Worship

So what do you think is the proper relationship

between created beings and their Creator?

Isn't that what we like to call worship?

What other relationship can there be

between human beings and their Creator

and Maker and Shaper?

And what about this idea of worshipping God?

What do we mean by it

and how are we supposed to do it,

and when?

Now the Arabic word for worship is 'Ibadat,

which also means service,

being a servant,

surrendering oneself

as a slave to the Will of the Creator.

Haven't you heard muslims

calling each other by the Arabic word

for slave or servant,

'Abd?

Have you not heard it linked with one of God's Names,

as in 'Abd al-Rahman,

the slave of the All-Merciful,

or 'Abd Allah,

the servant of God?

But how can we serve God?

What can God possibly need that we could provide?

And if God doesn't need our worship,

how can our service increase God in any way?

When God wills anything God simply says

“Be”

and it is.

So although our worship may be offered as obedience to God,

an attempt to follow God's will,

the good of that worship can only be for our own benefit,

for our own souls, is that not so?

And can you think of the different ways that we can act out that service to God, that worship?

Well, there's the obvious occasions when we take time out

from the things that we do most of the time,

and perform those special actions that recognise our relationship with our Creator.

And are we not slaves to our Creator's will

when we perform such actions as the 'Ibadat of

the prayers of Sala

and the fasting of Ramadhan?

and the making of Hajj?

Aren't these the actions and occasions

that muslims usually mean

when they talk about 'Ibadat?

But praying Sala doesn't take up much of the day,

what about the rest of the time?

Is that just play?

Well, why not?

Don't we learn by play?

We practice our life skills

and get to see the world in new ways,

and if we learn in that way mustn't it be good?

And if practising our skills means trying to be faster or stronger,

and trying to do better than before,

to achieve a best performance

or to break through a barrier,

can't this kind of play be seen as a service to God?.

And if so

doesn't this mean that service to God

could actually turn out to be

not just good for us but fun?

It is fun to try to do better,

but doing better requires work,

and work is not so easy,

but work is the bit that play has to do to be able to play better.

But work just takes effort

and doing the same thing over and over,

so it's not so different from playing.

In fact, doesn't working like you play,

always trying to do the best you can,

take away the boredom of repetitive tasks?

Doesn't working the way you play make working easier

because you feel better about it?

Doing the best you can,

not for a boss,

but because that way of working

is the way to serve God?

The work may be slavery,

but if it is done in the service of God doesn't that make it part of the Deen?

And if that work is in the Deen does it not follow the same way of life

that is lived when learning by play?

The Deen,

One Way,

work and play

And then of course there's all the other stuff

that's not quite work and not quite play,

like hanging out, relaxing

and socialising with friends

Resting Recharging Rebuilding

All the stuff that we do in our lives, which we do in a certain way following the Deen,

a way that makes all our acts service and not selfish.

Our way of life is how we serve our Creator,

in every moment of every day

What way of life should we follow if we are to live remembering our Creator?

Service, Slavehood, 'Ibadat, Worship.

Could anything else be more appropriate?