True worship of Almighty Allah

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:  With Allah Most High, there is no worship more acceptable than that you gladden the heart of a Muslim.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also said:  There are 2 realities, more than which there is no worship:

 

(1)  To believe in Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

(2)  To provide succor to the creation.

 

There is no sin greater than:

 

(1)  To ascribe partners to Allah Most High

 

(2)  To trouble people

 

People asked Hadhrat Ibn ‘Ata (May Allah shower His mercy on him):  Which is the most superior form of worship?  He said:  Following the commands of Allah Most High and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) with faith and certitude and not being heedless of the remembrance of Allah Most High even for a moment is the most superior form of worship.

 

Hadhrat Abu Zaid (May Allah shower His mercy on him) would mortify his Self with Salaat and fasts in such a manner that his color had paled.  When people asked as to why he had troubled himself with such worship, he said:  Striving is the real duty.

 

Hadhrat Abu Sulaiman Durrani (May Allah shower His mercy on him) said:  It is not a praiseworthy that you should remain in worship and your relations should face difficulties for you.  What is praiseworthy is that you first get foodstuffs for the house and then stand for Salaat when compared to someone who is offering Salaat and there is nothing to eat in the house.  He also said:  Abandoning one desire is more beneficial than offering Salaat and fasting for the whole year.  That all human needs remain, one eats and drinks as per the commands of Almighty Allah, but doesn’t consider this as the ultimate aim.  The ultimate aim is to please Allah Most High and this is true worship.

 

The Arabic word for worship (‘Ibaadat) comes from the root word ‘Abd.  It means slave and bondsman.  Thus, ‘Ibaadat actually means slavery and servitude.  The person who does anything against this will be considered as disobedient and a transgressor.

 

The first duty of a slave is to consider Almighty Allah as one’s Lord and should think that obedience to the One who is my Lord, who grants me sustenance and who protects me is obligatory on me.  Apart from Him, no one else is worthy of my obedience.

 

The second duty of a slave is to obey the Lord at all times.  To follow His commands.  Never to turn away from service to Him and neither should he utter anything against the wish of the Lord nor should obey anyone else’s.  A slave is a slave.  He doesn’t have the right to say that he will obey such and such command and will not obey such and such command or to say that I am a slave for so much time and after that I am free.

 

The third duty of a slave is to respect and revere the Lord.  The etiquette that the Lord has fixed for expression of respect should be followed.  The time fixed for summons should be followed and thus the slave should give evidence that he is steadfast in loyalty and obedient.

 

Thus, these 3 things i.e. loyalty, obedience of the master and respect and reverence for the master all combine to become worship.  Every twitch and turn of yours should be within the limits set by Allah Most High.  Every action of yours should be in accordance with the method that Allah Most High had decreed.  This is complete worship.

 

Worship is not to sit like a recluse and keep repeating, “Allah, Allah” but that whatever you do in this world should be as per the laws of Allah.  Sleeping, waking, eating, drinking, in short everything should be as per the laws of Allah.  When you are in your house along with your wife, children and other relatives, you should behave the way Almighty Allah has ordered you to behave.  When you talk and joke with your friends, you should keep in mind that you haven’t been freed from servitude to Almighty Allah.  When you set out to earn your living and deal with people, even then you should keep in mind the laws of Almighty Allah and should never transgress the limits that Almighty Allah has set.  When you are in the dark night and can commit a sin away from the eyes of the world, even then you should remember that the Lord Almighty is watching you and one should have fear and consciousness of Him alone and not of the people.  When you are traveling through a desolate forest and can commit a crime in such a way that no one else can see it, even then the consciousness of Allah should make you refrain from it.  When you can gain a lot of benefit through lies, cheating and oppression and there is none to stop you, in those moments also, you should fear Allah and forsake that benefit so that Almighty Allah is not displeased with you.  When truth and honesty are clearly hurting your interests, even then you should accept those losses only with the intention that Almighty Allah should be pleased with you.

 

Thus, abandoning the world, sitting in caves and crevices and fidgeting with the rosary doesn’t constitute worship.  Remembrance of Allah doesn’t mean that “Allah, Allah” should be on one’s lips and one should lose himself in the drudgery of the world.  What it means is that even if one is stuck in the travails and drudgery of the world, one should remember Allah Most High.  One should be involved in those things which make one heedless, but should still not become heedless.  This worldly life where there are many occasions and chances to break the divine law and one has many apprehensions about suffering worldly losses, even then one should be steadfast on the laws of Allah.  This is true remembrance of Almighty Allah.