Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 37 CHAPTER 3 The Concept of Worship in Islam WORSHIP, according to the Quran, is the sole purpose of the creation of man. The Quran says: “I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51:56). There are a number of verses in the Quran which elaborate on how the prophets were sent to this world for this very purpose. (16:36, 2:21, 4:36, 21:25). According to Islam, all individuals should lead lives of worship and devotion to God. The dictionary defines worship as bowing before someone and humbling oneself. “The essence of worship is fearfulness and humility,” says Lisan alArab. The dictionary meaning of the word is also its canonical meaning. Abu Hayyan says: “Prayer means humility: this is the consensus of religious scholars” (al Bahr al Muhit, Vol. 1, p. 23). That is why the Qur’an uses the word “arrogance” as the antonym of worship. Although worship’s real connotations are humility and fearfulness, when the word is used in relation to God, it also includes the concept of love. Ibn Kathir writes: “According to the dictionary, worship stands for lowliness… In the Islamic Shari’ah it is used to express a condition of extreme love coupled with extreme humbleness and apprehension.” (Tafsir al Qur’an, Vol. 1, p. 25) Iman Ibn Taimiyah says: “The word ‘Ubudiyat (adoring enslavement) expresses a mixture of extreme humility and extreme love.” (The Pamphlet on Ubudiyah, p. 28) Hafiz Ibn Qayyem also writes. “There are two components of worship: extreme love and extreme humility” (Tafsir ibn Qayyem, p. 65). The essence of worship then is to adopt an attitude of lowliness and humility before God. In the Qur’an, this is expressed by different words, such as Khashiyyah, Tadhurru, Ikhbat, Inabat, Khushu, Khudu and Qunut, etc. To worship God means utter prostration of oneself before Him. The Being before whom the act of worship is performed is no tyrant but an extremely