Our Conception Of Worship And Awareness Of Servitude to Allah

We are human beings tested by various trials in this mortal life. Sometimes we are deceived by worldly things, falling for Shaytan’s trickery and yielding to our nafs. This can have us wrongfully thinking that our servanthood to Allah consists only of limited religious obligations and that these obligations require us to do no more than fulfill a series of perfunctory actions. What we ought to do is veritably clear. We should perform our acts of worship sincerely, with ikhlas, and for Allah’s rida, by adhering to the Quran and sunnah. Besides the fard obligations, we should carry out sincere good deeds without negligence. Applying the principles of Islam to every aspect of life, we should properly perform the duties that being a Muslim entails.

There is a common Turkish saying related to the five daily prayers: “Perform the five, save the soul!” This is possibly a suggestion given with good intentions to draw attention to the importance of salah and promote its fulfillment. Even though its message is good, there is a risk that listeners might reduce their religious obligations and servanthood to only salah and presume that ibadahs are an advance payment for happiness in the afterlife. For example, when the late Mahir İz, who was a professor at Istanbul Islamic High Institute, was asked during one of his talks:

“They say, ‘Perform the five, save the soul!’ Is this true?”

He answered:

“There is a five that will cause your salvation, but it does not only consist of what you said,” and then he explained:

“Perform the five, eat halal, do everything you do conscientiously and within legitimate boundaries, take care of your fellow Muslims, do not take the fire with you to the akhirah with your sins.”

Lastly, he added:

“Even after doing all these, a person can only save their soul by the mercy and grace of Allah!”

Since we have mentioned Ustad Mahir İz, a dervish of Naqshibandiyyah who passed away in 1974, it would be a fitting addendum to his anecdote above to give the following reminder to our readers through his words:

“The Muslim who is approved by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and His Messenger (alayhissalatu wassalam) cannot be distinguished simply by their presence in mosques. Attending congregations in mosques and joining the congregation in Arafah amount to fulfilling only two of the many decrees of Allah the Exalted. Whether someone is of those who Allah and His Messenger approve is discerned from their behaviors and actions outside the mosque.”

What kind of a Muslim?

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) decrees in the Quran:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Adh-Dhariyat, 56)

From this point of view, we can describe a Muslim approved by Allah and His Messenger (alayhissalatu wassalam) as “one who worships or is in servitude to the Almighty.” This is because the verb “ya’budun” in this ayah, which most translators interpret as “let them be in servitude,” also means “let them worship.” Performing servitude and worshipping are, in fact, the same. They both mean “to bow one’s head, submit, and obey.”

However, as a term, servitude indicates a stance, an identity, and a sense of one’s being and place in the universe; the Arabic word for it is “ubudiyyah” (servitude, servanthood). Ibadah, on the other hand, generally encompasses all the efforts, actions, and behaviors that are the requirements of this identity and the sense of being that comes with having this identity. In particular, it means, “Fards such as salah, sawm, hajj, and zakat, as well as nafilah worship, which are fulfilled to express the shukr and gratefulness to make dhikr and pay homage to Allah the Exalted.”

There is an important point for consideration here: The particular sense of ibadah defined above does not necessitate the neglect of its broader extent. This is because a person is still a servant of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) even when not busy fulfilling the fards of salah, sawm and hajj; they still bear the responsibility of servitude towards Him. Fulfilling the fard acts (obligatory prayers) and avoiding haram are significant and high in priority, but they make up only a part of our responsibilities as a servant of Allah. Abiding by the sunnah, preferring mustahabs (good actions that are neither fard nor sunnah), and abstaining from makruhs and doubtful things, are also among our obligations. Moreover, the awareness of servanthood is a potent catalyst that raises even mubah deeds to the degree of worship by making them good deeds because it ensures that we perform them in the way that Allah the Most High loves. Besides, awareness of servanthood is a means to perform fard ibadahs more willingly and with ikhlas, and fardibadahs are a means of keeping the sense of servanthood alive.

Thus, a Muslim that Allah and His Messenger (alayhissalatu wassalam) approve of is one who always tries to fulfill the requirements of servitude to Allah, everywhere and in every task, with sincerity and enthusiasm. Such an effort will doubtlessly be the result of sincere awareness of one’s servitude to the Almighty.

