Authorship
Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Reviewing
Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Short Description
Discusses the question of why Allah created, and why Allah created humans
Part Three
Part Three
Divine Grace
As for those in paradise, they will not enter it solely based on their good deeds. It is the grace of God that will ultimately carry them there. The final Prophet of Allah (M) said in this regard, “Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none will enter paradise only because of his deeds. ” His companions said, “O Messenger of Allah! Not even you?” He replied, “Not even I, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy and grace." And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allah is one done constantly, even though it is small."11 However, God’s grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both correct faith and righteous deeds. In Chapter Aal Imraan, Allah says
^3 iL-iJb j jlp dJj duLwxJb f.L>r
{oj+jjoi y j
“Whoever brings a good deed, will have [the value of) ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed will only be punished with one like it, and they will not be wronged”
Qur’an 6:160
Were God to hold humankind to account strictly, no one’s good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God has manifested His grace by multiplying the value of good deeds, while keeping evil deeds at their face value. It is by
22 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1473. no. 6765, reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
23 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, pp. 1473-4. no. 6770. reported by 'Aa’ishah
the grace of God that the true believers enter Paradise. This does not mean that deeds have no role. Deeds have a major role, but they are not the deciding factor. God’s grace outweighs them.
Consequently, the creation of human beings, the errors that they make and the good that they do are all circumstances for the manifestation of God’s attributes of mercy and forgiveness, His attribute of justice and His attribute of grace.
Humankind should not question why God chose to manifest His attributes in this way. It can only be assumed that this was the best way, because Allah describes Himself as being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable. Humans can only understand what Allah chooses to reveal to them.
“They will only encompass of His knowledge what He wishes.”
Qur’an 2:255
Thus, they should not try to equate themselves with God. If He has told humankind why He decided to do something, it is not for them to question why He decided to decide. Such questions are without end and thus beyond human scope. It is they who will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about their actions and intentions and not He. In Chapter al-Ambiyaa, Allah addresses this point
“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.”
Qur’an, 21:23
In this regard Prophet Muhammad (^) was reported by Ibn ‘ Abbaas to have said, “Reflect on the creation of Allah but do not reflect on Allah,”24 To reflect on the reality of Allah is to reflect on the infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it reflects on the limits of the finite universe and the galaxies and stars within it, it will be more confounded when it attempts to understand the uncreated. The Prophet (#;) warned that the satanic forces would seek to introduce doubts in the hearts of the believers by raising unanswerable questions about God. Aboo Hurayrah related that Allah’s Messenger (0) said, “Satan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who created this and that?—until he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah [say: I affirm my faith in Allah and His prophets]2:> and avoid [such thoughts].”26
24 Collected by Aboo Nu'iavm in al-Hilvah and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah, vol. 4, p. 12, no. 1788. There is also a similar narration from Ibn ‘Umar collected by at-Jabaraanee in al-Awsat and al-Bayhaqee in Shu ‘ab al-Eemaan.
25 Sahih Muslim, vol. I. p. 77, nos. 242 & 243.
26 Ibid., vol. 1, p. 77. no. 244 and Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 320. no. 496
The Prophet ($t) explained that when Allah created Adam, He took from him a covenant at a place called Na‘maan on the 9th day27 of the 12th month. He then extracted from Adam all of his descendants who would be born until the end of the world, generation after generation, and spread them out before Him to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to them, face to face, making them bear witness that He was their Lord.28 Consequently, every human being is responsible for belief in God, which is imprinted on each and every soul. It is based on this inborn belief that Allah defined the purpose of humankind’s creation in Chapter ath-Thaarivaaf.
*51J C-ib1, Uj}
“I did not create the jinn29 and the humankind except that they should worship Me”
Qur’an 51:56
Thus, the essential purpose for which humankind was created is the worship of God. However, the Almighty is not in need of human worship. He did not create human beings
27 Known as the day of 'Arafaat.
28 Collected by Ahmad and authenticated in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah, vol. 4, p. 158, no. 1623.
