Worship

I believe that if we begin to understand worship then we will undergo a paradigm shift which will change the face of Islam.

Worship in Islam

This is a continuation of my Khutba given last month. Just to remind you that Khutba was based on Verse 151 from Sura Anam.The subject of the Khutba today is worship and what is the meaning of worship. I believe that if we begin to understand worship then we will undergo a paradigm shift which will change the face of Islam.

Worship includes

Pre worship
Niyat
Preparation for worship
Worship

In other words worship means

Having the intention to worship
Having the right attitude
Being in a state of readiness,
Being in a state of preparedness.

Qur'an 3:191-195 Surah Ale-'Imran (The Family of 'Imran)Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! thou hast not created (all) this for nothing!

Prayer alone is not worship but in saying our prayers we go through all the processes of worship,

The Wudhu, having clean clothes and a suitable place, is the preparation for worship.
The intention before the prayer is the Niyat
The prayer itself is bringing yourself into a state of preparedness , ridding yourself of worldliness.
When you raise your hands to Thank Allah, to seek his Forgiveness, to ask for his support and guidance that is worship.

Or is it?

If you believe in the 5 Pillars of Islam and then cheat and lie and slander, then you have been unable to build the right attitude. You have gone through the motions but have not gained any benefit from them. Observance of your duties to Allah are of no benefit to Allah. They are intended to prepare you for worship. They alone are not worship.
When you do wudhu, you are preparing for worship but by itself it is not worship combined with prayer, it takes on another meaning which is different from cleaning your hands and washing your face. Listening to a Khutba as a part of Juma Prayers takes on a different meaning then listening to a speech.

When you recite the kalimah, you are expressing belief. This belief then comes with its own obligations.

Not doing something is as much worship as doing something. Let me now remind you of Verse 151 from Sura An Aam.

6:151 Say: "Come, let me convey unto you what God has [really] forbidden to you: "Do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him; and [do not offend against but, rather,] do good unto your parents; [146] and do not kill your children for fear of poverty - [for] it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them; [147] and do not commit any shameful deeds, be they open or secret; and do not take any human being's life-[the life] which God has declared to be sacred -otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason; [148]

The language here is one of abstinence rather than of doing something.


The purpose of life is to worship God.


Topics discussed in this Verse: [Unseen:belief in]

2. The Quran says, "This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt,"

1. for those who fear Allah.
2. Who believe in the Unseen,
3. are steadfast in prayer,
4. and spend out of what We have provided for them;
5. And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time,
6. and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.
.
Just as Wudhu prepares us for prayers, prayer and fasting bring about the right attitude and puts us in the right frame of mind. It is just like going to school. School is not life but it is preparing you for life. It is not just giving you knowledge, it is teaching you how to think.

Similarly Niyat is the essence of worship.

Worship is preceded by Belief. Belief in the oneness of God. The preamble of Worship is therefore Belief in one God.


The 5 Pillars, the 6 Aqueeda, other attributes of righteousness all become part of worship.

This is the paradigm shift that I was talking about. When the Quresh worshipped idols, they did it because their fathers and forefathers did it. They built a whole system around the worship of Idols and believed in it as their way of life. Their treatment of women, their concept of morality, their practice of trade was all built around their inheritance.
When the Prophet came and said that this was not how it was supposed to be, it was difficult for them to embrace an idea that would wreck the life that they were comfortable with, forever.

But for those who could see the wisdom of his teachings, it was a whole different way of looking at things and it created a revolution. The first converts to Islam were not the vested interests but poor people and slaves. The Islam that we see today is the Islam of vested interests.

For the Literalists it is the rituals for the Intellectuals it is the spirit. Neither of them is right about giving preference of one over the other.

The paradigm shift for Islam today, is the way we define worship. Observing the 5 Pillars, if it is preparing for worship, then it is only, a part of Islam. The question I want to leave you with is, are we practicing or focusing on practicing a part of Islam or are we ready to become full Muslims.

Khusro
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