Ibadah is subject to ma’rifah

Servitude to Allah (jalla jalaluhu) first requires that a person should know that they are a servant and have an awareness of their servitude. The awareness of servitude is the inevitable result of knowing and accepting the existence of a deity that should be worshipped, i.e., ma’bud. A Muslim knowing their servanthood and fulfilling that role’s requirements depends on their knowledge and acknowledgment of Allah the Exalted as the sole God, the only One to be worshipped, and the Lord. Since the time of Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anh), some mufassirs (scholars who interpret the Quran) have interpreted the verb “li-ya’budun” in the above-mentioned ayah as “marifatullah,” which means “cognizance or knowing of Allah.”

Indeed, a servant’s sensibility of ibadah is proportional to their ma’rifah. A Muslim who knows that our Rabb is closer to us than our jugular vein and knows everything, even the thoughts we keep secret within our hearts and that He sees and hears all, will not neglect their prayers or do them by halves. Because of this, one of the first subjects taught to children in Ottoman primary schools, which were later called neighborhood schools, was the “Attributes of Allah.” The lessons’ purpose was to create an awareness of the Creator in children. Because the children preserved the innocence in their nature, comprehending the existence, oneness, and might of Allah the Most High in early life made them sincere believers who had a sense of servanthood and were fastidious in their worship.

The ayah“Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge.” (Fatir, 28) indicates this reality. Mentioned in the ayah, the word “khashyah” means “a fear necessitated by the state of taqwa, a tremor in the face of Allah’s greatness.” This is a sign of being a true servant. Those with this knowledge are scholars, heirs of prophets who carry on the methods and guidance of our beloved Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) teaching, nurturing, and notifying (tabligh). These are the people who have the knowledge of the truth. They are called “Rabbani scholars.” It was such scholars mentioned by the hadith, “The superiority of the knower (alim) to worshipper (abid) is like that of the Moon’s superiority to stars.” (Tirmidhi, Ilm, 19)

Abid, Alim, and Arif (the ardent worshipper, the scholar, and the sagacious)

Sufis, in particular, frequently make the “alim-abid” or “arif-abid” comparison and emphasize the superiority of an alim/arif to an abid. These comparisons may result in misunderstandings if proper attention is not paid to their nuances.

Abid means one who worships. Comparisons between abid and alim, or abid and arif, are made without the intention of belittling abid people at all. Because one of the musts of being considered an alim is applying one’s knowledge to every aspect of their life, which means one must perform all their acts of worship and fulfill all their obligations without fail. The sign of being an arif is being painstakingly sensitive in prayers, and in service to and worship of Allah. Moreover, the most valuable type of ma’rifah is gained by getting close to Allah with prayers and obedience. It is widely known that our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), the pinnacle of ilm and ma’rifah, was deeply fond of worship. Even though he was free of past and future sins, he was a servant prophet who performed salah many nights until his feet were swollen.

In this respect, the term abid is slightly abridged in meaning within the framework of such comparisons. For example, some hadith commentators think the word abid in the above-mentioned hadith means “a person who fulfills the acts of worship in appearance, without any insight into the act of worship’s core because of their lack of knowledge.” However, they say that an alim understands the value of the acts of worship they perform with khushu and ikhlas due to their knowledge and ma’rifah. Others say, “an abid is he who performs nafilah (non-obligatory) prayers” and comment that the hadith means that “learning ilm is better than nafilah worship.”

As told in a narration, “An hour of tafakkur (contemplation) is better than a forty night’s (or a year’s) prayer.” Tafakkur is one of the forms of worship that does not involve any physical aspects. It is held higher than nafilah prayers because it is a means of thinking on the perfection within the design and creation of nature, the flawless functioning of the universe, and the abundance of blessings, thus leading to a person achieving ma’rifah about the knowledge, might, and grace of Allah the Exalted. It is also held higher because it is a means of making dhikr of Him.

