I am happy to be a member of this group and I consider you my friends. As a
friend , I like to share with you some thoughts that I believe will be useful
for your life.

The Way

In Islam, the term ‘ibadah (service, worship) does not merely signify the
ritualistic activities such as Salah (ritual Prayer), fasting, Zakah (obligatory
alms) or Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah). It includes all the activities of a
believer that are in accordance with the laws of Allah (God). When a Muslim
performs all the activities of his life for the pleasure of Allah, then all his
deeds become ‘ibadah or worship. Naturally this includes his ritualistic
worship, such as prayer, as well.

Islam requires a person to submit himself whole-heartedly and fully to Allah.
Thus, surrendering all the areas of one’s activity to Allah, leaving nothing to
the whims and fancies of anyone else, is in fact the true meaning of Islam.

The Qur’an shows that there are only two ways laid out before Man: one is the
way of Allah and the other is the way of the Devil. A person cannot stand with
one foot in Allah’s way and the other in the Devil’s way.

A Muslim is one who has willfully submitted his whole self to Allah, and his
duty then is just to obey Him. A Muslim cannot split his life into compartments
and say, “This is the area of my religion where I will obey Allah and these are
the areas where I will follow others.” For service and worship are one in Islam.
By following or obeying others than Allah, one is, in effect, worshiping them,
which is a contradiction of the first item of Muslim belief: there is none
worthy of worship but Allah.

Once a person accepts Allah as his Creator, Sustainer and Lawgiver, he cannot
follow other gods. Islam is a complete way of life that asks its followers to
model their entire lives in accordance with its principles. This may sound
somewhat difficult for many; but in fact it need not be because what we mean
here is chiefly a change of attitude and approach. Of course, it will have its
impact on one’s life, both internal and external; but for those who wish to lead
a good life on earth, Islam is the way.

What is important here is to understand that Islam does not value rituals merely
for the sake of ceremony, especially when they are performed mechanically and
have no influence on one’s life. If our rituals do not have any influence on our
day-to-day life, they have no value. Likewise, when we do our daily activities
with sincerity and faith, in the hopes of Allah’s reward, they become important
acts of worship.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once told his Companions that they
would even be rewarded for having sexual intercourse with their wives. The
Companions were astonished and asked, “How are we going to be rewarded for doing
something we enjoy very much?” The Prophet asked them, “Suppose you satisfy your
desire illegally, don’t you think that you will be punished for that?” They
replied, “Yes.” “So,” he said, “by satisfying it legally with your wives you are
rewarded for it.”

This comprehensive approach to worship enables a person to purify and
spiritualize the entire spectrum of his life. But this is not to belittle the
importance of ritualistic worship. Actually, rituals, if performed in their true
spirit, elevate man morally and spiritually and enable him to carry on his
activities in all walks of life according to the guidance of Allah.

Thus, worship in Islam, whether ritual or non-ritual, trains the individual to
lead a life in perfect obedience and submission to his Creator, thereby wiping
out all evil from his life and paving the way for making the Word of Allah
dominant in the world.

For more information about Islam

http://www.freewebtown.com/albaraa/1.html
http://www.freewebtown.com/nahar/1.html


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