CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION

human being is a living, conscious entity; therefore, the highest form of worship for humans must be an inner, existential reality, not just an external act. That is why the Quran presents taqwa (God-consciousness) as the ultimate result of worship: People, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, so that you may become righteous. (Quran, 2:21) In its outward form, worship is a life of taqwa, or God-consciousness. In its deeper essence, worship is a strong awareness of God and a close connection with Him, where the servant becomes so focused on their Lord that they feel a deep sense of divine presence. “The essence of ihsan (excellence in worship) is expressed in the words of the Prophet as follows: “Worship Allah as though you see Him.” (Sahih alBukhari, Hadith No. 50) According to this Prophetic teaching, the highest form of worship is when a person becomes so absorbed in the remembrance and awareness of God that they feel as if they are in His presence, as if they are seeing Him. This state of closeness is the ultimate level of worship. All acts of worship, known as qurbat (acts of closeness), manasik (rituals), or marasim al-‘ubudiyyah (rituals of servitude), are ways to attain this state and are expressions of that worship, as established by God Himself. If a person claims to worship God without these