Between fear and hope

With abid, it is generally taken to mean one “who fulfills certain prayers not to please Allah but to enjoy Jannah’s delights.” Alims consider a servant’s worshipping just for the sake of Jannah to be a lowly servitude; nonetheless, it is allowed. Albeit, this carries the risk of leading a person to believe they can be saved not because of Allah’s mercy but as compensation for their prayers. Thus, the danger remains that a servant with this thinking pattern may fall into hubris. Moreover, a person seeing their prayers as a ransom for happiness in the afterlife may result in them increasing nafilah prayers, and either neglecting ikhlas (sincerity) or exceeding their capabilities. In this respect, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warns us: “(In nafilahs) take the middle path, be straight (on the right path.) Know that none of you will find salvation due to prayers!” When his companions asked:

“Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?”

“Not even me, Unless Allah encompasses me with mercy and grace from Him.” (Muslim, Munafiqin, 76, 78)

This warning should not be interpreted as a reason to despair or trivialize acts of worship. Yes, in general, prayers and good deeds are not the price we pay for our salvation. It is our Rabb who taught us what good deeds are and enabled us to perform them. It is against the manners befitting a servant of Allah to offer a blessing He granted as if it is ours to give or view it as a token or a voucher to buy one’s way into Jannah. But when prayers are fulfilled only to obey Allah’s decree, please Him and earn His approval without any other intention, it is hoped that He will make these acts an excuse for our salvation and a cause for His mercy and grace to wash over us.

“O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous.” (Al-Baqarah, 21)

In this ayah, the possibility is indicated that prayers will be the cause of salvation. It necessitates servants’ fear as much as the bearing of high hopes since neither end of the spectrum is entirely out of the question until Allah passes judgment. Another sign of true servitude is the state of being between fear (hawf) and hope (raja). When we use the term abid in this sense, we mean those who worship, presuming there will be absolute salvation for them.

The bestowal of Allah’s approval

Another misperception of ardent worship is the stunted understanding that limits the concept of ibadah to only certain requirements and duties that need to be fulfilled rather than including the broader sense of the word that encompasses the entirety of human life with all its facets. Particularly those who are meticulous when it comes to salah, sawm, and nafilah and show a notable sensitivity in matters related to acts of worship while not having the same diligence regarding their relationships with people, their jobs, moral guidelines, consumption, and lifestyle have a narrow understanding of this concept. In truth, the inconsistency between the image of devoutness a person may have in worship and their less-than-scrupulous attitudes and behaviors in daily life casts doubt on the sincerity of the painstaking care they show for acts of worship.

Decreed in the Quran al-Karim and taught by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), our prayers are an acknowledgment of our servanthood to Allah the Most High. They express our knowledge that He is our Creator; and show our exaltation of Him, shukr and gratefulness towards Him, and our helplessness before Him. Prayers are the way of getting close to Him and attaining ma’rifah. The only goal is achieving Allah’s (subhanahu wa ta’ala) rida by pleasing Him. Because of this, when beginning an act of worship with a specific time limit, set of rules, and quantity, we start by saying, “for the rida of Allah.”

Thawabs and rewards promised in return for ibadahs are the grace of this hoped-for divine approval. We hope for Allah’s rida, but we do not take it for granted. Thus, it is against taqwa to view thawabs, one’s record of rewards in one’s book of deeds, as not divine grace but obligatory compensation for our salah and fasting and a payment for our efforts. A person with this misconception calculates an amount of thawab for each act of worship, taking notes and keeping a tally as if it is a list of debts owed to them to hand out to Allah (jalla jalaluhu) in the akhirah. Such a person doesn’t care about the quality of their prayers, which they believe are readily accepted by Allah regardless of the many criteria and rules surrounding these acts, but about the total sum of their tally.

This type of worship does not stem from an awareness of servanthood but derives from a logical outlook not unlike that of someone doing shopping to get the most items for their budget. Such an outlook is the product of a narrow-minded mentality and an arithmetic approach to assigning a set value to acts of worship, leading to a tunnel-vision perception that causes one to miss the bigger picture; the greatest value is that which is found in pleasing Allah and doing everything for His sake, and it is far beyond anything numbers can express.

When we open our hands to say a prayer or stand up for “salatu’l-hajat” (prayer to ask for a need), our aim might seem to be asking for something, but, truthfully, it is a confession of our helplessness and our intent to take refuge in the might and mercy of our Rabb.

