The Act of Worship (A Quranic Perspective)
By: A Mohamed
By: A Mohamed
The Quranic word 'Al-Ebadah' means the Act of Worship. To most people, the Act of Worship is primarily prostrating and observing the prayer. However, the Quran enlightens us that the Act of Worship is a much more profound concept than just the Act of Prayer. The words of God to His chosen prophet Moses were:
I am God, there is no god except Me. So worship Me, and observe the Salat to commemorate Me. 20:14
The words "worship Me" and "observe the Salat", which are spoken of as separate acts, tell us that worshipping God is not confined to the ritual of Salat. Whilst the Salat is a specific ritual decreed for specific times of the day, the Act of Worship is an uninterrupted state of the mind, body and heart. It is an exalted spiritual awareness and acceptance of God in our lives. In this sense, the Act of Worship is a very much-needed nourishment for the 'nafs' (self). Without the Act of Worship, dedicated exclusively to God alone, one is unable to attain inner peace, and ultimately, true happiness. Our physical bodies, by submitting to God's will, are in a perpetual state of worship. All our body organs and tissue are ordained to function in a meticulous pre-ordained manner designed by God, over which we have no control whatsoever. Every organ and cycle in our body is in a ceaseless state of submission to the will of God. However, the self is given the freedom of choice. If the self chooses the same route as the ordained body, harmony will be struck between body and self, the reward of which will be true happiness. On the other hand, if the self is rebellious, unappreciative or egoistic and elects not to worship God, true happiness can never be attained no matter how much wealth and status the human being may possess.
The Quran, being a fully detailed Book, provides the believers with the following information:
- Whom should we always worship?
- Whom should we never worship?
- How should we worship?
Most believers will seem offended by the first question. They will say, 'Of course we worship God!' However, the Quran indicates that what human beings worship is not necessarily what they say they worship but is what or whoever occupies their minds most of the time.
Who are we warned not to worship?
The Quran states that the human being is prone to worship anyone, or all of the following:
1- Material possessions:
If the only thing a person thinks of is money and how to make money, if his mind is primarily occupied with how much he would make out of this or that deal or how much he will gain from this or that person, if everything in his life is assessed according to its material benefit; it can be said that he worships money. If his business or his property distracts him from worshipping God, then he worships his possessions.
a- The following parable in Sura 18, portrays the tale of the man who was so occupied with his garden to the extent of setting it up as his idol, arrogantly boasting about it to his friend, saying that it will never cease to yield its crop. Consequently, God wiped it out as a punishment and a lesson for his idol worship:
His fruits were totally ruined, so he started wringing his hands over what he had spent on it, as now it had fallen on its trellises, and said, "I wish I had not associated anyone with my Lord." 18:42
b- The story of Solomon and the horses that distracted him from worshipping God goes as follows:
When the thoroughbred horses were displayed before him in the evening, he said, "I loved the material things over the remembrance of my Lord until it disappeared behind a veil. Bring them back to me." He then started stroking their legs and necks. 38:31-33
Solomon allowed material possessions to distract him from worshipping God. When he realised his error, the sun had already set causing him to miss his Salat! As a result, he repented. Realizing that nothing should have distracted him from worshipping God, he got rid of the horses.
c- Indeed the righteous in the sight of God are described in Sura 24:
Men who are not distracted by trade or sale from the remembrance of God. 24:37
2- Children and spouse:
The Quran warns strongly that our offspring are a 'Fetnah' (test) of our true worship. Are we going to become totally wrapped up in them to the extent of being distracted from worshipping God? Consider the following verses:
a- Then when she got heavier, they implored God their Lord: "If You grant us a good one, we will be among the thankful." Then, when He granted them a good one, they set up partners to Him in what He had given them. Exalted is God, far above what they associate with Him. 7:189-190
b- Your wealth and your children are but a test, and with God lies a great reward. 64:15
3- One's own ego:
The Quran also warns against worshipping our own self. People with inflated egos are the ones most prone to such behaviour. They are so self-centred that they always think they are right. Ultimately, their own whims become their god:
a- Have you seen the one who has taken his personal desire as his god? Would you be his trustee? 25:43
b- The Quran states that to protect one's self against this danger we should always behave with modesty and humility. God does not like the conceited and egotistic:
God does not like the arrogant, boastful. 31:18
The close connection between worshipping God alone and being humble is also made evident in the following words:
Worship God and do not associate anything with Him .... God does not like the ones who are arrogant and boastful. 4:36
c- A case of a whole people ending up worshipping themselves is narrated in the Quran in relation to the Jews. Their vanity and illusions of superiority deluded them into thinking that they were guaranteed God's mercy to the exclusion of all other people:
Say, "O you who are Jewish, if you claim that you are allies of God, to the exclusion of all other people, then long for death if you are truthful." 62:6
Equally, their vanity and egotism eluded them, proclaiming that Paradise was exclusively reserved for them!