29 The jinn are a class of invisible rational beings created by God from the elements of fire. They were endowed by God with free will, like mankind. Consequently, some of them are righteous believers and others are evil disbelievers. The evil among them are commonly called demons, evil spirits, devils, etc
out of a need on His part. If not a single human worshipped God, it would not diminish His glory in any way, and if all of mankind worshipped Him, it would not increase His glory in any way. God is perfect. He alone exists without any needs. All created beings have needs. Consequently, it is humankind that needs to worship God
The Meaning of Worship
To understand why human beings need to worship God, one must first understand what is meant by the term ‘worship.’ The English term ‘worship’ comes from the Old English weorthscipe meaning ‘honor.’ Consequently, worship in the English language is defined as ‘the performance of devotional acts in honor of a deity.’30 According to this meaning, man is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifying Him. In Chapter an-Nasr of the final revelation, Allah says
{ dlij JU^w ^-<3 }
“Glorify the praises of your Lord”
Qur’an 110:3
In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony with the rest of creation which naturally glorifies its Creator. Allah addresses this phenomenon in many chapters of the Qur’an. For example, in Chapter al-Israa, Allah states:
30 The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, p. 1148
V! ij* ^ij J?(V**‘-'' oijUwli 4J ^v—*>}
{^n,j,..»f 0^Ai? 'jflj fljUiw
“The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which does not glorify His praise.31 However, you do not understand their glorification.”
Qur’an, 17:44
However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation, worship is called ‘ibaadah, which is closely related to the noun ‘abd, meaning ‘a slave.’ A slave is one who is expected to do whatever his ma'ster wills. Consequently, worship, according to the final revelation, meaas ‘obedient submission to the will of God.’ This was the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Prophet Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7:21, “None of those who call me ‘Lord’will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” It should be noted that ‘will* in this quote means ‘what God wants human beings to do’ and not ‘what God permits humans to do,’ because nothing happens in creation without the will (permission) of God. The ‘Will of God’ is contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets
31 The thunder is described as glorifying God in 13:13, the day and night in 21:20 and the mountains in 38:18
taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God’s instructions regarding His glorification
The Need for Worship
Why do human beings need to worship and glorify God by obeying the divinely revealed laws? Because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next. The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created in paradise and later expelled from paradise for disobeying the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to paradise is by obedience,to the law. Jesus, the Messiah, was reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise: Now behold, one came and said to him, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? ” So he said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. 32 Also in Matthew 5:19, Jesus Christ was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments, saying, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
32 Matthew 19:16-17 (RSV)
Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in all walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer human beings a complete system governing all of their affairs. The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His creation and what is not. The divine laws command and prohibit various acts and substances to protect the human spirit, the human body and human society from harm. In order for human beings to fulfill their potential by living righteous lives, they need to worship God through obedience to His commandments
Remembrance of God
All of the various acts of worship contained in the divine laws are designed to help humans remember God. It is natural for human beings to sometimes forget even the most important things. Humans often become so engrossed in fulfilling their material needs that they totally forget their spiritual needs. Regular prayer is ordained to organize the day of the true believer around the remembrance of God. It interweaves spiritual needs with material needs on a daily basis. The regular daily need to eat, work and sleep is linked to the daily need to renew man’s connection with God. With regard to regular prayer, Allah states in the final revelation, Chapter Taahaa
“Verily, I am Allah, there is no God beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance.”
Qur’an 20:14
Regarding fasting, Allah stated in Chapter al-Baqarah
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become God-conscious.”
Qur’an 2:183
The believers are encouraged to remember God as much as possible. Although, moderation in all spheres of life, whether material or spiritual, is generally encouraged in divine law, an exception is made regarding the remembrance of Allah. It is virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter al-Ahzaab, Allah encourages the believers to remember God as often as possible
{ijjiS* 1 jOJ' I1
“O believers! Remember Allah often.”
