All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Worship in the Arabic language signifies submission and humility. It is defined in Taj al-‘Arus (Vol.8/P.331) as follows: "Worship your Lord/Al-Baqarah, 21" means obey your Lord. In addition, the verse {You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help} signifies obedience accompanied by submission. Ibn al-Athir stated: The meaning of worship in the language is obedience with humility."
Worship in Shari'ah (Islamic Law) refers to submission and humility directed toward the one whom the worshiper believes to be a deity and Lord, with the intention and purpose of worshiping them. It is not simply any act of submission or humility; rather, it must meet the condition of the worshiper believing the one they are humbling themselves before to be a deity, Lord, or possessing certain divine attributes. This is indisputable. For example, a child may humble themselves before their parents and show them obedience, yet this is not considered worship. On the other hand, the submission of idol worshipers is regarded as worship because they believe these idols possess divine attributes, such as providing sustenance, determining destiny, or similar qualities.
It is stated in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj fi Sharh al-Minhaj : "Al-Fakhr al-Razi transmitted the consensus of the theologians — most of whom are from our scholars — that whoever worships or prays solely out of fear of punishment or seeking reward, their worship is invalid. This is interpreted as referring to someone who dedicates their worship purely to this alone." Ibn Qasim, in his commentary on this, adds: "Perhaps the interpretation is that if what is meant by 'purely' is that the person performs the act solely for this reason — such that if it were not for the reward or punishment, they would not have performed the act, despite believing that Allah deserves worship for His essence — then the more correct view is that their worship is valid, as supported by the texts encouraging hope and fear (…..and supplicate Us in hope and fear/al-Anbiya`, 90). At most, this would mean they intentionally neglected the right of servitude while still believing in its obligation, and such neglect does not contradict validity of worship or faith." Thus, worship is not merely external acts but is fundamentally based on inner belief and conviction.
Among the evidence that worship is not merely an external act but fundamentally an inner belief is the command of Allah to the angels to prostrate to Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Allah says {what means}:"And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' and they prostrated, except for Iblis. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers." [Al-Baqarah, 34].This prostration was not an act of worship by the angels, nor did they consider Adam a deity or lord. Rather, it was an act of greeting, honoring, and obedience to the command of Allah. On the other hand, prostration intended as an act of worship entails the belief that the one prostrated to is a deity or lord. Allah states {what means}: "And of His signs are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, who created them, if it is Him that you worship." (Fussilat, 37).
Once the meaning of worship in Islamic law is clarified, it becomes evident that not all human actions are considered acts of worship. Some are merely customary practices. For instance, when a person asks a friend for help in a difficult situation or seeks assistance in a distressing circumstance, this is not considered worship. Rather, it falls under the category of ordinary means and causes, which are customary interactions among people. Therefore, it is incorrect to label such a person as a polytheist merely because they sought help or assistance.
If we understand the meaning of worship in Islamic law, we realize that not all human actions are considered acts of worship. Some actions fall under the category of customs or conventions. For instance, when a person asks another for help in a difficult situation or for rescue in a challenging circumstance, this is not considered an act of worship but rather a normal human interaction and a means to an end. Therefore, we cannot accuse such a person of being a polytheist simply because they sought help or rescue.
Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'ah have unanimously agreed that a Muslim cannot be labeled as a disbeliever simply for committing sins or major sins. So how can one be considered a disbeliever for engaging in ambiguous matters, customary practices among people, or actions that are permissible in Islam, such as seeking intercession from prophets and righteous individuals?!
Al-Qadhdha'i, in his book "Furqan al-Quran," states on page 115: 'The intercession that the people of monotheism believe in and which is supported by the Quran and Sunnah is far removed from disbelief. It is a form of supplication by an intercessor on behalf of someone else, and Allah may accept this supplication based on His will. This is the meaning of the exception in the verse: "Except by His permission" [Al-Baqarah, 255]. Here, "permission" means His pleasure, as stated in another verse: "And they do not intercede except for one whom He is pleased with" [Al-Anbiya`, 28], and as stated in another verse: "And how many angels are there in the heavens whose intercession does not avail except after Allah gives permission for whom He wills" [An-Najim, 26].'
The extremists and takfiris may use the verse of Allah The Almighty to justify declaring Muslims disbelievers merely for their act of seeking intercession or assistance from others. The verse states: "And those who take protectors besides Him [say], 'We only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position.' Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever." [Az-Zumar, 3]. These extremists forget that the disbelievers referred to in this verse were worshiping idols and attributing to them the exclusive qualities of divinity. Their claim of belief in Allah was nothing more than a lie and deceit. Therefore, Allah concludes the verse with a testimony against them, affirming that they are liars and disbelievers.
In conclusion, worship in Islam is a specific concept that entails submission and obedience accompanied by the belief in the divinity of the one being worshipped, and the intention of drawing closer to them through that act of worship. This does not apply to ordinary interactions among people. Moreover, we do not see any Muslim holding such beliefs; rather, all Muslims worship Allah as their Lord and do not take any deity besides Him. Therefore, it is impermissible under any circumstance to hastily label Muslims as disbelievers merely due to a sin they have committed, let alone actions that are permissible according to the majority of scholars, such as seeking intercession through prophets, messengers, and righteous individuals. And Allah The Almighty knows best.
