THE CONCEPT OF IBADAH FROM QURAN

 1️⃣ WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORD “IBADAH ”❓*

*Our creator has explained the purpose of our creation in these words,*

*51:56. And I DID NOT CREATE THE JINN and INS EXCEPT for SERVING ME.*

*The WORD IBADAH is MOSTLY TRANSLATED as WORSHIP. ACCORDING to the MAJORITY of MUSLIMS, the CONCEPT of IBADAH is LIMITED to FEW RITUAL ACTS of WORSHIPS. IF“IBADAH ” is LIMITED to FEW RITUALS, that REQUIRES a RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD of TIME COMPARED with the WHOLE LIFE of human BEING. Then, WHAT ABOUT the REST of HUMAN LIFE TIME❓!!*

*Prophet Noah (7:59), Hud (7:65), ), Salih (7:73), Shu’ayb (7:85) and the other prophets also gave the message of Ibadah to their people.*

*21:25 And WE DID NOT SEND ANY MESSENGER BEFORE YOU EXCEPT that WE INSPIRED him that: “There is NO ALLAH EXCEPT ME, SO SERVE ME.” (FA ABADOON)*

*21:92 THIS is YOUR NATION, ONE NATION, and I AM YOUR RABB SO SERVE ME. (FA ABADDON)*

*19:93: There is NONE in the HEAVENS and the EARTH but COMES to AR-REHMAN as a SERVANT/’ABD.*

*From the ABOVE VERSES WE CAN IMAGINE the IMPORTANCE of IBADAH.*

*IBADAH is the PURPOSE for WHICH ALLAH HAS CREATED US. However this WORD is MOSTLY MISTRANSLATED AS WORSHIP. Therefore the PURPOSE of this article is to UNDERSTAND the MEANING of IBADAH.*

2️⃣. *WHAT IS MEANT BY IBADAH❓*

*The WORD ‘IBADAH is an ARABIC WORD. It is DERIVED from the ROOT WORD ‘ABD, which MEANS a SERVANT/ SLAVE/OBEDIENT.*

*BANI ISRAEL AND THE CONCEPT of IBADAH* 

*23:45-47: Then WE SENT MUSA and HIS BROTHER HAROON, with OUR SIGNS and MANIFEST AUTHORITY, TOWARDS FIRAUN and HIS CHIEFS, so THEY BEHAVED ARROGANTLY, and they were HAUGHTY PEOPLE. So they said “SHOULD WE BELIEVE TWO MERE HUMANS LIKE OURSELVES, while their PEOPLE are SERVANTS to US?*

*In the above verses Firaun and his CHIEFS CALL BANI ISRAEEL THEIR SERVANTS/AABIDOON (plural of ABD; the ONE WHO GIVES IBADAH).*

*During the debate between Musa and Phroah, Musa said*

*26:22 “And is it a FAVOUR that YOU TAUNT ME WITH, so you COULD CONTINUE to ENSLAVE (abadat) the CHILDREN of ISRAEL?”*

*DID the BANI ISRAEL consider PHAROAH as their ILAH or WORSHIPPED HIM?*

*PEOPLE of BANI ISRAEL were NOT WORSHIPING PHAROAH, even then the WORD IBADAH is USED in the above VERSE . They NEVER CONSIDERED FIRAUN as their ILAH or RABB. They ONLY REGARDED ALLAH as their RABB and ILAH*

*10:85: So they(children of Isra’eel) said, ‘in ALLAH WE PUT OUR TRUST; OUR RABB, DO NOT MAKE us a TEMPTATION for the OPPRESSING PEOPLE*

 *10:90: … he(FIRAUN) said, ‘I BELIEVE that there is NO ILAH but HE in WHOM the CHILDREN of ISRAEL BELIEVE, and I AM of MUSLIMEEN.*

 *So even though Bani Israel considered only Allah as their rabb and ilah, they were made to give their ibadah to Firaun i.e. Firaun was their ma’bood.*

*From the ABOVE TWO VERSES it is EVIDENT that the WORD IBADAH MEANS OBEDIENCE, SERVICE, SUBSERVIENCE, AND NOT WORSHIP or PAYING HOMAGE TO ANY DEITY*

*SHAITAN AND THE CONCEPT OF IBADAH* 

Allah says in Quran verse

*36:60 “Did I not pledge to you, O Children of Adam, that you should not serve the Shaitan for he is your most ardent enemy?”*

*Here IBADAH CANNOT MEANS, RITUAL MODE of WORSHIP. Since NO ONE DOES the IBADAH of SHAITAN THE WAY we UNDERSTAND the TERM IBADAH.*

*3️⃣. WHAT is IBADAH OF SHAITAN*❓

*In order to UNDERSTAND IBADAH of SHAITAN, we should know HOW SHAITAN MISLEADS PEOPLE FROM STRAIGHT PATH.*

*15:39: He (SHAITAN) said: My RABB! BECAUSE You HAVE SENT ME ASTRAY, I will certainly ADORN the PATH of ERROR for them in the EARTH, and SHALL MISLEAD them COLLECTIVELY.*

*15:40: Except for those among Your IBADAH/SERVANTS who are MUKHLISEEN/EXCLUSIVE(to YOU).*

*15:41: He(ALLAH) said: This(MUKHLIS/EXCLUSIVE IBADAH ) is the SIRAAT-E-MUSTAQEEM/STRAIGHT PATH UPON ME.*

*The ABOVE VERSE REFERS to ‘MUKHLIS/EXCLUSIVE IBADAH ’ as the SIRAAT-E-MUSTAQEEM/STRAIGHT PATH (LEADING TOWARDS ALLAH)*

*4. WHAT IS STRAIGHT PATH (SIRAT e MUSTAQEEM)❓*

*In Quran, verse 6:150 to 6:152, ALLAH HAS EXPLAINED the STRAIGHT PATH, that includes the following*

*1. Do not set up anything with Him.*

*2. Do good to your parents.*

*3. Do not fight with your children for fear of poverty nor deprive them of proper training and education.*

*4. Do not come near lewdness whether openly or in secret.*

*5. Do not slay a life – life that God has made sacred – except in the course of justice.*

*6. Do not approach the wealth of the orphan except to improve it until they come of age with full maturity of body and mind.*

*7.Give full weight and full measure in all your dealings. Uphold justice in all aspects of your life.*

*8. And when you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative.*

*9. Fulfil your Covenant with Allah, the unwavering allegiance to the Divine System (1:4-5, 9:111)*

*After giving the above NINE COMMANDMENTS, Allah says in verse 6:153, “this is my STRAIGHT PATH. Follow it, then, and follow not OTHER WAYS that TAKE YOU AWAY from HIS PATH ”*

*Therefore all aspects of our lives which are devoid of ALLAH ’s IBADAH, (SIRT e MUSTAQEEM mentioned in verse 6:150 to 6:153) are FILLED by the IBADAH of SHAITAAN.*