Say, "If the Abode of the Hereafter is yours at God, to the exclusion of all other people, then long for death if you are truthful." 2:94
4- Objects:
Perhaps the more familiar example in this category is the worship of stone idols and statues. Sadly, many sects are guilty of such transgression. The Quran warns very strongly against any association with stone. In the story of Abraham, we read how he warned his pagan people not to worship stone idols:
Abraham said to his father Azar, "Do you take stone idols as gods? I see that you and your people are in clear misguidance." 6:74
All altars and monuments are told to be the work of the devil:
O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, altars and arrows of chance are impurities that are the work of the devil, so stay away from him so that you may succeed. 5:90
In the world today, there are those who still worship such objects as statues, the sun, fire, or even certain animals. All these groups are committing great acts of idol worship.
5- The angels, messengers and saints:
There is a very thin line between idolization and worshipping. What would you call those who kiss the ground on which the Pope walks? Are they idolizing the Pope or are they in fact worshipping him? What do you call those who visit the shrines of 'Al-Hussein' or 'El-Sayeda Zeinab' (Muslim saints) and call on them to answer their prayers or to intercede on their behalf? The Quran states categorically that to call on anyone other than God is to commit idol worship. The Quran warns very specifically against idolizing or worshipping God's messengers, the saints or the angels:
First
The Quran establishes the fact that no genuine messenger will ever command his people to glorify him or idolize him:
It is not for any human being to whom God gave the Scripture, the law, and the prophethood to then say to the people, "Be worshippers of me rather than God," but instead, "Be devoted to the Lord in accordance to the Scripture you have been teaching and in accordance to what you have been studying."
Nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after becoming Submitters? 3:79-80
Nor will any genuine messenger ask for any kind of return for his services:
I do not ask you for a reward for it. My reward comes only from the Lord of the Worlds. 26:109
Second
The Quran asserts that all those who died, whether they are saints, messengers or idols cannot hear us when we call on them:
Those whom you call upon besides Him do not possess as much as a seed's shell. If you call upon them, they cannot hear your calls, and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your shirk. None can inform you like One who is All-Aware. 35:13-14
On the Day of Judgment, those who have been idolized will disown the ones who idolized them:
Among the people are those who take other than God as equals, loving them as the love of God. However, those who believe have a much greater love for God. If only the transgressors were to see themselves when they witness the punishment, they would realise that all power belongs to God and that God's punishment is severe.
Those who were followed disowned those who followed them, they witnessed the punishment and all connections between them were cut off.
Those who followed said, "If only we had another chance, we would disown them as they have disowned us." God thus shows them their deeds bringing remorse upon them. They will not exit the Fire. 2:165-167
Third
The Quran warns very strongly against setting up God's messengers as idols:
Do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants as allies besides Me? We have prepared Hell as hospitality for the disbelievers. 18:102
Say, "Call upon those whom you have made claims for besides Him." They do not possess the power to remove the harm from you or to divert it. Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking the means to their Lord with regards to which of them can be nearer. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is certainly to be feared.17:56-57
Fourth
Those who commit such transgressions will come up with the most outrageous excuses:
Unquestionably, it is to God that the pure religion is due. Those who set up allies besides Him: "We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to God in proximity." 39:3
In the same verse, God replies to these claims with the words:
God will judge between them regarding that over which they differ. God does not guide one who is a lying disbeliever.
6- The devil
There are various sects all over the world today who worship Satan (Iblis). They engage in all sorts of vile activities such as blood drinking, human sacrifices and carnal depravity. Indeed this is expected of the servants of the devil. The Quran states that the devil will order his followers to commit evil:
The devil promises you poverty and commands you to commit immorality. 2:268
We are given a reminder in the Quran that God took a very early oath from all of us, not to worship the devil:
Did I not take an oath from you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil, for he is a clear enemy to you, and that you shall worship Me, for that is a straight path? 36:60-61
Anyone who takes the devil for an ally instead of God has indeed lost a clear loss. 4:119
The words of Abraham to his father carried the same warning:
O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil is disobedient to the Almighty. 19:44
How should we worship God?