Qur’an, 33:41
Remembrance of God is stressed because sin is generally committed when God is forgotten. The forces of evil operate
most freely when consciousness of God is lost. Consequently, the satanic forces seek to occupy people’s minds with irrelevant thoughts and desires to make them forget God. Once God is forgotten, people willingly join the corrupt elements. The final revelation, the Qur’an, addresses this phenomenon in Chapter al-Mujaadalah as follows
uUflg—iiJl iui Jii uUa*wJi
l«Jb OUawJl
“Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Truly the party of Satan are the real losers”
Qur’an 58:19
God, through Divine law, has prohibited intoxicants and gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget God. The human mind and body easily become addicted to drugs and games of chance. Once addicted, humankind’s desire to continually be stimulated by them leads them into all forms of corruption, and violence among themselves. God says in Chapter al-Maa ’idah of the final revelation
j—frUaAJlj Jjjj Uj|}
o ^L<aJi jf-j 4ii Jfi ‘jf
“Satan’s plan is to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and
hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain
Qur’an, 5:91
Consequently, humankind need to remember God for their own salvation and growth. All humans have times of weakness in which they commit sins. If they have no means of remembering God, they sink deeper and deeper into corruption with every sin. However, those who follow the divine laws will be constantly reminded of God, which will give them a chance to repent and correct themselves. The final revelation accurately describes this process in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan
I—l* 'jjSo ^ fl ■ --*»* 'til j}
“Those who, having done something shameful or having wronged their own souls, remember Allah and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins...”
Qur’an, 3:135
The Religion of Islam
The most complete system of worship available to human beings today is the system found in the religion of Islam. The very name ‘Islam’ means ‘submission to the will of God.’ Although it is commonly referred to as ‘the third of the three monotheistic faiths,’ it is not a new religion at all. It is the religion brought by all of the prophets of God for humankind
Islam was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard to Prophet Abraham, saying
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“Abraham was neither a Jew nor.a Christian, but he was an upright Muslim who did hot worship others besides God.”
Qur’an 3:67
Since there is only One God, and humankind are one species, the religion which God has ordained for human beings is one. He did not prescribe one religion for the Jews, another for Indians, yet another for Europeans, etc. Human spiritual and social needs are uniform, and human nature has not changed since the first man and woman were created. Consequently, no other religion is acceptable to God besides Islam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan of the final revelation
“Surely Allah’s religion is Islam.”
Qur’an 3:19
“And whoever desires a religion besides Islam will not have it accepted, and he will be among the losers in the hereafter.”
Qur’an 3:85
Every Act Is Worship
In the Islamic system, each and every human act can be transformed into an act of worship. In fact, God commands the believers to dedicate their whole lives to Him. In Chapter al-An ‘aam, Allah says
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“Say: ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’ ”
Qur’an 6:162
However, for that dedication to be acceptable to Allah, each act must fulfill two basic conditions
1 1- First, the act must be done sincerely for the pleasure of God and not for the recognition and praise of human beings. The believer also has to be conscious of God while doing the deed to insure that it is not something forbidden by Allah or the last Messenger (M)
In order to facilitate this transformation of mundane deeds into worship, Allah instructed the last Prophet (3§) to prescribe short prayers to be said before even the simplest of arts The shortest prayer which may be used for any
circumstance is: A' bismillaah (In the name of Allah). There are, however, many other prayers prescribed for specific occasions. For example, whenever a new piece of clothing is worn, the Prophet (M) taught his followers to say:
.1 ' 9 0 *Zo i an ' * e ° ' $
L» j?*-J o t C—t^Jl! $li'
« 'I *■ fi'
, 4J u jZ* j 0 ^ J 1
O Allah, thanks is due to You, for it is You who has clothed me. I ask You for its benefit and the benefit for which it was made, and seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil for which it was made.33
2 2 - The second condition is that the act be done in accordance with the prophetic way, called in Arabic the Sunnah. All of the prophets instructed their followers to follow their way because they were guided by God. What they taught were divinely revealed truths, and only those who followed their way and accepted the truths would inherit eternal life in paradise. It is in this context that Prophet Jesus, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was reported in the Gospel according to John 14:6, as saying, “/ am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” Similarly, ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood related that one day Prophet Muhammad (M) drew a line in
33 Sunan Abu Dcrwud, vol. 3, p. 1125. no. 4009 and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2. p. 760. no. 3393*
