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Worship is the Road to Allah
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 13-02-2023

 

There is no doubt that drawing nearer to Allah can`t be accomplished except through acts of worship that He has legislated and this can`t be known save through the revelation sent down on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Allah said to him (Prophet Mohammad): "And thus have We, by Our Command, sent inspiration to thee: thou knewest not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith; but We have made the (Qur’an) a Light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily thou dost guide (men) to the Straight Way,- The Way of God, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Behold (how) all affairs tend towards God!" {Al-Zukhruf/52-53}.

 

Worship is Allah`s Right over His slaves. He, The Almighty Says {What means}: "O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness; Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto God when ye know (the truth)." {Al-Baqarah/21-22}.

 

Allah The Almighty is Addressing all the people (Adore your Guardian-Lord) since all of you are His slaves and He alone is Your Lord, so if you deny that, then think: Who created you from nothing? Who transferred you from the phase of nothingness to the phase of existence? The answer is (Almighty Allah). Therefore, worship Your Lord because He is Your Lord (who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness). Even after He created you, you are still in need for Him. Rather, you are still and will always be in need for Him, His Teaching, His Provisions and Mercy. This is why He Says (What means): (Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance). If you need Allah this much, then (set not up rivals unto God when ye know (the truth)). {Adapted from the book [Drawing Closer to Allah: Virtue, Methods and Ranks] by Sheikh Abdullah Siraj Uldin, pp.13-14}.

 

Worshipping Allah is the essence of slavery and a slave must worship his/her Lord for in this lies pride and dignity. Humbling oneself to Allah is an act of pride and dignity and if one isn`t a slave of Allah, then he/she is a slave of other than Allah; namely wealth, desire, power or people. Therefore, one must be a slave of none but Allah alone.

 

What is the meaning of worship? Worship is performing what Allah Commanded in terms of sayings and actions while observing slavery to The Lord of The Worlds. Worship is a set of sayings and actions a slave performs out of love and lowering him/herself before Allah and drawing closer to Him.

 

This last condition sets the difference between acts of honoring and sayings of glorifying and between acts and sayings of worship to The Lord of The Worlds.

Angels bow down Before Allah in worship. He The Almighty Says {What means}: "Those who are near to Thy Lord, disdain not to do Him worship: They celebrate His praises, and bow down before Him." {Al-`Araf/206}.

 

And they bowed down before Adam to honor him. Allah Says {What means}: "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him." {Al-Hijr/29}.

 

In Islam, it is prohibited to prostrate before other than Allah since the Prophet (PBUH) said: "If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband." For more details in this regard, kindly refer to {Sunnan Al-Baihaqi: Chapter on the Greatness of Husband`s Right over his Wife}.

 

In brief, worshipping Allah, The Exalted rests on three principles:

 

First: Worship of heart, i.e. having firm belief that there is no God Worthy of Worship except Allah and there is no Lord but Him.

 

Second: Worship of acts, i.e. performing acts of worship Enjoined By Allah such as establishing prayer, giving Zakah, fasting Ramadan, performing Hajj, in addition to other obligatory and voluntary acts of worship.

 

Third: Verbal worship, i.e. performing acts legislated by Almighty Allah such as recitations, supplications and remembrance Of Allah as stated in {"Drawing Closer to Allah: Virtue, Methods and Ranks" by Sheikh Abdullah Siraj Uldin, pp.19-20}.

 

Two conditions must be met in order for worship to be accepted:

 

First: It is purely for the sake of Allah and this condition applies to worship of heart through having firm belief and testifying that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah. This purifies one`s heart and intentions from Riyaa` (Showing-off of good deeds/Being hypocrite), hidden Shirk (Polytheism) and pleasing other than Allah.

 

Second: Imitation, i.e. worshipping Allah through what He legislated. Therefore, beware not to perform an act that has no origin in Islam and consequently become an innovator. This condition applies to practical and verbal worship.

 

Worship has great effects on a Muslim`s life. Prayer refines self since Allah Says {What means}: "Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds." {Al-Ankabot/45}. Zakah purifies a Muslim and teaches him/her to love that which is good and beneficial to others. Fasting is forgiveness, Mercy and Pleasure From Allah towards a Muslim. Hajj illuminates a Muslim`s heart and settles his/her relationship With Allah, and the same goes for the rest of the acts of worship.

 

There are two methods to draw closer to Allah:

 

First: Through prescribed acts of worship. This is an obligation and loved by Almighty Allah (And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him). This includes prescribed acts of worship, practical, moral and verbal commands, and things that must be deserted because they are forbidden.

 

Second: Through Nawafil (prayers or doing extra deeds besides obligatory acts of devotion). They are called as such because they bring to a person a lot of good things that none knows but Allah.

 

Abu Hurayra (May Allah Be Pleased with him) narrated: "Allah The Exalted Has Said, on the tongue of His Messenger (PBUH), (What means): "I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him." {Related by Al-Bukhari / Modesty chapter}.

