Concise And Comprehensive Definition Of Worship For Islamic Acts Of Worship.

[MuhammedAli]

Intorduction:

There are many definitions of Islamic Ibadah (i.e. worship) circulated in books of scholars and over internet. And almost all fail to properly and comprehensively define what Islamic defintion of worship is. Most definitions were produced by classical Islamic scholarship and they stopped at linguistic meaning of Ibadah with addition of love/fear of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Amongst orthodox scholarly circles these definitions wouldn’t do any harm because traditional scholarship has always drawn missing Shar’i components from Quran/Sunnah to make them whole. Linguistic definitions in hands of Khawarij lead by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab of Najd has employed linguistic and incomplete defintions with imputiny to their advantage. And as result they have managed to misguide and lure many Muslims into Kufr of Khawarij. To combat this Kharijism Islamic/Shar’i defintion of worship is being offered as an alternative. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) make it way of guidance for many. Ameen.

Supplication/Dua Related Definition Of Worship:

(i) Fundamental: To invoke an Ilah is worship. (ii) Comprehensive: To show obedience, submissiveness, humility, and to hold in respect; to fear, or to love; to invoke in praise, or to invoke in time of difficulty, or ease; and to request great, or small from one believed as an Ilah; while believing Ilah is far, or near with belief and intention of worship amounts to worship.

Definition Applicable To Islamic Ritual-Acts Of Worship:

(iii) Ritual Acts Basic: To perform any ritual-act with belief and intention of worshiping an Ilah is an act of worship. (iv) Comprehensive Ritual Acts: Performing any ritual-act in obedience, submissiveness, humility,  respect, love, fear to an Ilah; and to praise, to glorify qualities/attributes with belief and intention of worshiping an Ilah is an act of worship.

Fundamental Worship And Other Components Of Worship:

Fundamentally invoking a being believed as an Ilah is worship. This invocation is of praise, or request of need. Worship can consist of ritual acts or just verbal recitation. It can be worship with or without love, fear, humility, submission, and respect. If a Hindu, or Christian, or any other polytheist invokes an invented Ilah with or without love, fear, humility, submission, respect; despite this they will be guilty of Shirk due to belief of Ilahiyyah and guilty of Kufr due to engaging in a ritual-act with beliefe and intention of worship. A Muslim must worship Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) with love, fear; with humility, submission, and respect. Worship performed without these feelings points to improper understanding of worship and heedlessness of worshipper.

Advance And Basic Understanding Of Tawheed:

There are two levels of knowing/understanding Tawheed. Basic level of Tawheed requires affirmation of Ilahiyyah/Rububiyyah for ONLY Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). And to affirm Tawheed of Ikhlas in brief and in detail; He was not begotten by mother/father, and He has no consort to beget son/daughter. And to affirm there is nothing resembles Him in His creation. Those due to lack of advance knowledge of Tawheed only hold to previously stated understanding of Tawheed; they are not only believers but worship offered with basic understanding/knowledge of Tawheed will be accepted. Generally educated Muslims are expected to affirm following advance understanding of Tawheed with basic Tawheed: Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is Wajib ul-Wujud (i.e. existance is must) and His Ad’am Wujud (i.e. non-existance) is impossible. He is Mustaqil bil’Zaat (i.e. self existent) and none has granted Him existance. Allah’s (subhanahu wa ta’ala) Zaat (i.e. essence) and Sifaat (i.e. attributes) are Zaati (i.e. personal), Qulli (i.e. all-encampassing), Azli (i.e. eternal), bi’Ghayr Izni (i.e without permission of another), Muhaal al-Fana (i.e. anahilation impossible) … One who worships Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) with comprehensive understanding of Tawheed has earned a greater merit in his worship and will earn greater reward.

Worship Definition Pertaining To Islamic Ritual Acts Of Worship:

(v) Islamic Ritual Concise: Being in position of Qiyam (i.e. standing), Ruku (i.e. bowing), Sujud (i.e. prostration), Tashahhud (i.e. kneeling position), or raising hands in a Dua, or during Tawaf of Kabah or Safa/Marwah; in obedience, submissivenes, humility, love, adoration, fear, honour, respect; while praising, or asking, begging and pleading Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) with belief and intention of worship is worship. (vi) Islamic Ritual Comprehensive: With belief Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the One and the Only Ilah/Rubb. He is without mother/father and brother/sister. Has no wife, or son, or daughter. He resembles nothing and anything does not resemble Him. He is the First, the Last, the Apparent, and the Hidden. His Zaat (i.e. essence), Sifaat (i.e. attributes) are Wajib ul-Wujud, Mustaqil bil-Zaat, Azali, Muhaal al-Fana, bi’Ghayr Izni, Qulli, Zaati, Haqiqi … Assuming position of Qiyam (i.e. standing), or Ruku (i.e. bowing), or Sujud (i.e. prostration), or sitting in position of Tashahhud (i.e. kneeling position), or raising hands in a Dua, or during Tawaf of Kabah and Safa/Marwah; in obedience, submissiveness, humility, love, adoration, fear, honour, respect; while praising, or asking, or begging and pleading Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) with belief and intention of worship is worship.

Missing Components Of Tawheed From  Islamic Ritual Comprehensive Definition:

There was much more of advance Tawheed then what has been stated. Detail of Tawheed not mentioned in I.R.Comprehensive but mentioned else where in this or another articles produced  by me, or by other members of Ahlus Sunnah should be deemed correct. And can be inserted into text of definition I.R.Comprehensive right after the three dots. As matter of principle I.R.Comprehensive should be inclusive of all details of Tawheed and principles which explain Zaat and Sifaat of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).

Wama alayna ilal balaghul mubeen.
Muhammed Ali Razavi

Edited 8 مارچ 2020 by MuhammedAli

[MuhammedAli]

Tawheed is part of Islamic ritual acts of worship and a core requirement. And Tawheed mentioned in the article is Islamic Tawheed and not Wahhabi so called Tawheed. Also the Tawheed requirement is for acts of worship sanctioned in Islam, commanded, and worship which is accepted/approved and rewarded by to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).

[farazhussain]

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