the dust for them and said, “This is Allah’s path” He then drew several lines [branching off] to the right and to the left and said, “These are the paths [of misguidance] on each of which is a devil inviting people to follow it” He then recited the verse: “Verily, this is my path, leading straight, so follow it. And do not follow the [other] paths for they will scatter you about from Allah’s path. That is His command to you in order that you may be conscious of Allah.34”35 Thus, the only acceptable way to worship God is according to the way of the prophets. That being the case, innovation in religious affairs would be considered by God among the worst of all evils. Prophet Muhammad (£g) was reported to have said, “ The worst of all affairs is innovation in religion, for every religious innovation is a cursed, misleading innovation leading to the hellfire. ”36
Innovation in the religion is forbidden and unacceptable to God. The Prophet ($g) was also reported by his wife, ‘Aa’ishah, to have said, “He who innovates something in this matter of ours, that is not of it, will have it rejected”31 It is fundamentally due to innovations that the messages of the earlier prophets were distorted and the many false religions in existence today evolved. The general rule to
34 Soorah al-An 'aam (6): 153
Collected by Ahmad. an-Nasaa ee and ad-Daarimee, and authenticated by Ahmad Shaakir in al-Musnad, vol. 6. pp. 89-90. no. 4142
36 Sahih Muslim, vol. 2. p. 410, no. 1885
37 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, pp. 535-6. no. 861. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p. 931. no. 4266
follow in order to avoid innovation in religion is that all forms of worship are prohibited, except those which have been specifically prescribed by God and conveyed to humans by the true messengers of God
As for those in paradise, they will not enter it solely based on their good deeds. It is the grace of God that will ultimately carry them there. The final Prophet of Allah (M) said in this regard, “Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none will enter paradise only because of his deeds. ” His companions said, “O Messenger of Allah! Not even you?” He replied, “Not even I, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy and grace." And bear in mind that the deed most loved by Allah is one done constantly, even though it is small."11 However, God’s grace is not arbitrary. It is based on both correct faith and righteous deeds. In Chapter Aal Imraan, Allah says
^3 iL-iJb j jlp dJj duLwxJb f.L>r
{oj+jjoi y j
“Whoever brings a good deed, will have [the value of) ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed will only be punished with one like it, and they will not be wronged”
Qur’an 6:160
Were God to hold humankind to account strictly, no one’s good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God has manifested His grace by multiplying the value of good deeds, while keeping evil deeds at their face value. It is by
22 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1473. no. 6765, reported by Aboo Hurayrah.
23 Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, pp. 1473-4. no. 6770. reported by 'Aa’ishah
the grace of God that the true believers enter Paradise. This does not mean that deeds have no role. Deeds have a major role, but they are not the deciding factor. God’s grace outweighs them.
Consequently, the creation of human beings, the errors that they make and the good that they do are all circumstances for the manifestation of God’s attributes of mercy and forgiveness, His attribute of justice and His attribute of grace.
Humankind should not question why God chose to manifest His attributes in this way. It can only be assumed that this was the best way, because Allah describes Himself as being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable. Humans can only understand what Allah chooses to reveal to them.
“They will only encompass of His knowledge what He wishes.”
Qur’an 2:255
Thus, they should not try to equate themselves with God. If He has told humankind why He decided to do something, it is not for them to question why He decided to decide. Such questions are without end and thus beyond human scope. It is they who will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about their actions and intentions and not He. In Chapter al-Ambiyaa, Allah addresses this point
“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.”
Qur’an, 21:23
In this regard Prophet Muhammad (^) was reported by Ibn ‘ Abbaas to have said, “Reflect on the creation of Allah but do not reflect on Allah,”24 To reflect on the reality of Allah is to reflect on the infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it reflects on the limits of the finite universe and the galaxies and stars within it, it will be more confounded when it attempts to understand the uncreated. The Prophet (#;) warned that the satanic forces would seek to introduce doubts in the hearts of the believers by raising unanswerable questions about God. Aboo Hurayrah related that Allah’s Messenger (0) said, “Satan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who created this and that?—until he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah [say: I affirm my faith in Allah and His prophets]2:> and avoid [such thoughts].”26
24 Collected by Aboo Nu'iavm in al-Hilvah and authenticated by al-Albaanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah, vol. 4, p. 12, no. 1788. There is also a similar narration from Ibn ‘Umar collected by at-Jabaraanee in al-Awsat and al-Bayhaqee in Shu ‘ab al-Eemaan.