If these are some of the temptations that can divert us from the 'Straight Path' and from worshipping God alone, what are we to do to be certain that we worship God alone?
The Quran lists no less than twelve separate acts. They are specific acts to be observed and at the same time, they serve as genuine indications of the purity of our worship. The "deen al-khalis" (pure religion) spoken of in the Quran (39:3) requires that every one of the twelve acts (below) must be dedicated exclusively to God alone. Taking each act separately and determining how much of it is observed for God and how much is dedicated to others (no matter who they are) provides us with a sound guideline for the purity of our worship.
As an example, consider the second act which calls for the glorification of God alone. Every time we glorify anyone other than God we do in fact impair the purity of our religion. There is nothing wrong with giving praise to fellow humans when praise is due, but only God is worthy of glorification. Similarly, every act of the other acts will provide a genuine pointer to the purity of our worship.
Act One: Recognition and Deification
This first act combines faith and worship, while the next ten acts are solely Acts of Worship. The first requisite for worshipping God is to recognize His Existence. The Quran provides a wealth of information that supports the believer, both the knowledgeable and the unlearned, to recognize the existence of God. For the benefit of the scientifically minded, there is ample scientific information testifying that the creation of the universe and its maintenance are precisely executed and could never be products of chance. The Quran refers to numerous fields of science such as astronomy, physics, geology, biology, botany and embryology to name a few. For the unlearned reader of the Quran, there is a whole Sura that provides simple facts, all of which testify to the existence of God (Sura 55). The signs of God the Creator, are in everything around us.
Once 'Recognition' is secured, the next step is the 'Deification and Apotheosis' of God.
Deification or Apotheosis means to instil in our hearts the realisation that God alone possesses the attributes to be a god and that there is no god other than He. These two facts are asserted by the following words in 20:14: "I am God" and "There is no god except Me".
Deification indeed is the acknowledgment that God is our Creator and the Creator of everything in the universe. The Deification of God is to recognize His Oneness. The Quran asserts the fact that if there were other gods besides God the whole universe would be disrupted:
If there were other gods in them (Heavens and the Earth) besides God, they would have been ruined. 21:22
There are those who will acquire the 'Recognition' of the existence of God, but their minds refuse the 'Deification' of God. An example of those is given in Sura 23:
Say, "To whom belongs the Earth and all who are in it, if you know?"
They will say, "To God." Say, "Then will you not take heed?"
Say, "Who is the Lord of the seven universes, and the Lord of the Great Throne?"
They will say, "To God." Say, "Then will you not be reverent?"
Say, "In whose hand is the realm of all things, and He protects while none can protect against Him if you know?"
They will say, "To God." Say, "How then are you bewitched?"
Rather, We have provided them with the truth, and they are liars. 23:84-90
Another good example is that many scientists today concede that there is a force behind the creation of the universe, but perhaps are too vain to accept that this force is a Supreme God who controls every atom in the universe, including their own bodies.
Needless to say, without this crucial Act of Deification, one is not able to observe any of the other Acts of Worship. This act is the cornerstone and the foundation on which all other Acts of Worship originate and are based.
Act Two: Glorification and Exaltation
The awareness of the vastness of our universe, which is only the innermost of seven universes (67:3), and the fact that all seven are all folded in the grip of God's hand (39:67), leaves the mind in a total state of awe. In addition to this vastness, God indeed controls every atom in every one of these universes. Many verses in the Quran point out that it is impossible for the human being to comprehend the greatness of God:
They did not value God according to His true worth. The whole Earth is within His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the universes are folded up in His right hand. Glory to Him and exalted is He, far above what they associate with Him. 39:67
The One who created seven universes in layers. You do not see any inconsistency in the creation of the Almighty. Return your sight to it: do you see any flaw? Then return your sight twice over. Your sight will return to you humbled and exhausted. 67:3-4
There is not an atom's weight in the Earth or in the Heavens that is hidden from your Lord, nor is there anything smaller or larger than this, that is not recorded in a clear Book. 10:61
In due respect for our Mighty Creator, we are commanded to constantly glorify and exalt Him:
Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High. 87:1
So glorify your Lord with praise, and be among the prostrators. 15:98
Sura 110 was the last Sura to be revealed of the Holy Quran. The last verse of this Sura also instructs the glorification of God:
Glorify your Lord with praise, and ask Him for forgiveness. Indeed, He is Redeemer. 110:3
The Glorification and Exaltation of God are two fundamental elements of worship, so much so that everything in the Heavens and the Earth glorifies God.
