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The Meaning of Worship..

The Two Fundamental Principles with regards to worship in Islaam

Shaykhul-Islaam Taqiyyu-deen Ahmad bin Taymiyyah al-Harraani ( رحمه الله تعالى )

These are the two great fundamental principles:

·       Firstly: We worship Allaah alone.

·       Secondly: We do not worship Him except with that which was legislated upon us, and we do not worship Him with innovated acts of worship.

These two foundations are the implementation of “I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone (in Truth) and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” 

Allaah, the Most High said:

لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا

“That He may test you which of you is best in deed.”[1]

For your act of worship to be accepted it must meet the Sunnah in these six

The noble Sheikh Muhammad bin Saalih Al-’Uthaimeen رحمه الله said in his explanation of forty hadeeths of An-Nawawee رحمه الله: for acts of worship to be accepted-after sincerity- they must conform with the way of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم in six things:

1-The reason: it must be a one that is approved by the Sharee’hah. For example if someone prayed the night prayer on the 27 of Rajab or the 15 of Sha’baan. We say to him this act is rejected because Allah did not make these two nights a reason to pray the night prayer.

2-The kind: for example if someone sacrificed a horse on Eidul-Adhaa. We say this is rejected because the kinds of sacrificial animals have been specified and horse is not one of them.

3-The amount: for example if someone made ablution four times on one limb or added a rak’ah to a prayer.

The Best Act of Worship: Humility

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: " يَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَفْضَلِ الْعِبَادَةِ: التَّوَاضُعِ "

Aisha رضي الله عنها said:

"People are paying no attention to the best act of worship: Humility."

(Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah (13/360) Ibn Hajr graded this Athar as being Saheeh.)

Benefits for this subject:

At-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

"Allaah tests His believing servants with humility to see how they obey Him and follow His commands." 

[Saheeh Bukhari Ibn Battal]

Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa'dee (May Allaah rest him in Jannah) said,

 "Humility and Humbleness are among the foundations of the religion and its core whereas, pride contradicts Islaam.”

The origin of humility is found in the verse: (سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا) (We hear and obey) [Al-Baqarah:285]. This means we hear what you have said our Lord in the Qur’aan and what Your Messenger has said.