25 Sahih Muslim, vol. I. p. 77, nos. 242 & 243.
26 Ibid., vol. 1, p. 77. no. 244 and Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 320. no. 496
The Prophet ($t) explained that when Allah created Adam, He took from him a covenant at a place called Na‘maan on the 9th day27 of the 12th month. He then extracted from Adam all of his descendants who would be born until the end of the world, generation after generation, and spread them out before Him to take a covenant from them also. He spoke to them, face to face, making them bear witness that He was their Lord.28 Consequently, every human being is responsible for belief in God, which is imprinted on each and every soul. It is based on this inborn belief that Allah defined the purpose of humankind’s creation in Chapter ath-Thaarivaaf.
*51J C-ib1, Uj}
“I did not create the jinn29 and the humankind except that they should worship Me”
Qur’an 51:56
Thus, the essential purpose for which humankind was created is the worship of God. However, the Almighty is not in need of human worship. He did not create human beings
27 Known as the day of 'Arafaat.
28 Collected by Ahmad and authenticated in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah, vol. 4, p. 158, no. 1623.
29 The jinn are a class of invisible rational beings created by God from the elements of fire. They were endowed by God with free will, like mankind. Consequently, some of them are righteous believers and others are evil disbelievers. The evil among them are commonly called demons, evil spirits, devils, etc
out of a need on His part. If not a single human worshipped God, it would not diminish His glory in any way, and if all of mankind worshipped Him, it would not increase His glory in any way. God is perfect. He alone exists without any needs. All created beings have needs. Consequently, it is humankind that needs to worship God
The Meaning of Worship
To understand why human beings need to worship God, one must first understand what is meant by the term ‘worship.’ The English term ‘worship’ comes from the Old English weorthscipe meaning ‘honor.’ Consequently, worship in the English language is defined as ‘the performance of devotional acts in honor of a deity.’30 According to this meaning, man is instructed to show gratitude to God by glorifying Him. In Chapter an-Nasr of the final revelation, Allah says
{ dlij JU^w ^-<3 }
“Glorify the praises of your Lord”
Qur’an 110:3
In glorifying God, man chooses to be in harmony with the rest of creation which naturally glorifies its Creator. Allah addresses this phenomenon in many chapters of the Qur’an. For example, in Chapter al-Israa, Allah states:
30 The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, p. 1148
V! ij* ^ij J?(V**‘-'' oijUwli 4J ^v—*>}
{^n,j,..»f 0^Ai? 'jflj fljUiw
“The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them glorify Him and there is nothing which does not glorify His praise.31 However, you do not understand their glorification.”