Glorifying God is what is in the Heavens and what is in the Earth: the King, the Holy, the Dignified, the Wise. 62:1
To be able to glorify God in a sincere manner we must always remember to curb our vanity and act modestly:
Those at your Lord are never too proud to worship Him; they glorify Him, and to Him they prostrate. 7:206
Do not turn your cheek away from the people in arrogance, nor walk haughtily in the land. Indeed, God does not like the arrogant, boastful. 31:18
Those who are constantly enthralled in vanity and self-admiration are often the ones negligent of glorifying God.
Act Three: Adoration and Veneration
The 'Adoration' of God is indeed the greatest love of all. The love of God is the noble driving force behind worshipping Him, upholding His Law, working righteousness and constantly seeking His approval. The true believers love God the most. Others, and to varying degrees, have set up idols whom they love equally if not more than God. The Quran is very clear in stating that we are not to love anyone as we should love God:
Among the people are those who take other than God as equals, loving them as the love of God. However, those who believe have a much greater love for God. 2:165
It is the duty of every believer to love his brethren and be tolerant. Moreover, God has created for us our partners with whom we share love and affection (30:21), yet all this love should always be exercised within its proper context. No matter how much we may love our children, our partners or God's messengers whom He sent with guidance; we should never love them as our love of God. Only the love of God is worthy of being elevated to the state of adoration. There is a very thin line between love and adoration: Love everybody and every good thing but adore only God.
Act Four: Commemoration and Remembrance
The commemoration of God can be done during the Salat as well as at any time of the day. The Quranic verses which invite us to commemorate and glorify God more or less speak of all times of the day.
Benefits of the Salat
The Quran mentions valuable benefits to be gained from observing the Salat.
1- The Salat protects against and prohibits immorality and evil:
Observe the Salat, for the Salat forbids immorality and evil. 29:45
2- The Salat helps the believers strengthen their faith and attain certainty:
So glorify your Lord with praise, and be among the prostrators, and worship your Lord until certainty comes to you. 15:98-99
3- The Salat provides believers with a great reward in the Hereafter:
Indeed, those who recite God's Book, observe the Salat, and give from what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, are seeking a trade that can never go to waste: that He may pay them their reward in full and increase for them His favour. Indeed, He is Forgiver, Appreciative. 35:29-30
4- Nourishment for the 'self' and closeness to God:
The most important objective of the Salat is to commemorate God.
Recite what is revealed to you of the Book and observe the Salat, for the Salat forbids immorality and evil, and the commemoration of God is of greater importance. Indeed, God knows what you do. 29:45
I am God, there is no god except Me. So worship Me, and observe the Salat to commemorate Me. 20:14
Frequent Commemoration/Remembrance
As mentioned, remembering and commemorating God is not restricted to the Salat, but is an act that sincere believers observe at all times of the day:
The men who remember God frequently and the women who also remember; God has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward. 33:35
Those who remember God while standing, sitting, and on their sides. 3:191
O you who believe, remember God frequently. 33:41
O you who believe, do not let your wealth or your children distract you from the remembrance of God. Whoever does that, they are indeed the losers. 63:9
Rewards
Numerous rewards are given in the Quran for commemorating God:
1- Commemorating God will bestow a feeling of safety and tranquillity in the hearts of the believers:
They are the ones who believe and whose hearts are assured through the remembrance of God. Absolutely, through the remembrance of God do the hearts feel assured. 13:28
2- Commemorating the name of God on food will bless it and make it lawful (halal):
So eat from that upon which God's name has been mentioned if you believe in His revelations. 6:118
Do not eat from that upon which God's name has not been mentioned, for it is vileness. 6:121
3- Frequent commemoration of the name of God will give the believer better chances of success in life:
Remember God frequently so that you may succeed. 62:10
4- Undoubtedly, the reward of the highest order is attaining God's approval and attaining closeness to our Creator:
So remember Me and I will remember you, and be thankful to Me and do not disbelieve. 2:152
Remember the name of your Lord, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to Him. 73:8
Penalties
On the other hand, for those who abstain from commemorating God, a terrible retribution awaits them:
As for the one who turns away from My remembrance, he will have a miserable life, and We will summon him on the Day of Resurrection blind. 20:124
We presented Hell on that Day, in clear display, to the disbelievers whose eyes were veiled from My remembrance, and they were unable to hear. 18:100-101
Commemorating God reaps great rewards, God will only gift the believers with such blessings. The ones who harbour disbelief and arrogance will be deprived by God of such blessings:
Do not obey one whose heart We rendered oblivious to Our remembrance, and who pursued his personal desire, and whose case has exceeded all limits. 18:28
Act Five: Obedience
In order to obey God wholeheartedly, it is first necessary to accept that God is the only lawmaker.
