Ibadat: Worship in Islam

Acts of Worship (Ibadat)

• Every religion has different forms, rules and objectives of religious worship
• In Islam, Ibadat involves completing rituals like Salat and fasting
• Other forms of Ibadat include any good deed
• Ibadat's importance is emphasized to perform it at every moment

Worship in Religion

• Worship describes reverence toward a divine being or supernatural power
• Each religion has different worship modes, objectives, and rules
• Devotees worship different objects such as idols, natural powers, or celestial objects
• Religions have specific places and times for worship, sometimes under a priest's leadership with gender restrictions

Ibadah in Islam

• Ibadah is the Arabic word for worship
• Islam presents a person’s entire life as an act of worship
• Worship creates a bond between Allah and his servants.
• Muslims recognize Allah as the only Creator and show devotion to Him.
• They submit themselves to declare that none is worthy of worship except Allah, and they dissociate themselves from idolatry
• Ibadah means "to worship" and is derived from 'Abd, meaning servant or slave
• A Muslim's Ibadah signifies serving Allah and doing what he asks.

Being a Servant of Allah

• A servant serves his master and can have multiple human masters simultaneously
• In such relationships, everyone can have their own god
• Muslims consider Allah as their ultimate master.
• Serving Allah involves complete submission, acknowledging Allah as the Supreme Master with no higher command.
• Everything in the universe is a slave to Allah and cannot disobey Him
• Humans have free will to accept or reject Allah, hence the term "servant" is used

Worship as Allah's Right

• Muslims consider worship as a way to please Allah
• Worship is exclusively Allah's right
• Since Allah is our Creator, He is the only one to be worshipped or served
• Allah says that He created mankind only to worship Him

Sole Objective and Expectations

• The sole aim should be to worship Allah alone
• Allah guides people to eat permitted food, support families, and aid neighbors
• If done properly, mundane activities become acts of worship as the servant is expected to follow the Master's orders

Motives and Intentions

• Act with motives to please Allah
• Speaking nicely is worshipping Allah because it pleases Him
• If a person speaks nicely to only please others, it is not worshipping Allah
• Living in accordance with Allah's permissions and prohibitions leads to performing Ibadah
• Islam regards activities like eating, drinking, working, household chores, and recreation as Ibadah when intended to please Allah
• Good deeds or avoiding evil out of fear of Allah signifies doing Ibadah

Scope of Worship

• Worship scope is vast, including every good deed pleasing Allah, unlike other religions
• Worship is not limited to prescribed duties performed at specific times
• Rasulullah declared that his prayer, sacrifice, life, and death are for Allah alone, the Rabb of all the worlds

Actions and Righteousness

• Actions should reflect submission to Allah, making every good deed an Ibadah reflection
• It's misleading to assume performing Salat or paying Zakat alone makes one a good Muslim
• Doing rituals mechanically without behavioral change does not make one righteous
• Allah condemns those who perform Salat but refuse charity or turn away orphans.

True Righteousness

• True righteousness exceeds rituals
• It involves believing in Allah, the Last Day, angels, books, and prophets
• It includes giving wealth to relatives, orphans, the needy, wayfarers, and captives
• It requires establishing Salat, paying Zakat, fulfilling contracts, and persevering through hardship

Lawful Enjoyment

• Excelling as a good Muslim is achievable while enjoying worldly pleasures
• Spiritual advancement is possible without denying permissible pleasures if Islamic rules and ethics are upheld.

Seeking the Hereafter

• Seek the home of the Hereafter through what Allah has given
• Do not forget your share of this world and do good as Allah has done good to you
• Do not seek to cause mischief in the land, and Allah does not love the mischief-makers

Good Company

• Selecting good friends equates to following one of Allah's commands
• Steer clear from wasteful and idle talk
• Doing a good deed equates to the act of worship, as Allah says to turn aside from idle talk

Easy Worship Steps

• The easy ways are simple, do things that please Allah and avoid those that displease Him
• Actions must have good intentions, be lawful, morally sound, and not prevent religious duties

Freedom from Intermediaries

• Avoid employing any "saintly" person as an intermediary
• Intermediaries require a payment or fee for their service
• Islam eliminates the need for intermediaries, establishing a direct connection between human beings and their Creator
• Intermediaries are not required, making it a serious sin

Worship in Every Place

• Islam eliminates the need for intermediaries and specific worship places
• Any clean place suffices, including homes, beds, open grounds, Masjids, or ships
• Hajj, however, mandates rituals in specific places in and around Makkah

Allah Consciousness (Taqwa)

• Taqwa is more than just fear of Allah; it denotes awareness of Allah's all-encompassing knowledge and the desire to shape one's life accordingly.

