THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION–PART II

THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION–PART II Worship of God The Demands of Worship W HAT God desires of man, first and foremost, is that he display humility in His presence. This attitude is called worship. But man was not created in a vacuum; he has been placed in a world full of diverse circumstances. It is necessary that this spirit of worship should be present, no matter what the circumstances are. The first aspect of worship relates to the person himself. In the course of normal living, when faced with two options—one path leading to God and the other leading to self—his spirit of worship compels him at that point to renounce the latter path and take the one indicated by God. This happens when he has totally surrendered his being, both physical and spiritual, before God to whom he has already bowed psychologically. This manifestation of worship, related to one’s self, is called submission. Occasions for such submission can occur at home, office, market or other places where the faithful may be faced with a choice between godly and ungodly ways. The second aspect of worship relates to the external world, that is, to others. The faithful are expected to obey the commandments of God as far as they themselves are concerned, and in relation to others they are responsible for being well-wishers in every way. Now let us take the first manifestation of worship—submission. It can be classified into individual and collective (or social) submission. Individual obedience is to obey God in matters related to one’s personal life. It covers commandments pertaining to 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 their due and being a well-wisher of all. In short, it covers virtues related to man’s personal life and situations in which man must make decisions. Compliance with divine injunctions means surrendering to the will of God in one’s personal affairs. A Muslim is not allowed to disobey God once he knows God’s commandments and is in a position to obey them. The Quran states: Individual obedience is to obey God in matters related to one’s personal life.