God's Law is the only Law:
Shall I seek other than God as a lawmaker when it is He who has brought down to you the Book fully detailed? 6:114
The Quran also tells us that the only Sunna (methodology/system) is that of God and that it has no substitute:
You will find that there is no substitute for the Sunna of God. 33:62
Obeying God's Law:
One of the most frequent commands in the Quran is to obey God and the messenger. The Quran is very clear that obeying God and obeying His messenger are one issue and not two. The following verses all confirm such meaning:
1- He who obeys the messenger has obeyed God. 4:80
These glorious words confirm that the messenger preaches nothing but God's Law. If the messenger preached what is additional to the Quran then obeying the messenger would not necessarily coincide with obeying God. This message is well established through 6:114 (above) as well as a number of verses which stresses that the only duty of the messenger is to deliver the message of God, such as:
Obey God and obey the messenger, and beware: if you turn away, then know that the sole duty of Our messenger is the clear delivery. 5:92
2- You will find that there is no substitute for the Sunna of God. 33:62
As mentioned, to claim or believe that there are two Sunna's, one of God and one of the prophet, is in fact to disbelieve the Quranic words in 33:62.
3- We brought down to you the Book with the truth so that you may judge between the people in accordance with what God has shown you, and do not be an advocate for the betrayers. 4:105 (also 5:48)
This verse decisively appoints the tool by which the messenger is to arbitrate among the people; this in our case is the Quran. In all the Quran, there is never any mention of any other tool or source.
Having established that the Law of God is contained in the Book of God and nowhere else, it is the duty of every Muslim to obey it. To worship God is to obey His Law, and to obey His Law is to obey the Quran.
The Quran is a complete source of law containing all the rituals and practices that are authorised by God (Salat, Hajj, Umrah, etc), plus all the prohibitions, code of conduct and so on. In the adherence and obedience to anyone of these laws, whether it is related to one of the practices or one of the prohibitions, is indeed an Act of Worship. Consequently, in order to worship God alone, it is imperative to follow God's Law and no other law.
The importance of obeying God's Law is highly emphasized in the Quran to the extent that it is stated in the Book that whoever advocates or rules by a law other than that of God is classed as a disbeliever.
Those who do not rule by what God has brought down, they are indeed the disbelievers. 5:44
In addition, all who follow laws which are not authorised by God in the Quran, are indeed setting up partners with God:
Or do they have partners who legislate for them of the religion what God did not authorise? Had it not been for a decisive Word, they would have already been judged. Indeed, the transgressors shall have a painful punishment. 42:21
The word "shurakaa" is the plural of the word 'shareek' and 'shareek' means partner. The importance of this word in 42:21 cannot be overlooked. The word 'shareek' is the adjective from the noun 'shirk' (setting up partners with God in any of His exclusive rights).
Since we have confirmation in 6:114 that God is the only lawmaker, the 'shurakaa' (partners) mentioned in 42:21 can only be partners with God in His exclusive right as the only lawmaker. It follows that all who obey religious rules or rituals not authorised by God are committing an act of shirk.
Act Six: Trust and Dependence
Worshipping God is both in action and in conviction. The conviction expression of worshipping God is in entrusting our lives to Him. This covers all aspects of our livelihood and well-being. To entrust our lives with God is an expression of our acceptance of God's absolute authority as well as our certainty that no one has any power that is independent of God. No one can harm or benefit us other than God.