Qur’an, 17:44
However, in Arabic, the language of the final revelation, worship is called ‘ibaadah, which is closely related to the noun ‘abd, meaning ‘a slave.’ A slave is one who is expected to do whatever his ma'ster wills. Consequently, worship, according to the final revelation, meaas ‘obedient submission to the will of God.’ This was the essence of the message of all the prophets sent by God to humankind. For example, this understanding of worship was emphatically expressed by Prophet Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew, 7:21, “None of those who call me ‘Lord’will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” It should be noted that ‘will* in this quote means ‘what God wants human beings to do’ and not ‘what God permits humans to do,’ because nothing happens in creation without the will (permission) of God. The ‘Will of God’ is contained in the divinely revealed laws which the prophets
31 The thunder is described as glorifying God in 13:13, the day and night in 21:20 and the mountains in 38:18
taught their followers. Consequently, obedience to divine law is the foundation of worship. In this sense, glorification also becomes worship when humans choose to obey God’s instructions regarding His glorification
The Need for Worship
Why do human beings need to worship and glorify God by obeying the divinely revealed laws? Because obedience to divine law is the key to success in this life and the next. The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created in paradise and later expelled from paradise for disobeying the divine law. The only way for human beings to return to paradise is by obedience,to the law. Jesus, the Messiah, was reported in the Gospel according to Matthew to have made obedience to the divine laws the key to paradise: Now behold, one came and said to him, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? ” So he said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. 32 Also in Matthew 5:19, Jesus Christ was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments, saying, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
32 Matthew 19:16-17 (RSV)
Divine laws represent guidance for humankind in all walks of life. They define right and wrong for them and offer human beings a complete system governing all of their affairs. The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His creation and what is not. The divine laws command and prohibit various acts and substances to protect the human spirit, the human body and human society from harm. In order for human beings to fulfill their potential by living righteous lives, they need to worship God through obedience to His commandments
Remembrance of God
All of the various acts of worship contained in the divine laws are designed to help humans remember God. It is natural for human beings to sometimes forget even the most important things. Humans often become so engrossed in fulfilling their material needs that they totally forget their spiritual needs. Regular prayer is ordained to organize the day of the true believer around the remembrance of God. It interweaves spiritual needs with material needs on a daily basis. The regular daily need to eat, work and sleep is linked to the daily need to renew man’s connection with God. With regard to regular prayer, Allah states in the final revelation, Chapter Taahaa
“Verily, I am Allah, there is no God beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance.”
Qur’an 20:14
Regarding fasting, Allah stated in Chapter al-Baqarah
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may become God-conscious.”
Qur’an 2:183
The believers are encouraged to remember God as much as possible. Although, moderation in all spheres of life, whether material or spiritual, is generally encouraged in divine law, an exception is made regarding the remembrance of Allah. It is virtually impossible to remember God too much. Consequently, in the final revelation, Chapter al-Ahzaab, Allah encourages the believers to remember God as often as possible
{ijjiS* 1 jOJ' I1
“O believers! Remember Allah often.”
Qur’an, 33:41
Remembrance of God is stressed because sin is generally committed when God is forgotten. The forces of evil operate
most freely when consciousness of God is lost. Consequently, the satanic forces seek to occupy people’s minds with irrelevant thoughts and desires to make them forget God. Once God is forgotten, people willingly join the corrupt elements. The final revelation, the Qur’an, addresses this phenomenon in Chapter al-Mujaadalah as follows
uUflg—iiJl iui Jii uUa*wJi
l«Jb OUawJl
“Satan got the better of them and caused them to forget Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Truly the party of Satan are the real losers”
Qur’an 58:19
God, through Divine law, has prohibited intoxicants and gambling primarily because they cause human beings to forget God. The human mind and body easily become addicted to drugs and games of chance. Once addicted, humankind’s desire to continually be stimulated by them leads them into all forms of corruption, and violence among themselves. God says in Chapter al-Maa ’idah of the final revelation
j—frUaAJlj Jjjj Uj|}
o ^L<aJi jf-j 4ii Jfi ‘jf
“Satan’s plan is to incite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and
hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and regular prayer. Will you not then abstain
Qur’an, 5:91
Consequently, humankind need to remember God for their own salvation and growth. All humans have times of weakness in which they commit sins. If they have no means of remembering God, they sink deeper and deeper into corruption with every sin. However, those who follow the divine laws will be constantly reminded of God, which will give them a chance to repent and correct themselves. The final revelation accurately describes this process in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan
I—l* 'jjSo ^ fl ■ --*»* 'til j}
“Those who, having done something shameful or having wronged their own souls, remember Allah and immediately ask forgiveness for their sins...”
Qur’an, 3:135
The Religion of Islam
The most complete system of worship available to human beings today is the system found in the religion of Islam. The very name ‘Islam’ means ‘submission to the will of God.’ Although it is commonly referred to as ‘the third of the three monotheistic faiths,’ it is not a new religion at all. It is the religion brought by all of the prophets of God for humankind
Islam was the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. God addresses this issue in the final revelation with regard to Prophet Abraham, saying
{egpji j* its*
“Abraham was neither a Jew nor.a Christian, but he was an upright Muslim who did hot worship others besides God.”