When lacking the awareness of servanthood

We are human beings, tested with various tribulations. Sometimes we falter and lose our direction. Time and again, we fall for Shaytan’s deceit and are deceived by the allure of worldly attractions, yielding to our nafs. All this may make us think that our servanthood consists of limited obligations. We may sometimes forget that our responsibilities as servants of Allah encompass our whole lives. We may even have trouble performing the fard acts of worship with enthusiasm and pleasure. Maybe we are lacking in the continuity of our prayers, how we perform them, or our sincerity. Perhaps the body is deeply engrossed in worship, but the heart has not yet attained the same status or level. Maybe ghaflah (heedlessness) has not yet withdrawn its shadowy grip from our ibadahs, or, even if we do not express it, we may look at non-devout people and fall into hubris with the thought that our salah and sawm make us superior. If that is our view, instead of denying them or keeping them as a thorn in our hearts, we should look for ways to rid ourselves of these treacherous feelings and mental images they bring.

These and other similar weaknesses, negligence, and problematic concepts related to our ibadahs firstly show that we lack a healthy awareness of servanthood. This is also evident from a list of the characteristics of people who possess such commendable awareness, written up by Imam Qushayri (rahmatullahi alayh) and included in his risalah as below:

• Turning towards Allah (jalla jalaluhu) by heart and occupying your heart with Him.
• Abiding by Allah’s orders and prohibitions fastidiously.
• Performing servitude to Allah (jalla jalaluhu) with pleasure, love, and enthusiasm.
• Finding a way to turn every action into a good deed
• Being perfectly pleased with Allah (being content with His ordainment and decrees) and knowing that everything comes from Him, doing shukr for His blessings, and showing patience in the face of troubles and hardships.
• Looking at all living beings favorably.

If we cannot do these things, it means we lack the awareness of servanthood: ubudiyyah. This shortcoming stems from not knowing Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) enough, from a lack of ma’rifah. It is said that “He who knows oneself, knows his Rabb.”

When we do not know who we are, that is, not knowing our place and purpose as a servant of Allah, we do not know our Rabb and forget His might and mercy. Then, the remedy is knowing our Rabb, i.e., ma’rifatullah. For this, ibadahs done with ikhlas are opportunities, as are tafakkur, dhikr, learning ilm, and being in the company of Allah’s friends.

Marifatullah and good deeds

Knowing Allah the Exalted requires iman, and iman requires good deeds. Every good and beneficial work, act, or behavior in accordance with Islam’s standards and every action that will earn the pleasure of Allah is a good deed. As understood from the general definition of ibadah, “every deed or abstaining behavior done with the aim of servanthood and getting close to Allah (qurbiyyah)” is formally considered an ibadah. Moreover, in some ayahs in the Quran al-Karim, certain good deeds besides salah, sawm, hajj, and zakat are mentioned after decrees ordering Muslims to worship Allah and perform prayers for Him. In the 83rd ayah of Surah Al-Baqarah, after the command of servanthood to Allah, besides salah and sawm, being good to one’s parents, relatives, orphans, and the poor, and talking to people in a goodly manner are also emphasized. Other ayahs, for example, “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess” (An-Nisa 36) and “So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation” (Al-A’raf, 85) constitute decrees that define the conditions of servanthood to Allah the Most Glorious.

In truth, the fact that good deeds are mentioned after iman in many ayahs, and Muslims are defined as people “who have faith and do good deeds” suffice to show the relation between iman and good deeds. This relation is in the form of a reciprocal influence that winds into a feedback loop. All ibadahs, including good deeds, come to life with iman spurring a servant into action. On the other hand, ibadahs that flourish in this way help a servant draw closer to their Rabb and strengthen their iman.

Another factor not to be forgotten is this: Good deeds that are ibadahs in the general meaning of the term do not substitute the specifically-commanded fard ones that we must follow with their required forms, amounts, and rules by Islam. They do not diminish the importance or value of the fards or replace them. For instance, it is unacceptable to say “working, too, is a form of worship” and neglect salah.

Ibadahs done with enthusiasm

Knowing Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) requires loving Him to a profound degree called ashq (true love) because it is impossible to truly know Him and yet not love Him. He is the Creator, the One who gives blessings, protects, and forgives. He has the absolute divine beauty and perfection. For that, He has the most beautiful names.