Trust and dependence on God is the act of the sincere believers:
Put your trust in God if you are believers. 5:23
Submitting to God is not possible without trusting in Him:
In Him you shall trust if you are indeed Submitters. 10:84
As a result, worshipping God is not sincere without trusting in Him:
You shall worship Him and put your trust in Him. 11:123
Trusting in God earns the human huge rewards in the worldly life and in the Hereafter:
1- God grants those who trust in Him blessings in this life and in the Hereafter:
Those who emigrated for the sake of God after they were oppressed, We will surely settle them in a good place in this world, and the reward of the Hereafter is greater if they only knew. They are the ones who are patient, and in their Lord they trust. 16:41-42
2- The devil has no authority over those who trust in God:
He has no authority over those who believe and in their Lord they trust. 16:99
3- Trusting in God earns His love:
You shall trust in God. God loves the trusting ones. 3:159
4- Those who trust in God need none other:
Whoever trusts in God, He suffices him. 65:3
5- God supports those who trust in Him:
If God supports you, none can defeat you. And if He forsakes you, who is the one who can support you after Him? In God the believers should trust. 3:160
6- Trusting in God grants the believers success in what they endeavour:
My success lies only with God. In Him I put my trust, and to Him I turn. 11:88
Act Seven: Fearing God
As much as we are to love and adore God, we should also fear Him and His punishment. God is not in need of our fear, rather, fearing God is for our own benefit. Fearing God is a deterrent that aids believers in attaining righteousness and staying away from sin. Only the sincere believers fear God.
If we were sinless infallible angels, our love for God would see us through on its own, but because we are imperfect creatures prone to be influenced by both good and evil, the fear of God acts as a much-needed deterrent.
And the self and what fashioned it, then He inspired it with its depravity and its reverence. 91:7-8
There are always those who will criticize the Quran by saying, 'Faith should not be built on fear but on love'.
Those who make such a claim are invariably motivated by arrogance as well as insincerity. The arrogance of refusing to fear a higher power above them, and the insincerity of ignoring basic facts.
Such people know quite well that the concept of 'punishment and reward' is used in any society as a deterrent in curbing crime. We can imagine what would happen if in any society it was one day declared that from that day there would be no punishment for crime and that the love of humanity should be sufficient for all people to be law-abiding citizens.
The following verses stress the importance of fearing God:
Those who fear their Lord though unseen. 35:18
Those who fear God's punishment fear Judgment Day and fear Hell:
Say, "I fear, should I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a great Day." 6:15
And beware of the Fire that has been prepared for the disbelievers. 3:131
Beware of the Fire whose fuel is people and stones. It is prepared for the disbelievers. 2:24
The fear of God without seeing Him is a true indication of a strong faith as well as an Act of Worship.
So do not fear them, but fear Me, so that I may perfect My blessings upon you and so that you may be guided. 2:150
The Quran also tells us that fearing God is the trait of those endowed with knowledge:
Only the knowledgeable among God's servants fear Him. 35:28
For those who fear God, there is promise of great reward:
Those who fear their Lord though unseen shall have forgiveness and a great reward. 67:12
Act Eight: Reverence
To revere God is to heed Him and to always be mindful of Him in everything we do. Those who revere God know that God is watching every step they take and they will always be careful not to displease Him.Reverence is indeed an important act of worshipping God:
And to Aad was their brother Hud. He said, "O my people, worship God; you have no god other than Him, so will you not be reverent?" 7:65
Reverence is the act of the sincere believers:
Reverence God if you are believers. 5:57
The Quran lists many rewards the human being can gain by having reverence for God:
Reverence wipes out the bad deeds:
For the one who reverences God, He wipes out his bad deeds and greatly increases the reward for him. 65:5
Most of all, when God speaks about Paradise, we note that it is reserved for the reverent:
And hasten in pursuit of forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise whose width encompasses the Heavens and the Earth. It has been prepared for the reverent. 3:133
Paradise was brought near for the reverent. 26:90
For the reverent there shall be, at their Lord, Gardens of Bliss. 68:34
Indeed, reverence is highly regarded by God that it is the criteria God employs to determine the most noble among the people:
The most noble of you in the sight of God is the most reverent. 49:13
Act Nine: Imploring and Beseeching
To implore and beseech God are indeed unquestionable expressions of worship. The following verse asserts the link between the Act of Worship and the Act of Imploration:
Your Lord said, 'Implore Me and I will respond to you. Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Hell humiliated.' 40:60
The deliberate linking of the words "implore Me" and "worship Me" in this verse confirms that imploring God is indeed an essential expression of worship. Those who do not implore God do not worship Him. God, being the Most Merciful, encourages the believers to implore Him so that He may bestow on them His mercy.
