that these things are available to all members of society. Allah
says:
In their wealth is a clear right for the beggar and the destitute.

4. It narrows the gap between the rich and the poor. People have a natural desire to possess things.
Islam recognizes human nature and also recognizes that people will not possess things equally due
to their different circumstances and abilities. Islam, however, puts regulations on the acquisition of
wealth to keep the wealthy people from going to excess and to prevent the poor people from
becoming ruined by their poverty or forced into deviant, destructive behavior on account of
jealousy and hatred.

Zakâh is an important way of realizing this objective. Allah says:

What Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger from the people of the towns is for
Allah, His Messenger, the kindred, the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer so that it
may not merely circulate between the wealthy among you.

Zakâh provides a minimum limit for charitable spending. It is by far not the maximum. It is the
absolute minimum that is required as a religious duty from those who possess wealth. Islam
encourages everyone to give in charity as much as they can. Allah says:
You will never attain piety until you spend of what you love.

Fasting
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam. It entails abstaining from food, drink, and sexual intercourse
from dawn until sunset with the intention of attaining nearness to Allah. It is obligatory every day
throughout the lunar month of Ramadân.

Fasting was a religious obligation for the followers of the religions before Islam, though its form
may have been different. Allah says:

O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who
came before you that perhaps you might be God fearing.

Some benefits of fasting:

1. It develops willpower. In this way, it trains the Muslim to rise up to the challenges of life. It gives
the individual the ability to control his or her desires. It teaches patience; because the fasting person
must give up pleasures that he or she is normally accustomed to enjoying.

2. Fasting is a way of recognizing the blessings of Allah that surround the individual. Allah says:
If you try to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able do so.

Most of the time, people forget these numerous blessings, never remembering them unless they are
lost. Fasting provides a reminder of these blessings throughout the fasting person’s life.

3. Fasting reminds people of the suffering of those who are deprived, affording those who have
means a glimpse of the hardships and hunger suffered by the poor. This makes the well off more
likely to want to help the poor.

4. Fasting is healthy. It provides rest for the digestive system and cultivates the habit of eating less.
It also provides the body relief from harmful habits the fasting person might have, like smoking, the
use of stimulants, and possibly other forbidden things.

5. Fasting provides an opportunity for complete devotion to Allah. Fasting is a perfect example of
total submission to Allah and fear of Allah alone. The reason for this is that a person’s fast is not
witnessed by anyone except Allah himself. The person gives up all physical desires for the whole
day exclusively to seek Allah’s pleasure. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) related to us that
Allah said: “Every action of the descendants of Adam is for them except for fasting; it is for me and
I will reward it.”

The Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It was the last of them to be revealed. It entails making a
journey of faith from the Muslim’s own land to Allah’s Sacred House in Mecca during specific days
to perform specific rites with the purpose of attaining nearness to Allah.

The Hajj evokes the memory of Abraham (peace be upon him). Allah had ordered him to build the
Sacred House as a sign of His unity and as a place of worship.

Allah says:

Verily, the first house established for the people is in Mecca, blessed and a guidance for
all the worlds. It contains clear signs and the place of Abraham. Whoever enters it finds
sanctuary. And for Allah the people must make pilgrimage to the House, whoever
among them is able to make the journey.

The pilgrims go into a reverent state known as ihrâm where they remove their normal clothing and
don the pilgrim garb as a sign of the unity and equality that Abraham (peace be upon him) called to
and represented. Allah says, relating the words of Abraham (peace be upon him):
Whoever follows me is from me, and whoever disobeys me, then You (O Allah) are
forgiving and merciful.

The pilgrims pace between Mount Safâ and Mount Marwah in remembrance of the trial that
Abraham’s wife Hajar had to undergo when he left her with their infant son in Mecca, trusting in
Allah. Allah says, relating the supplication of Abraham (peace be upon him) at that difficult time:
Our Lord, verily I placed my progeny in a barren, uncultivated valley at Your Sacred
House – O Lord – to establish prayer. So make the hearts of the people go out to them
and provide them with fruits so perhaps they might be thankful.

The ritual of throwing stones at the jamarât (stone pillars) signifies when Abraham (peace be upon
him) was tempted by Satan who tried to dissuade him from fulfilling Allah’s command to sacrifice
his son. Abraham began to repel him with stones. For this reason, it has been prescribed for the
pilgrims to throw stones at the jamarât.

Some benefits of the Hajj:

1. The Hajj emphasizes the Islamic characteristics of unity and equality of the Muslims while at the
same time proclaiming the absolute unity of Allah.

2. The Hajj is a weighty spiritual and emotional event that remains a part of the believer for the rest
of his or her life. The pilgrim will always remember that these experiences occurred in the places
where the best of Creation had tread. Allah says:
It is the religion of our father Abraham. He has named you Muslims.

Allah says:
Who disdains the religion of Abraham except the most feebleminded?

3. The Hajj is a cultural journey, rich with experiences. These qualities are well known to those who
have performed the Hajj with others from all over the world. Allah says:
And proclaim the pilgrimage to the people; they will come to you on foot, on every lean
camel, and from every steep mountain pass.

This huge congregation of Muslims provides an excellent opportunity for them to exchange ideas
and discuss their concerns. It can be both a religious and worldly exchange. Those who come for
Hajj or follow its progress can benefit economically, socially, and politically. Allah says:
They shall witness benefits for themselves and they should remember the name of Allah
in the well-known days.

Source:
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/discover_islam.cfm?cat_id=6&sub_cat_id=44