What is the difference between custom and worship?

The questioner : How does a person distinguish between matters that are acts of worship and those that are not?

The Shaykh : There is no general rule for this; it depends on the specific details of the matters. For example, the hadith in al-Bukhari: . If a person wears sandals that do not have straps on both, but only one strap, has he contradicted the Sunnah? It appears here that the issue of the sandal being in this form has no connection to acts of worship. Likewise, the example we gave regarding the table and food: he entered Makkah with four turbans. It did not appear that he did that as an act of worship, but rather it is a custom that is still known among the Arabs in the desert. So, if there is a text that clarifies that the matter is an act of worship, then one follows it, such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . His preference (peace and blessings be upon him) for white clothing moves it from customs into acts of worship. In summary, the reference for this is the evidence.