Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And they were not commanded except to worship Allah)
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Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And they were not commanded except to worship Allah)]
Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Bayyinah: 5] Meaning: People were not commanded to do anything related to the affairs of this world, or anything that burdens them,Rather, it is something easy for them, which is: but to worship Allah Mighty and Majestic, [Al-Bayyinah: 5] So what is worship?Worship is used in two meanings: The first meaning: the act of worship,And it is said: This man performed an act of worship for Allah.
And the second meaning: The thing worshipped,It is said: Prayer is worship, and zakah is worship, and fasting is worship, and so on.
So according to the first meaning: The meaning of worship is: the slave’s humility before his Lord Mighty and Majestic, out of love and reverence, by doing His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
And according to the second meaning, worship is: The thing worshipped, its meaning is as mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) in his statement: It is a comprehensive name for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, of words and deeds. So prayer is worship, and ritual purity is worship, and zakah is worship, and fasting is worship, and Hajj is worship, and dutifulness to parents is worship, and maintaining family ties is worship, and every deed that brings one closer to Allah the Exalted is worship, but Allah the Exalted mentioned that this command is accompanied by two things: The first: sincerity to Allah the Exalted,Meaning: That a person intends with his worship the Face of Allah and the Hereafter, not intending a worldly gain to obtain, or a woman to marry, or prestige to make him famous among people, or any other worldly matters. So whoever intends other than Allah with his worship is one who associates partners with Allah, and his work is nullified,And the proof for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Hud: 15-16] And in the authentic Qudsi hadith (that Allah the Exalted said: I am the most free of partners from shirk. Whoever does a deed in which he associates with Me other than Me, I leave him and his shirk) And in the authentic Prophetic hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Deeds are only by intentions, and every person will have what he intended. So whoever’s migration is to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger. And whoever’s migration is for a worldly gain to obtain or a woman to marry, his migration is to what he migrated to) These are the proofs of the obligation of sincerity in worship.
As for the second: It is following,Meaning: Following the Shari'ah of Allah,And its proof is His saying the Exalted: [Al-Bayyinah: 5] And al-Hanif: is the one who turns away from what is other than the Shari'ah of Allah Mighty and Majestic, derived from al-hanif, which is the bending of the finger.
So it is necessary to follow the Shari'ah, and the proof for that is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (Whoever introduces into our matter something that is not part of it, it is rejected) ,And his statement: (Whoever does a deed for which there is no command from us, it is rejected) So in worship, sincerity and following are necessary.
Allah the Exalted said:
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَto worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion
لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَAnd the second meaning: The thing worshipped,It is said: Prayer is worship, and zakah is worship, and fasting is worship, and so on.
So according to the first meaning: The meaning of worship is: the slave’s humility before his Lord Mighty and Majestic, out of love and reverence, by doing His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
And according to the second meaning, worship is: The thing worshipped, its meaning is as mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) in his statement: It is a comprehensive name for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, of words and deeds. So prayer is worship, and ritual purity is worship, and zakah is worship, and fasting is worship, and Hajj is worship, and dutifulness to parents is worship, and maintaining family ties is worship, and every deed that brings one closer to Allah the Exalted is worship, but Allah the Exalted mentioned that this command is accompanied by two things: The first: sincerity to Allah the Exalted,Meaning: That a person intends with his worship the Face of Allah and the Hereafter, not intending a worldly gain to obtain, or a woman to marry, or prestige to make him famous among people, or any other worldly matters. So whoever intends other than Allah with his worship is one who associates partners with Allah, and his work is nullified,And the proof for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.
مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لا يُبْخَسُونَ * أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَAs for the second: It is following,Meaning: Following the Shari'ah of Allah,And its proof is His saying the Exalted:
Pure in faith
حُنَفَاءَSo it is necessary to follow the Shari'ah, and the proof for that is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (Whoever introduces into our matter something that is not part of it, it is rejected) ,And his statement: (Whoever does a deed for which there is no command from us, it is rejected) So in worship, sincerity and following are necessary.