In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
It was narrated that `Umar Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) once passed by the monastery of a monk. When the monk came out, `Umar looked at him and began to weep. When people asked him why he was weeping, he replied: “I remembered the statement of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book: عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ ﴿٣﴾ تَصْلَىٰ نَارًا حَامِيَةً ﴿٤ (Working [hard] and exhausted. They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire.) [Qur’an, Al-Ghashiyah 88:3-4] So that is what has made me cry.” (Tafsir Ibn Katheer)
We must know the purpose of our life because that pushes us to use our intellect and abilities in the right direction and it serves as a core factor to success and happiness.
As Muslims, we believe that the great purpose for which we exist in this world is to worship our Lord, our Creator – Allah, Who says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦[Qur’an, Adh-Dhariyyat 51:56]
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
Indeed, Allah created the creation to worship Him and to worship Him alone, without associating any partner with Him. Whoever obeys Him will be completely rewarded, whereas whoever disobeys Him would be punished with a severe punishment. And He has informed that He is neither dependent, nor does He have any need for His creation. Rather, it is the creation that is in dire need of Him, in every condition and circumstance, since He is the One who creates, sustains and provides for them.
Imam Ibn Katheer said: “Ibadah (worship) is obedience to Allah by acting upon what He commands and abandoning what He forbids; and this is the reality and essence of Islam. And the meaning of Islam is: ‘istislaam’ (submission and surrender) to Allah – the Most High – along with the utmost compliance and submissiveness to Him.”
We need to realize that from the conditions of our worship to be accepted by Allah, is that it needs to be sincerely for His sake.
Allah Almighty says:
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠[Qur’an, Al-Kahf 18:110]
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)
Similarly, the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
"Indeed Allah does not look at your faces nor your wealth but He looks at your hearts (intentions) and your actions.” (Muslim)
Also in a Hadeeth Qudsi, the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah said, “I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having partners. Thus, whoever does an action for someone else’s sake as well as Mine, will have that action rejected by Me to him whom he associated with Me.” (Muslim)
After sincerity, the second vital condition of worship is that it should be correct and therefore acceptable to Allah. Our worship of Allah should be as He and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) have commanded us.
Allah Almighty says:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوٓا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ ﴿٣٣[Qur’an, Muhammad 47:33]
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds. (33)
The Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said regarding this:
"Whoever does an action which we have not commanded will have it rejected.” (Muslim)
He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) also said:
"Whoever does an action (of worship) in a way different from ours will have it rejected.” (Abu Dawood)
Hence, if an act of worship is correct but not sincere, it will not be accepted and if it is sincere but not correct it will not be accepted until it is both sincere and correct.
Sincere means that nothing but the Face of Allah is sought by doing it and correct means that it is in conformity with the Sunnah.
Unfortunately, when we look around us today, we see a lot of people ignoring these two conditions; using worship as a tool to get worldly benefits or taking the way of their fathers, ancestors and other people as the yardstick of right and wrong.
Be careful not to fall into those many innovated cultural practices and beliefs which have no basis in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
When these misunderstandings are brought to the attention of people, many respond in the exact words of the disbelievers of old times, “This is what our forefathers used to do so we will do the same.” People who make such statements should think about whether they are following the guidance of Allah or the way of the disbelievers. One of the key characteristics of Islam is the importance given to verification of information and to the prohibition of blindly following practices which are proven to be unIslamic.
All acts of worship that we need to get closer to Allah have already been revealed and explained to us by the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace).
“I have left you upon the clear path, its night is like its day and no one deviates from it after me except that he is destroyed.” (Ahmad)
This hadeeth should push us to acknowledge and accept the facts and not be careless, making our actions vain like Allah has mentioned regarding some people:
وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُورًا ﴿٢٣[Qur’an, Al-Furqan 25:23]
And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.
Rather let us become cautious and send something foreword for the Day of Judgment, the Day when we will be shown the results of our deeds.
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٨[Qur'an, Al-Zalzala 99:6-8]
That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. (6) So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, (7) And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (8)
May Allah make us His obedient servants, grant us sincerity in worship, accept our deeds, and forgive our shortcomings. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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