Accurate Content of Taqwa

• Taqwa means guarding oneself against evil, being careful in one's duty
• It means guarding oneself to avoid what would harm him in the life of the world to come

Importance of Taqwa

• Taqwa is a highly important theme in the Quran and Sunnah and the bedrock of religion
• The Messenger would advise believers to practice Taqwa
• Taqwa combines the good of both worldly life and the afterlife

Lanes Definition

• E.W. Lane defines Taqwa as preserving or guarding oneself exceedingly from sin, being pious or careful of religious duties
• Always have Taqwa of Allah
• One should protect oneself from Allah’s displeasure and punishment by obeying Him
• Complete Taqwa means performing all obligatory deeds, and keeping away from prohibited and doubtful acts.
• Taqwa, therefore, is to act in obedience to Allah to avoid acts of disobedience of Allah

Shirk Avoidance

• Protect and keep oneself from committing shirk (associating partners with Allah in worship)
• Refrain from major and minor sins and avoid disliked and doubtful works

Satans Role

• Satan is an enemy, and you should take him as an enemy
• Satan invites people to be the companions of the Blaze
• Man must be constantly alert to avoid Satan's pervasive influences

Seeking Refuge

• If a prompting from Satan invades you, seek refuge in Allah
• Those who are on their guard quickly remember Allah when touched by Satan, and begin to see things clearly
• Satan's activity lies in confusing a person and clouding his inner thoughts

No Influence

• Satan has no sway over who is on guard against an invasion of their moral integrity
• Satan has no authority over those who believe and adhere to their Lord

Satans Weakness

• Satan's whisperings alone mean nothing
• Man’s lack of courage and alertness enables Satan
• Satan is more cunning, deceitful, treacherous, and waylaying
• Avoid making something look attractive and tempting by using dross and judgment

Day of Judgement

• On the Day of Judgement when those who accuse him
• Will exclaim that Allah had promised the promise of truth, But I betrayed you
• I had no authority over you except I invited you, therefore don’t blame me

Real Power

• Real problems lie within each human because each is a blend of good and evil
• Man is a blend of ignorance, knowledge, power, and impotence
• Taqwa is key to a man's defence, in the form of inner light
• Humans must kindle the spark of Taqwa to distinguish between right and wrong and to avoid being deceived

How to have Taqwa

• The goal is to discern between truth and falsehood, the meaning of life
• It is reported that Umar ibn Al-Khattaab found a path and tried to avoid the thorns, but ultimately gathered up the clothes
• Try your best to avoid every hardship life throws at you

Taqwa in Action

• Abu Hurayra once came upon a stack of food
• Noticed it was moist turned to the food-merchant and asked
• The food merchant replied and said it has been affected by the rain, so made to keep on top for all to see

The Arabic word

• Taqwa signifies in Arabic a state of mind and heedfulness
• Taqwa is an outlook, an attitude and temperament

Prayer for Guidance (Salatul Istikharah)

• Salatul Istikharah the prayer for guidance in choosing the best option
• When people cant solve an issue on there own turn to the lord

Forbidden

• Astrology and palmistry have no place in Islam
• Short cuts and easy answers, these people become victims to deceivers who are also self-proclaimed holy men.

Fore Telling

• Deceivers known as Sayers are not permitted to tell the future
• Islam campain was also not confined to soothsayers it to also include people who sought help with uttering their sayings

Salat Accepted

• The prophet said he goes to one who says to get a teller about matters of unseen or something like that
• The Slat or prayer will not be accepted for 40 days

Salatul

• Salatul is to seek the better choice or a prayer that hasn't been made in regards to the enteprice like journeys

The Dua

• O' Allah guide me to the best in your power that you know
• Allah to tell the supplicant to state or visualize the exact nature of enterprise
• The duas can be recited at any time except forbidden times

Sala Affirmity

• Imam said sala should do wholeheartedly as they need and be good about doing
• The goal is when there feelings change leave was intended to do

Sunnah

• Istikhrah is Sunnah from the profits teachings regarding ayath
• No time report as the amount should repeat times for it