Brothers in Islam! There is an important word which we Muslims use a lot but understand little. This word is ‘Ibadah’. It is very important that we understand its true meaning and significance.
The sole purpose of our creation, the end of our lives, Allah s.w.t. says, is to worship and to serve Him alone.
“And I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship and serve Me”.
(Ad-Dzariyat:56)
This establish beyond doubt that you must be fully aware of the meaning of ‘Ibadah. Otherwise you will not be able to fulfil the purpose for which you have been created. And anything which does not fulfil its purpose is a failure. If a doctor cannot cure his patient, he may be considered to have failed his work. If a farmer cannot raise a good crop, he may be held to have failed his job. Similarly, if you have not been able to fulfil the purpose of your lives, ‘Ibadah’, you must be judged failures. Listen, therefore, carefully and understand the meaning of ‘Ibadah’, and constantly remember it, too. On this depends the success or failure of your live.
MEANING OF IBADAH
What then, is worship or ‘Ibadah?
The Arabic word ‘Ibadah is derived from the same root as the word ‘abd, which means servant and slave. Thus, ‘Ibadah means to perform the duties of a servant as does a slave or bondsman. A person is a slave of somebody only if he lives his whole life rendering service and obedience to him and behaves as one should behave to his master. But a person who is supposedly a servant and is being paid for his work but does not render his master service and obedience as a slave ought, is guilty of disloyalty and rebellion.
How should a slave behave towards his master?
The FIRST duty of a slave is to take only his master as his lord. He should be totally faithful to him alone who sustains, nourishes and protects him and give his loyalty to no one else.
The SECOND duty of a slave is to be always obedient to his master, to carry out all his orders meticulously and to refrain from following his own desires or opinions or following anybody else contrary to his master’s wishes. A slave is a slave, every moment and in all circumstances. He has no to choose to obey a particular order and disobey another, or to say he will be a slave when it suits him and ignore his duties for the rest of the time.
The THIRD duty of a slave is to revere and adore his master. To express his reverence, he should follow the ways laid down by him. If he is constant and firm in his faithfulness and obedience, he must present himself at whatever time his master calls him for audience.
These are the qualities which together constitute ‘Ibadah: first – loyalty to one’s master: second – obedience to him; and, third – reverence and adoration for him.
What Allah s.w.t. requires – when He says ‘I have not created jinn and mankind except to serve and worship Me’ – is that we should be loyal, above all. To Him alone and to no one else; we should follow, against everything else – His commandments only; and we should honour and revere Him alone by kneeling and prostrating ourselves. Everywhere in the Qur’an the word ‘Ibadah is used in this sense. This is also the substance of the teachings of our prophet saw; and of all the prophets sent by Allah swt before him, peace be upon them. Each came with the same message, ‘Worship and serve none except Him’ ( Yusuf: 40): there is only one sovereign to whom you must be faithful, and that sovereign is Allah swt; there is one law which you must obey, and that is the law of Allah swt; there is only one Being you should worship, and that Being is Allah swt.
Reference from ‘Fundamentals of Islam’
by Sayyid Abul A’la al-Mawdudi
today most people do not their purpose of life.
ReplyDeleteso, they try to find somethings that make them satisfied by try to get some entertainments, work hard to get a lot of money, give their children educations, fulfill their ambitions just only to earn money,respects,fancy cars, big house. they were being deceived by wealthy of the world