Definition of Worship

Allah the Exalted said: So what is the worship that we were commanded to perform? The worship we were commanded to perform is humbling oneself before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with complete humility, which necessitates love and magnification. It is necessary; otherwise, a person is not a servant. One must humble oneself before Allah with complete humility that necessitates love and magnification. Through love, one performs the commands until the worshipper reaches his Beloved. Through magnification, one flees from the prohibitions so that his great Lord (Mighty and Majestic) does not punish him. This is the meaning of worship: humbling oneself before Allah with complete humility that necessitates love and magnification. Now, this is the definition of worship with regard to the servant’s action. Worship may also be defined with regard to the object of the servant’s action, meaning what the servant does. For example, it is said: prayer is worship, zakah is worship, fasting is worship. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) defined it in this way, saying (may Allah have mercy on him): “Worship is a comprehensive term for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, of words and deeds, both hidden and apparent” Then he gave examples such as prayer, zakah, and others. At that point, we say: worship is used in two meanings. The first meaning is the act of worshipping (ta’abbud), and the second meaning is that by which one worships (al-muta’abbad bihi), which is the object of the servant’s action, meaning what the servant did. Is that clear, everyone? Good. What is meant by the verse: both meanings or the first meaning? It appears to be both, and they are concomitant.