The Demands of Worship

established contact with their Lord, and, as a result, are drifting to a dangerous end in the hereafter, forces the believer to bring them to that path of worship which he has chosen for himself. It is the aspect of worship which manifests itself in relation to the common man. Another name for this duty of the believer is bearing witness to the truth or conveying the message of the Lord. The faithful are expected to obey the commandments of God so far as they themselves are concerned. And in relation to nonMuslims they are responsible for conveying God’s message to them. Now let us take the first manifestation of worship, i.e. submission. It can be divided into two major categories: the individual and collective (or social). Individual obedience means obeying God in those matters which are related to the personal lives of the faithful. It covers all those commandments which pertain to morals and dealings with others, like speaking the truth, keeping one’s promises, being honest and trustworthy, upholding justice and equality, being humble, giving full measure, paying everyone his due, being a well-wisher of all, in short, all those virtues which are related to man’s personal life and all those situations in which man must make his own decisions. In all such cases, compliance with divine injunctions means submitting individually, surrendering to the will of God in one’s own personal affairs. A Muslim is not allowed to disobey God once he knows God’s commandments in relation to his personal life, and once he is in a position to obey them. The Quran states: It is not fitting for a believing man or woman to exercise any choice in his or her own affairs once God and His Messenger have reached a decision upon them. Anyone who disobeys God and His Messenger is in manifest error (33:36). This individual obedience to God is an obligation which every believer must fulfil. No man can ever be regarded as a worshipper in the eyes of God unless in his practical life he obeys the commandments imposed upon him by God which relate to his life