Allah says:
“Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam))! Verily, my Salaat, my sacrifice, my
living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the
Aalamin (mankind and Jinn and all that exists).”[1]
Tawheed al-Ibaadah (the Oneness of Allah’s worship) is
the most apparent meaning of the concept of Tawheed
because worship is the core and essence of Islamic Creed
- based on the Shahadah statement, ‘La ilaha illa Allah’
meaning, ‘There is no Ilah (deity worthy of worship)
except Allah (in truth).’
Ibaadah is a
comprehensive term, which encompasses everything, which
Allah loves and is pleased with; of both statements and
actions – both apparent and hidden. Hence, Salaat,
fasting, charity, truthfulness, honesty, loving Allah
and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), turning
to Allah in repentance, sincerity of the Deen for Him,
hope in His Mercy, fear from His Torment, supplications
to Allah, kindness to parents, good morals and manners
to neighbors, relatives and friends, helping the poor
and needy, etc… are all different forms of Ibaadah.
Allah says:
“Whosoever hopes for the
meeting with His Lord, let him work righteousness and
associate none as a partner in the worship of His Lord.”[2]
Al-Hafidh Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) said in his Tafseer
of this verse: “These are the two pillars of the
accepted action. It is necessary that the action is
sincerely for Allah and also correct upon the Sharee’ah
of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam).
Blindly following anyone
in matters that have clear guidance from the Book and
the Sunnah is a form of Shirk in the worship to Allah.
Narrated Adee Ibn Hatim (radhi allahu anhu) that he
heard the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)
reciting the verse,
“They (Jews and
Christians) have taken their rabbis and monks to be as
Lords besides Allah and (they also took as their lord)
Messiah, son of Maryam (alaihi as-salaam) while they
were commanded to worship none but one Ilah. Praise and
glory be to Him, (far above is He) from having the
partners they associate (with Him).”[3]
He (Adee Ibn Hatim) said: ‘We didn’t worship them.’ The
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Did
they not make Haraam what Allah made Halaal and you all
made it Haraam, and they made Halaal what Allah made
Haraam and you all made it Halaal?”
He replied “Certainly.” The Prophet of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“That is your worship to
them.”[4]
Obedience to scholars,
Imams and rulers are only acceptable when their orders
comply with the Commands of Allah, because the Messenger
of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Obedience is only in
what is good (i.e. within the boundaries laid down by
Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)).”[5]
And: “He who
complies with the command of a master, a leader or a
ruler in disobedience and defiance of Allah is an
unbeliever and a Mushrik. There shall be no obedience to
a creature of Allah when it would involve disobeying or
displeasing Allah.”[6]
Therefore,
“Hearing and obeying is (binding) upon the Muslim in
what he likes or dislikes, so long as he is not ordered
to sin. If he is ordered with sin, then there is no
hearing and no obeying.”[7]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
(rahimahullah) writes in Madaarijus-Saalikeen:
“Uboodiyyah (worship) is a comprehensive term that
asserts the meaning of the verse, “You alone do we
worship and You alone we seek for help.”[8]
It comprises the slavery of the heart, tongue, and the
limbs to Allah. The slavery of the heart includes both
the Qawl (saying of the heart) and the Aamaal (action of
the heart). The saying of the heart is the belief in
what Allah has informed about His Self, His Names and
Attributes, His Actions, His Angels and all that which
He revealed in His Books and sent upon the tongue of His
Messenger Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam).
The action of the heart
include love for Allah, reliance upon Him, turning to
Him in repentance fearing Him, having hope in Him,
devoting the Deen sincerely to Him, having patience in
what He orders and forbids, having patience with His
decrees and being pleased with them, having allegiance
for His pleasure having humility for Him and humbling
oneself in front of Him, and becoming tranquil with Him.
The action of the tongue
is to convey what Allah has revealed, to call to it,
defend it, to expose the false innovations, which oppose
it, and to establish its remembrance and to convey what
it orders.
The actions of the limbs
include Salaat (prayer), Jihad (fighting in the cause of
Allah), attending the Jumuah prayers and the rest of the
Jamaat (congregational prayers), assisting those who are
unable and acting with goodness and kindness to the
creation and other such acts….”[9]
Love: Loving Allah is worship of the heart and is
the greatest form of worship that is obligatory on every
Muslim. Love of Allah is not the love, which one feels
towards one’s kindred, but love in Islam is ‘submission
and obedience’, as Allah declared:
“Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)): If you love Allah, then follow me
(i.e. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)),
Allah will love you.”[10]
Shirk in the love of
Allah is thus the love, which results in full submission
and obedience to someone other besides Allah - Love that
leads to disobedience to the Commandments of Allah is
Shirk. Allah says:
“Yet of mankind are some
who take others as rivals besides Allah. They love them
as they love Allah but those who believe, love Allah
more (than anything else).”[11]
Hope
(Tawakkul):
Tawakkul
is greatly associated with worship, as Allah says:
“So
worship Him (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam))
and have Tawakkul in Him.”[12]
“And
put your trust in the Living One, Who will never die,
and glorify His praises; Sufficient He is, in being
aware of the sins of His Ibaad (worshipers).”[13]
Therefore to place trust in other than Allah, in matters
in which Allah alone can help is Shirk. This applies to
all other worships of the heart, like fear, sincerity,
etc.
Supplication:
Allah says:
“And your
Lord said: “Invoke Me and I will respond to your
(invocation)’ Verily, those who scorn My worship, will
enter Hell in humiliation.”[14]
While explaining this verse the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“Supplication is worship.”[15]
Thus, supplication is worship as Allah mentioned in the
verse and as His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)
explained in his Hadeeth.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) once advised Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu
anhu) saying: “If
you ask, then ask Allah and if you seek help, then seek
help from Allah.”[16]
He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) also said in a Saheeh
Hadeeth: “Whoever
abstains from asking others, Allah will make him
content, and whoever tries to make himself
self-sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient...”[17]
This command prohibits
asking from others besides Allah, in matters which none
can provide except Allah, like provision, sustenance,
aid, cure, guidance, offspring, etc. However, this
prohibition of asking others besides Allah does not
restrict one from helping his Muslim brethren or asking
help from them in matters which they can help. Allah
says: “…Help you
one another in al-Birr and at-Taqwa (virtue,
righteousness and piety)…”[18]