And if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the caller's call if he calls upon Me. Therefore, they shall respond to Me and believe in Me so that they may be guided. 2:186
Since imploration is an expression of worship, and since we must worship God alone, it follows that we should implore God alone. The Quran is quick to ascertain this matter:
So call upon God, devoting the religion purely to Him, however much the disbelievers hate it. 40:14
The masjids are for God, so do not call upon anyone else besides Him. 72:18
Do not call upon other than God what does not benefit you nor harm you. If you do, you will be of the transgressors. 10:106
The following verses specifically address those who implore dead people (saints, messengers of God, etc.) for help:
Those whom you call upon besides God are servants just like you. So go ahead and call upon them, and let them respond to you if you are truthful. 7:194
And those whom you call upon besides Him are unable to support you, nor can they support themselves. 7:197
Those whom you call upon besides Him do not possess as much as a seed's shell. If you call upon them, they cannot hear your calls. But even if they were to hear, they would not respond to you, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your shirk. 35:13-14
The Quran tells us that many people, whenever they face grave danger, will implore God alone but as soon as God rescues them they revert to associating partners with God:
When they board a ship, they implore God, devoting the religion purely to Him. Yet when He delivers them safely to the shore, they revert to associating partners with Him. 29:65
The explanation of this is that when the human being faces imminent life-threatening danger, the mind is unable to think rationally from the shock, at that moment instinct takes over. By instinct, all people recognise God's absolute authority and that He alone has the power to save them:
So direct your face towards the religion as a monotheist. Such is the natural instinct that God instilled in the people. 30:30
To conclude, believers should implore God alone, as the Act of Imploring God is undoubtedly a true expression of worship.
Act Ten: Seeking Forgiveness
Those who worship God sincerely always seek forgiveness for their sins. The link between the Act of Worship and seeking forgiveness is well-pronounced in the Quran.
- When Shu'aib was sent to the people of Midyan, he said:
O my people, worship God; you have no god other than Him. 11:84
Following the call of Shu'aib to his people to worship God, he added:
Ask your Lord for forgiveness, then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful, Loving. 11:90
When Noah was sent to his people, he said:
You shall worship God, reverence Him, and obey me. 71:3
Following the call of Noah to his people to worship God, he added:
Ask your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is Forgiving. 71:10
Seeking God's forgiveness is indeed a clear admission of worshipping God. Those who worship God alone seek His forgiveness because they are ascertained that God alone forgives sins and not any middle person:
Who forgives the sins except for God? 3:135
They are also ascertained that God's mercy is boundless and that God forgives all the sins of those who worship Him sincerely:
Say, "O My 'Ibadi' (servants) who transgressed exceedingly against themselves, do not despair of God's mercy, for God forgives all sins. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful." 39:53
A sincere call for forgiveness should be followed by repentance:
Ask your Lord for forgiveness, then repent to Him. 11:3
Repentance to God must be sincere and heart-felt to be accepted by God:
O you who believe, repent to God a sincere repentance. 66:8
Then they do not persist in what they have done, knowingly. 3:135
Benefits of seeking God's forgiveness
1- Seeking God's forgiveness safeguards the believers from God's punishment in the worldly life as well as in the Hereafter:
God would not punish them while you are among them, nor would God punish them while they ask for forgiveness. 8:33
2- Seeking God's forgiveness grants the believers numerous blessings from God:
Ask your Lord for forgiveness. Indeed, He is Forgiving. He will shower you generously from the sky, and supply you with wealth and children, and provide for you Gardens and provide for you rivers. 71:10-12
And ask your Lord for forgiveness, then repent to Him. He will then let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and bestow His favour on every doer of favour. 11:3
3- Seeking God's forgiveness provides the believers with strength:
O my people, ask your Lord for forgiveness, then repent to Him. He will then send the sky upon you abundantly and add strength to your strength. And do not turn away as criminals. 11:52
Act Eleven: Appreciation and Gratitude
The Quran confirms that the expression of appreciation and gratitude to God is indeed an Act of Worship:
Give thanks for God's blessings if it is Him that you worship. 16:114
The Act of Appreciation and Gratitude is in fact a four-fold expression:
1- Remembering God's blessings:
The human being is to always remember God's blessings and not take it for granted:
O people, remember God's blessing upon you. 35:3
2- The realization that all blessings come from God:
Genuine believers have no doubt that all good things that come to them in life come from God alone and that no human being has any power to benefit them except in accordance with God's will. This message is quite clear in the Quran:
Any blessing that you have is from God. 16:53
3- The expression of Appreciation and Gratitude:
The Quran stresses the importance of expressing appreciation and gratitude to God. This should be accompanied by a genuine contentment with one's fortunes. Those who are content with what they have are often the ones who find true happiness. Verily, happiness is not having what we want, but wanting what we have. The following verse ascertains the importance of appreciation and its great reward:
And when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks, I shall increase for you, but if you disbelieve, then My punishment is severe." 14:7
The Quran states that God's blessings are so numerous that the human being can never count them all:
If you were to count God's blessings, you could not encompass them all. The human being is indeed transgressing, unappreciative. 14:34
Sadly, many of these God-given blessings are taken for granted by most people. If we consider our senses, to be able to hear and see, to be given a mind superior to all other creatures with which we are able to attain sovereignty on Earth, we find that many people take these for granted, then only realise their value if one of these senses is lost. All these blessings are God-given.
