URIS-1203, Introduction to IBADAH, [Chapter: One:- Meaning, Significance, Scope, Objectives and Condition]

Written and collected by: Md. ILIAS HOSSAIN, Lecturer, CENURC, IIUC, [autumn, 09]
IBADAH:Its meaning & significance in ISLAM.Scope of IBADAH in ISLAM.Objectives of IBADAH.Conditions of IBADAH.

Introduction:
Purpose of our creation:
We are created none but only for IBADAH, ALLAH said, “I created the JINN and
humankind only that they might worship me. [SURA AL-JARIATH/51:56,
PICKTHAL]
Command from ALLAH to worship Him:
He ordered us to worship him, He said, “O men! serve your lord who created you and
those before you so that you may guard (against evil).” [SURA AL-
BAKARAH/02:21, SHAKIR], and the message of all previous prophets are same that
to guide their followers to worship (IBADAH) ALLAH and save them self from evil,
He said, “For, We assuredly sent amongst every people a messenger, (with the
command), “Serve ALLAH, and eschew Evil.” [SURA AL-NAHL/16:36, YUSUF
ALI], so we should must worship to ALLAH in our total life.
[1] Definition of IBADAH:
Root of word IBADAH:
Arabic word of IBADAH came from it root word ‘ABD’.
Literal meaning of IBADAH:
1.Generally IBADAH means slave, full time servant to serve. All the actions of a
slave to make his master pleased is IBADAH, so we are ABD of ALLAH and all our
actions for the sake of ALLAH`S pleasure are considered as IBADAH.
2.DR. ROHI BAALBAKI said in dictionary “AL-MOWRID”, “IBADATH means
worship, adoration, cult, and devotion. UBUDIUN means servile, menial, slavish,
and subservient. UBUDIATH means slavery, serfdom, servitude, bondage, thralldom,
and yoke”.
3.AL-FAYROOZ ABAADI said in his dictionary “AL-QAMOOS AL-MUHEET”,
“AL-IBADAH means obedience”.
4.IMAM MOHAMED BAIANONIE said, “The meaning of IBADAH in the Arabic
language is obedience, submission and humility”.
5.ZAWHARI said, “IBADAH means obedience, submission and servility”.
6.AL-ZAJAJ said, “The meaning of AL-IBADAH is obedience with submission”.
7.AL-ZAMAKSHARI said, “AL-IBADAH means the most extreme level of
submission and lowering one`s self”.
8.AL-BAGHAWI said, “AL-IBADAH means obedience with lowering one`s self and
submission, and the slave was called ABD due to his submission and his obedience”.
9.MUSTAFA AHMAD ZARQA said, “The meaning of IBADAH is worship”.
10.It is said in journal “A study of the QUR`AN and its teaching” published by
“IQRA international education foundation, CHICAGO, 1999, pg: 72, “the term
IBADAH can be used in three senses (1) worship and adoration (2) obedience and
submission and (3)service and subjection”.
Terminological meaning of IBADAH:
1.IMAM MOHAMED BAIANONIE said, “The IBADAH in ISLAM means the
ultimate obedience, the ultimate subjection and the ultimate humility to ALLAH
(S.W.T.) along with the ultimate love for him”.
2.IMAM IBN TAYMIAH said, “The IBADAH is a noun (word) that includes
everything that ALLAH (S.W.T.) loves and accepts from saying and the physical
acts; the hidden (acts by heart) and openly (acts by limbs)”.The acts by limbs include
the prayer, ZAKAH, fasting, hajj, truthfulness, loyalty, kindness with parents, having
good accord with relatives, keeping promises, ordering what is good and forbidding
from what is evil, fighting against the KUFFAR and the hypocrites, kindness with the
neighbor, with the orphan, with the poor, with the wayfarer, with the animals,
supplication, remembering ALLAH, reciting QUR`AN, and all things of this nature
are from IBADAH.
3.IBADAH is the main aim of man creation. ALLAH said, “I created the jinn and
humankind only that they might worship me”. [PICKTHAL, SURA AL-
JARIATH/51:56]
4.Its fixed meaning: All obedience, acts and symbols which ALLAH (S.W.T.)
ordered us to do or not to do and which are selected by SHARIAH are called
IBADAH, such as: SALAT, fasting, ZAKAT, and hajj….etc.