Qur’an 3:67
Since there is only One God, and humankind are one species, the religion which God has ordained for human beings is one. He did not prescribe one religion for the Jews, another for Indians, yet another for Europeans, etc. Human spiritual and social needs are uniform, and human nature has not changed since the first man and woman were created. Consequently, no other religion is acceptable to God besides Islam, as He clearly states in Chapter Aal ‘Imraan of the final revelation
“Surely Allah’s religion is Islam.”
Qur’an 3:19
“And whoever desires a religion besides Islam will not have it accepted, and he will be among the losers in the hereafter.”
Qur’an 3:85
Every Act Is Worship
In the Islamic system, each and every human act can be transformed into an act of worship. In fact, God commands the believers to dedicate their whole lives to Him. In Chapter al-An ‘aam, Allah says
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“Say: ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’ ”
Qur’an 6:162
However, for that dedication to be acceptable to Allah, each act must fulfill two basic conditions
1 1- First, the act must be done sincerely for the pleasure of God and not for the recognition and praise of human beings. The believer also has to be conscious of God while doing the deed to insure that it is not something forbidden by Allah or the last Messenger (M)
In order to facilitate this transformation of mundane deeds into worship, Allah instructed the last Prophet (3§) to prescribe short prayers to be said before even the simplest of arts The shortest prayer which may be used for any
circumstance is: A' bismillaah (In the name of Allah). There are, however, many other prayers prescribed for specific occasions. For example, whenever a new piece of clothing is worn, the Prophet (M) taught his followers to say:
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L» j?*-J o t C—t^Jl! $li'
« 'I *■ fi'
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O Allah, thanks is due to You, for it is You who has clothed me. I ask You for its benefit and the benefit for which it was made, and seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil for which it was made.33
2 2 - The second condition is that the act be done in accordance with the prophetic way, called in Arabic the Sunnah. All of the prophets instructed their followers to follow their way because they were guided by God. What they taught were divinely revealed truths, and only those who followed their way and accepted the truths would inherit eternal life in paradise. It is in this context that Prophet Jesus, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was reported in the Gospel according to John 14:6, as saying, “/ am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” Similarly, ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood related that one day Prophet Muhammad (M) drew a line in
33 Sunan Abu Dcrwud, vol. 3, p. 1125. no. 4009 and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2. p. 760. no. 3393*
the dust for them and said, “This is Allah’s path” He then drew several lines [branching off] to the right and to the left and said, “These are the paths [of misguidance] on each of which is a devil inviting people to follow it” He then recited the verse: “Verily, this is my path, leading straight, so follow it. And do not follow the [other] paths for they will scatter you about from Allah’s path. That is His command to you in order that you may be conscious of Allah.34”35 Thus, the only acceptable way to worship God is according to the way of the prophets. That being the case, innovation in religious affairs would be considered by God among the worst of all evils. Prophet Muhammad (£g) was reported to have said, “ The worst of all affairs is innovation in religion, for every religious innovation is a cursed, misleading innovation leading to the hellfire. ”36
Innovation in the religion is forbidden and unacceptable to God. The Prophet ($g) was also reported by his wife, ‘Aa’ishah, to have said, “He who innovates something in this matter of ours, that is not of it, will have it rejected”31 It is fundamentally due to innovations that the messages of the earlier prophets were distorted and the many false religions in existence today evolved. The general rule to
34 Soorah al-An 'aam (6): 153
Collected by Ahmad. an-Nasaa ee and ad-Daarimee, and authenticated by Ahmad Shaakir in al-Musnad, vol. 6. pp. 89-90. no. 4142
36 Sahih Muslim, vol. 2. p. 410, no. 1885
37 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, pp. 535-6. no. 861. and Sahih Muslim, vol. 3. p. 931. no. 4266
follow in order to avoid innovation in religion is that all forms of worship are prohibited, except those which have been specifically prescribed by God and conveyed to humans by the true messengers of God
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