God brought you out of your mothers' wombs knowing nothing, and He made for you the hearing, the sight, and the heart, so hopefully, you may give thanks. 16:78
God is the One who rendered the night for you to rest therein, and the day for visibility. God is Possessor of great favour for the people, but most people do not give thanks. 40:61
4- Proclaiming God's blessings:
The fourth expression of appreciation is to constantly proclaim God's blessings to others.
And as for the blessings of your Lord: you shall proclaim. 93:11
By proclaiming God's blessings, we express both our gratitude and our worship of God.
Act Twelve: Devotion and Dedication
This last act is undoubtedly the most noble of all the Acts of Worship. This is the act of those who dedicate their lives and money to the cause of God. Those are the ones who constantly strive to preach the way to God; they are promised the highest reward:
Those who believed, emigrated, and strove in the cause of God with their money and themselves hold the greatest rank with God, and those are the triumphant. 9:20
No words are better than those words that preach the way to God:
Who is better spoken than one who invites to God, does good deeds, and says, "I am one of the Submitters"? 41:33
The invitation to devote and dedicate ourselves and our money to the cause of God is also found in 22:67 and 28:87.
The great value of such work is evident considering that such commands of dedication and devotion are often addressed to God's own messengers. The following verse is addressed to prophet Muhammad:
O you prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good news, a warner, and a caller inviting to God with His permission, and an illuminating lamp. 33:45-46
The Quran also provides the optimum method of preaching and inviting to God:
Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and advice, and debate with them in the best possible manner. 16:125
Conclusion
These are the twelve expressions and signs of worshipping God. Every one of us needs to ask himself/herself 2 questions and in all honesty:
1- How many of these acts are regularly observed?
2- How many of these acts are observed for God alone?
The answer to both of these questions will provide an accurate indicator of the purity of your worship. The answer will also determine whether you qualify to join the elite group of God's servants whom God calls "Ebad Allah Al-Mukhlaseen" (God's pure servants). Try to take each of the twelve acts on its own and weigh your actions against it.
For example, do you glorify anyone besides God? Do you idolize anyone to the extent of calling them perfect (God being the only absolute perfection)?
Do you love anyone as much as you love God? Do you commemorate any name as much as you commemorate the name of God or even more?
Do you obey any religious laws that are derived from a source other than the Quran?
Do you place your total trust and dependence on others believing that they have the power to help you on their own? Do you on the other hand often fear others believing that they have the power to harm you?
Do you call on any dead human beings (saints, messengers or prophets) and implore them to help you in any way? Do you believe that any human has the power to save you on Judgment Day?
Are you comfortable with the feeling that God is all you need?
Is God not sufficient for His servant? 39:36
Are you happy with the mention of the name of God alone?
When God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are filled with aversion, but when others are mentioned beside Him, they rejoice. 39:45
And finally, are you obsessed with your business or your loved ones to the extent that you dedicate all your life to them and become negligent of the only reason for which we were all created? That being to worship God:
I have not created the jinn and the humans except to worship Me. 51:56
The higher degree of honesty you abide by in answering these questions, the more accurately you will be able to determine the following:
1- If you worship God or not:
O people, worship your Lord who created you and those before you so that you may be reverent. 2:21
2- If you worship God alone or not:
When messengers came to them, before them and after them, saying, "Worship none but God." 41:14
Mention the brother of Aad, when he warned his people at the dunes, and indeed warnings had already passed away before him and after him: "Do not worship except God. I fear for you the punishment of a great Day." 46:21
3- If you devote all your religion purely to God alone or not:
Say, "I have been commanded to worship God, devoting the religion purely to Him. 39:11