 

This Hadith summarizes great meanings in little words. Before addressing methods that draw a Muslim closer to Allah, He The Most Exalted, Said (What means): "I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine). If this is the case, then nothing will avail such a person (One who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Allah)."

 

Accordingly, the first step in drawing closer to Allah is not declaring war against a pious worshipper of His. Pious worshippers of Allah are hidden amongst His creatures. According to the general concept of guardianship, every Muslim is a pious worshipper Of Allah.

 

Therefore, one should have good thoughts concerning every Muslim and avoid harming him/her. At that point, Allah Will not Declare war against you; rather, He Will Bless you with peace and tranquility, so you will worship Him with high moral and try to draw closer to Him eagerly. 

 

And all perfect praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds. May His Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on eating from one`s Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is divided into two categories: the vowed sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah) and the voluntary sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu').
 
First: The Vowed Sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah)
This refers to a sacrifice that has become strictly obligatory due to a formal vow (Nadr). It is completely impermissible for the person offering it, or any members of their family whom they are financially obligated to maintain, to eat any of its meat or fat. Furthermore, it is unlawful for them to personally benefit from its hide, wool, or any other part of it. If they happen to eat any portion of it, the offerer is legally obligated to give an equivalent amount of meat or its monetary value to charity. (As noted in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami,Vol. 9/P.364).
 
Second: The Voluntary Sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu’)
This is a recommended, non-obligatory sacrifice. The person offering it is fully permitted to eat from its meat, distribute portions as charity to the poor, and give pieces as gifts to those who are well-off. However, it remains a mandatory requirement to donate at least a minor portion of it to charity; this should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw, uncooked meat. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

Is it permissible for a woman to sit with her brothers-in-law?

It is impermissible for a woman to sit with her brothers-in-law, and it is also impermissible for a person to have a Khulwa (seclusion) with his sister-in-law.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on someone who wakes up in a state of janābah (major ritual impurity) near the very end of the prayer's designated time, during cold weather — should he heat water in order to perform ghusl, even though the prayer's time will expire as a result, or should he perform tayammum instead?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If the water is cold, and cannot be used due to fear of harm that is not ordinarily tolerable, or that would result in illness, then in this case it becomes obligatory to heat the water — even if heating it causes the time for Fajr to expire — and no sin is incurred in doing so, due to his valid excuse. He may not resort to tayammum (dry ablution) instead, since water remains available [and merely needs to be heated].
Imam Shihāb ad-Dīn Aḥmad ar-Ramlī (raḥimahullāh) said: "He was asked regarding a person who, if he were to use cold water, would experience harm that permits tayammum, and who has access to something with which he could heat the water — but if he heats it, the prayer's time will expire. Is it obligatory for him to heat it even if the time expires, or should he pray with tayammum within the prescribed time? He answered that it is obligatory for him to heat the water, even if the time for that particular obligatory prayer expires." [Fatāwā ar-Ramlī, Vol.1/P.98]
Imam al-Bājūrī (raḥimahullāh) said in his Ḥāshiyah on Sharḥ Ibn Qāsim (Vol.1/P.173): "And if he fears [harm] from using cold water, and is currently unable to heat it, but knows of a place where firewood is available, such that if he were to go there he would not return until after the prescribed time has expired — what appears [to be the correct position] is that it is obligatory for him to go and seek the firewood, even if the time expires as a result, as this is the position ultimately settled upon by ar-Ramlī, and as related from him by Ibn Qāsim." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing ṭawāf on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, given that these floors are situated above the level of the Ka‘bah, and that the one performing ṭawāf passes by certain barriers, such as pillars and walls, during the ṭawāf?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There are numerous conditions for the validity of ṭawāf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), among them: that the one performing ṭawāf be inside the Masjid (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) — even if the Masjid has been expanded, so long as the expansion does not extend out into al-ḥill (land outside the sanctuary boundaries). It suffices for the ṭawāf to be performed in the airspace of the Masjid or upon its roof, even if that roof is higher than the Ka‘bah (the House) itself.
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid upon the roof of the Masjid, even if the roof of the Masjid is higher than the House — just as prayer [is valid] upon Mount Abū Qubays despite its elevation above the House. This is the relied-upon (mu‘tamad) position." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.246]
The validity of the tawaf isn`t affected by the pillars and walls standing between the one performing ṭawāf and the House, since the condition is only that the person performing ṭawāf be within the boundaries of the Masjid and outside the boundaries of the Ka‘bah itself.
Ash-Shirbīnī said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid inside the Masjid, even if it is expanded, and even if a barrier stands between the one circumambulating and the House — such as a water-supply structure (saqāyah) or pillars (sawārī)." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 2/P.246]
Accordingly, ṭawāf performed on the upper floors is valid, and the presence of barriers such as pillars and walls during the ṭawāf does not affect its validity. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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