Comprehensively/spaciously: All noble and beneficial deeds which related with our
life on the earth and life after death, and which are not against of SHARIAH and
which are practiced to get satisfaction of ALLAH are called IBADAH. ALLAH said,
“Say: true, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for
ALLAH, the cherisher of the worlds”. [YUSUFAL, SURA AL-ANAAN/6:162]
5.SAYED ABUL A`LA MOWDUDI said, “IBADAH (worship) is all-inclusive that
one says or does for the pleasure of ALLAH. This of course, includes rituals as well
as beliefs, social activities and personal contributions to the welfare of fellow human
beings.
6.IBADAH with its vast and comprehensive implications, means: obedience with
submission, and lowering one`s self, and accepting being led by ALLAH (S.W.T.), in
everything that he has ordered and everything that he has forbidden.
7.MUSTAFA AHMAD ZARQA also said, “IBADAH according to ISLAM, worship
is a means for purification of man`s soul and his practical life”.
8.MUSTAFA AHMAD ZARQA also said, “The basis of IBADAH (worship) is the
fact that human beings are creatures and thus bond servants of GOD, their creator and
the lord, to whom they are destined to return.
9.Thus man`s turning towards GOD, in intimate communication, reverence and in the
spirit of devotion and humble submission is termed IBADAH.
10.Worshipping (IBADAH) of ALLAH is not limited to a small section of what
ISLAM has come with, such as personal rituals like SALAT, FASTING, ZAKAT,
and HAJJ; rather IBADAH of ALLAH means to implement all of what ISLAM has
come with, without abandoning even a single ruling and without differentiating
between one command and another. Thus, just like SALAT and FASTING are
IBADAH, equally JIHAD and ruling with what ALLAH has revealed are IBADAH
as well. And just like HAJJ and ZAKAT are IBADAH, equally removing harm from
the path and undertaking economic transactions according to the SHARIAH are also
IBADAH. And just like TASBEEH, TAHLEEL and TAKBEER are all IBADAH,
equally working to re-establish the KHALIFAH according to the method of the
messenger of ALLAH, SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM, is also IBADAH.
11.The real reason for our creation and being is the worship (IBADAH) of ALLAH
(S.W.T.). Every action done in accordance with the sacred law (SHARIAH) of
ALLAH (S.W.T.), with the hope of earning his pleasure is IBADAH. [A study of
QUR`AN and its teaching, published by IQRA International Education Foundation,
CHICAGO, 1999, pg: 72].
12.AL-SHEIKH ALI AL-TANTAWI said, “IBADAH is worship, i.e. SALAH,
SAWM (fast), HAJJ, ZAKAH, working and helping others, every action is
considered a form of IBADAH provided that it should be with good intention
accordance with holy QUR`AN and the SUNNAH. [general introduction to ISLAM:
The faith, pg: 218-219]
[2] Significance of IBADAH in ISLAM/ Concept of IBADAH in ISLAM:
Introduction:
“I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship me”. [SURA AL-
JARIATH/51:56, PICKTHAL]
1. misunderstands about IBADAH: The concept of worship (IBADAH) in ISLAM
is misunderstood by many people including some MUSLIMS. Worship is commonly
taken to mean performing ritualistic acts such as prayers, fasting, charity, hajj etc. this
limited understanding of worship is only one aspect of the meaning of worship in
ISLAM. The real definition of worship in ISLAM is a comprehensive definition that
includes every aspect of human life and individual`s activities.
2. meaning of IBADAH: Arabic root of IBADAH came from it root word ABD,
mean slave or full time servant. All the action of a slave to make his master pleased is
IBADAH, so we are ABD of ALLAH and all our actions for the sake of ALLAH`S
pleasure are considered as IBADAH. In other words, worship is all-inclusive that one
says or does for the pleasure of ALLAH. This, of course, includes rituals as well as
beliefs, social activities, and personal contributions to the welfare of fellow human
beings.