Love becomes genuine when it is not just a claim but a state of being. It leads a servant to get close to Allah Almighty, meet with Him, and always hold Him in remembrance. The lover (ashiq) suffers patiently and even lovingly through all of life’s trials and tribulations for this cause and, however hard it may be, sees every moment of hardship and every bout of distress as an opportunity to draw nearer to Him. They maintain vigilance, with every fiber of their being, against slipping into negligence of the servanthood Allah expects of them and take rigorous care to ensure they don’t act against His will. They fear disloyalty, ungratefulness, not keeping their promises, and forgetting Him the most. The servant is in a state of constant watchfulness while on the straightforward path terrified that even the most minor slips will delay the wuslah, the reunion with their beloved Creator. This is taqwa, and even though it seems like a contradiction to the very nature of love to place a feeling of trepidation at the center of it, in reality, one essential requirement of having mahabbatullah (love of Allah) in the highest degree is this fear.

This is why the servants who know and love Allah heartily turn towards ibadahs and good deeds as proof of this love. They start doing them with love, pleasure, and ikhlas, sincerely and only to please Allah. There is no goal other than Allah’s approval in their hearts, and they do not make calculations like an accountant to see what their good deeds add up to. The feeling of reassurance that ibadahs provide results from getting close to Allah, making dhikr of Him, and meeting Him in one’s heart. This is also made evident in the Quran with the ayah, “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured” (Ar-Ra’d, 28). To keep the joy, peace, and relief that this feeling of reassurance provides, the servant also makes dhikr constant. Constant dhikr is not only the repeated utterance of the names of our Rabb by tongue. It is to turn all our actions and behaviors into good deeds by measuring every step and weighing every move against the thought, “How can I do this to earn Allah’s approval?” If our situation is not similar to this, and if we are performing our ibadahs involuntarily, with lethargy and a dulled, dispassionate heart, it means that we are struggling with getting to know Allah the Most Merciful. The remedy to that is in tafakkur (contemplation), learning ilm, and being together with the good servants of Allah (jalla jalaluhu).

 The cunning and deception of Shaytan

The feeling of being jaded and a blasé attitude derived from neglecting ibadahs, turning them into mere habits, and performing them haphazardly without the necessary sensibility, give rise to a swelling feeling of distress in a servant’s heart. This is Shaytan’s area of expertise as he knows exactly where and when to step in and disrupt a servant’s attachment and dedication to worship. He whispers: “The prayer you perform is already worthless, so why bother? You might as well drop it altogether.” He makes us think that, instead of performing ibadah superficially, it is better not to do it at all for the sake of the respect we hold towards our Rabb. Behind our decision to abandon our flawed prayers lies a reason which seems right at first glance since our feeble and unworthy deeds are not and can never be fit for Allah’s infinite glory. Nevertheless, prayers are an absolute must. It is vital not to let Shaytan lead us by the nose with his cunning and to avoid the genuine danger of being completely detached from servanthood.

The right thing to do here is to persist in servitude to Allah and try to perform our ibadahs more regularly, more sincerely, and with greater vigor. On such occasions as when persistent feelings of stagnation and hopelessness overwhelm us, it is advisable to increase our adherence to the exalted sunnah. It is said in an ayah addressing our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam):

“Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Ali Imran, 31)

We hope that our adherence to the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) will be a key component we incorporate into our lives for Allah to love us and thus forgive our sins. Hopefully, this will enable us to do our ibadahs with sincerity, enthusiasm, and punctuality. Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the best example (uswatun hasanah) for us in every way, including servanthood. Besides fard prayers, he showed us how to excel in servitude through his morals, attitudes, and behaviors, which he used to forge every action in his life into good deeds. He taught us that servitude to Allah the Most High is an honor, not a burden. A person’s freedom, dignity, and honor is in serving and worshipping Him. When people of ma’rifah talk about the time they reached puberty, they say, “we came of age and were honored (by the responsibility of worship)” instead of “we came of age and thus were obligated.” Humans are honored to be addressed by the divine call to ibadah and the doing of good deeds. Thus, we should take a disciplined, meticulous approach to worship and the committing of good deeds in order to preserve this honor.

Ali Yurtgezen