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1. A Muslim's three responsibilities
| Responsibility | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Ibadah | Worshipping and obeying Allah |
| 2. Imarah | Developing the earth |
| 3. Khilafah | Managing the earth as Allah's representative (steward) on it |
Of these, ibadah comes first and is the most important.
2. What is ibadah?
- The word ibadah (عبادة) comes from the verb 'abada (عَبَدَ).
- It means: he worshipped, he obeyed, he submitted.
- So ibadah = worshipping, serving and obeying.
Islamic definition: Ibadah is obeying Allah by doing what He has commanded and keeping away from what He has forbidden.
Another explanation: Ibadah = complete obedience together with the greatest love for Allah.
The purpose of creation
(51:56) – meaning: "I did not create the jinn and human beings except to worship Me."
So ibadah covers the whole of life. It is not only fixed acts of worship such as prayer; every good deed done in daily life is also ibadah. For this, every action must be done according to the Shari'ah.
3. The aims of ibadah
Acts of worship have the high aim of gaining salvation in both worlds:
- To train the heart and develop God-consciousness (taqwa)
- To increase closeness to Allah
- To train us to keep away from sins
- To develop good qualities such as sacrifice, patience and caring for others
- To gain Allah's pleasure and so enter Paradise
4. Types of ibadah
Type 1: Basic, fixed acts of worship
- Prayer, Zakat, fasting, Hajj and so on.
- Two conditions for them to be accepted:
- They must be based on the Quran and the Sunnah
- They must be done with a sincere intention
These can be divided further into four:
| Connected with | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. The body and action | Prayer, fasting, Hajj |
| 2. The heart | Ikhlas (sincerity), patience |
| 3. Wealth | Zakat, sadaqah (charity), udhiyah (sacrifice of an animal) |
| 4. Speech | Dhikr, tilawah (recitation) of the Quran |
Some acts of worship are connected with more than one of these. Example: Hajj – body + wealth + heart.
Type 2: Acts of worship connected with daily life
- Daily actions such as eating, sleeping and working become ibadah if the conditions laid down by Islam are kept.
- Example: if a person eats halal food in order to strengthen his body for Allah's sake, even eating becomes ibadah.
5. Five conditions for a daily action to become ibadah
| Condition | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a) Permitted by the Shari'ah | The action must be allowed by the Shari'ah | Work is ibadah; but selling alcohol, interest (riba) and gambling can never be ibadah |
| b) Sincere intention (ikhlas) | It must be done for Allah and for His pleasure | Work done with the intention of earning a living, seeking halal income and spending in Allah's way is ibadah |
| c) Not crossing the limits of the Shari'ah | Even in a permitted action, the limits must be kept | Trade is ibadah; but interest, adulteration and hoarding must be avoided |
| d) Not getting in the way of basic acts of worship | It must not disturb acts of worship that have fixed times | A game that prevents the five daily prayers is not ibadah |
| e) Done properly and in an orderly way | Islam is a balanced religion that values order and good work | Not keeping the rules of a game, or not obeying its leaders – this is not ibadah |
6. Acts of worship according to their importance
6.1 Fard (فرض) – obligatory acts of worship
| Type | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Fard 'ayn (فرض عين) – individual obligation | Every Muslim must do it; whoever does not is sinful | The five daily prayers, fasting in Ramadan, supporting one's family |
| Fard kifayah (فرض كفاية) – communal obligation | If some people in the community do it, the duty is lifted from the others; if not enough people do it, everyone is sinful | Funeral (janazah) duties; producing experts such as religious scholars, scientists, female obstetricians and engineers |
6.2 Sunnah (سنة) – recommended acts
- Acts of worship that are not part of the fard and are done in addition to the fard.
- Benefits:
- They bring more reward and closeness to Allah.
- They can make up for shortcomings in the obligatory acts of worship.
- Examples: sunnah prayers, dhikr, saying salam, visiting the sick.
Quick revision
- A Muslim's responsibilities: ibadah, imarah, khilafah – ibadah is the most important.
- Ibadah ← 'abada = he worshipped, obeyed, submitted.
- Ibadah = complete obedience with the greatest love for Allah; the purpose of creation (51:56).
- For basic acts of worship to be accepted: based on the Quran and Sunnah + a sincere intention.
- Four connections: body, heart, wealth, speech.
- Five conditions for a daily action to become ibadah: permission, ikhlas, not crossing limits, not hindering worship, order.
- Fard 'ayn (individual duty), fard kifayah (communal duty), sunnah (additional).