3. concept of IBADAH in ISLAM: ISLAM looks at the individual as a whole. He is
required to submit himself completely to ALLAH, as the QUR`AN instructed the
prophet MUHAMMAD to do. “Say (MUHAMMAD) my prayer, my sacrifice, my
life and my death belong to ALLAH; He has no partner and I am ordered to be
among those who submit, i.e.; Muslims” (SURA ANAM/6:162-163)
4.Nature of IBADAH: The natural result of this submission is that all our activities
should comply with the instructions of the one to whom we are submitting. ISLAM,
being a way of life, requires that its followers model their life according to its
teaching in every aspect, religious or wtherwise. ALLAH said, “O you who believe!
Enter perfectly into ISLAM and follow not the footsteps of SHAITAN”. [SURA AL-
BAKARA/2:208]
5 .IBADAH not personal relation between person and ALLAH: This might sound
strange to some people who think of religion as a personal relation between the
individual and GOD, having no impact on one`s activities outside rituals.
6. IBADAH in fact to perform all good deeds: In fact, ISLAM does not think much
of more rituals when they are performed mechanically and have no influence on
one`s inner life. The QURAN addresses the concept of righteousness in the following
verse, “is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East or the West, but
righteous is he who believes in ALLAH and the last day and the angels and the book
and the prophets and gives his beloved money to his relatives and the orphans and the
needy and for the ransoming of captives and who observes prayer and pays the poor-
due; and those who fulfil their promises when they have made one, and the patient in
poverty and affiction and the steadfast in time of war; it is those who have proved
truthful and it is those who are the GOD-fearing.” [2:177]
7. Branches of faith/calcification of IBADAH: The deeds in the above verse are the
deeds of righteousness and they are part of worship. The prophet told us about faith,
which is the basis of worship, He said, “Faith is made up of sixty and some brunches;
the highest of which of which is the belief in the Oneness of ALLAH, i.e., there is no
GOD but ALLAH and the lowest in the scale of worship is removing obsticles and
dirt from people’s way.”
8. Decent work is considered in ISLAM a type of worship: The prophet said,
“Whoever finds himself at the nightfall tired of his work, GOD will forgive his sins”.
9. Seeking knowledge is one of the highest types of worship: The prophet told his
companions that, “seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every MUSLIMS”. In
another saying, he said, “Seeking knowledge for one hour is better than praying for
seventy years”.
10.Social courtesy and cooperation are part of worship when done for the sake of
ALLAH as the prophet told us, “Receiving your friend with a smile is a type of
charity, helping a person to load his animal is a charity and putting some water in
your neighbour’s bucket is a charity”.
11.performing in our duties is worship: It is worth noting that even performing our
duties is considered a sort of worship. The prophet told us that whatever one spends
for his family is a type of charity; he will be rewarded for it if he acqires it through
legal means.
12.Kindness to members of one’s family is worship: when one puts a piece of food
in his spouse’s mouth. Not only this but even the acts we enjoy doing very much,
when they are performed according to the instructions of the prophet, are considered
as acts of worship.
13.Good relation between wife and husband is IBADAH: The prophet once told
his companions that they would be rewarded even for having ultimate intimacy with
their spouse. The companions were astonished and asked, “How are we going to be
rewarded for doing something we enjoy very much?” The prophet asked them,
“Suppose you satisfy your desires illegally; don’t you think that you will be punished
for that?” They replied, “Yes”. “So”, he said, “by satisfying it legally with your wives
you are rewarded for it”. This means they are acts of worship.
14.The concept of worship in ISLAM is a comprehensive concept: It is clear that
the concept of worship in ISLAM is a comprehensive concept that includes all the
positive activities of the individual. This of course is in agreement with the all-
inclusive nature of ISLAM as a way of life. It regulates human life on all levels:
individual, social, economic, political and spiritual. That is why ISLAM provides
guidance to the smallest details of our life on all these levels. Thus following these
details is following ISLAMIC instructions in that specific area. It is a very
encouraging element when one eralizes that all his activities are considered by GOD
as acts of worship: Abd is for ALLAH. This shuld lead the individual to seek
ALLAH’S pleasure in his actions and always try to do them in the best possible
manner whether he is watched by his superiors of he is alone. There is always the
permanent supervisor, who knows everything, namely, ALLAH.
REWRITTEN BY MD.NAZMUL HASSAN, B091003, 01710483636