Lesson 2: What is worship?

Lesson 2: What is worship?

1. Text:

الْعِبَادَةُ: اسْمٌ جَامِعٌ لِكُلِّ مَا يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ مِنَ الْأَقْوَالِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ.
وَيَكُونُ تَحْقِيقُ الْعِبَادَةِ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ بِامْتِثَالِ أَوَامِرِهِ وَاجْتِنَابِ نَوَاهِيهِ.

2. Translation:

Worhip (ibadah) is: a comprehensive name for all that Allah loves and becomes contended with, from the speeches and actions, both outwardly and inwardly.

The actualization of worship is done by obeying Allah, by abiding His commands and abstaining His prohibitions.

3. Explanation:

In the previous lesson we studied that all worships should be diverted only to Allah. We also studied that if anyone diverts any type of worship to other than Allah, then he is a mushrik. If he dies in the same state without making sincere tawbah his destination is jahannam and jannah (paradise) is prohibited for him.

Now in this lesson, insha Allah, we're going to study something about worship.

If you have landed here directly we recommend you to start reading from the 1st lesson

What is worship?

Ibadah (worship) is a verbal noun (masdar) derived from the verb abada-ya’budu (عبد يعبد), which means to worship.

In Islamic terminology, the definition of ibadah (worship) is:

اسْمٌ جَامِعٌ لِكُلِّ مَا يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ مِنَ الْأَقْوَالِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ

“A comprehensive name for all that Allah loves and becomes contended with, from the speeches and actions, both outwardly and inwardly.”

There are many types of ibadah. Some of them are outward. For eg.: prayer, supplication, sacrifice, doing good to parents, connecting the blood relationships, co-operating upon righteousness and piety, performing jihad in the way of Allah, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, etc. Similarly, some of them are inward. For eg.: love, fear, dread, hope, etc.

All the worships should be diverted only to Allah, because Allah, the exalted, says:

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.” [Qur’an 98:5]

4. Questions:

1. Sort the outward worships from the inward worships:
   • [hajj, tawakkul (relying on Allah), du’a (supplication), salat (prayer), khawf (fearing Allah), jihad in the way of Allah]
2. Define worship. What can be called a worship?
3. Complete the following:
   • The actualization of worship is done by obeying Allah, by ________________ and abstaining _________________.

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