Fruit of Paradise - Hidden Treasures in `Ibadat

Hidden Treasures in `Ibadat

Tags: `Ibadat, Obedience, Worship

The total number of different forms in which the word “`Ibadat” is used in the Wise Qur'an is two hundred and seventy five. `Ibadat is mentioned both directly and indirectly in all those verses in which these words have occurred, without including words like salat, sajdah, dhikr, tasbih, du`a, etc., in which also the `ibadat of Allah is mentioned. Just as the `ibadat of Allah is important so it is also wide and deep, for the very purpose of the creation of man and jinn is for `ibadat as God says:

“I did not create jinn and mankind but to worship Me.” (51:56). `Ibadat however, has certain evolutionary stages. Initially it is of the ordinary kind, but gradually reaches its height and stage of perfection when it becomes free from every kind of doubt and polytheism and is illumined with the light of the recognition of God. The Holy Prophet and the Imams of guidance have always provided practical teachings of such successful `ibadat. Such `ibadat is called Prophetic `ibadat or `ibadat in the light of recognition (ma`rifat) and in the truest sense this is what is meant by following the excellent example of the Prophet (33:21).
Whenever `ibadat is mentioned in the Wise Qur'an, there is always also an allusion to the recognition of the oneness of God (tawhid). As can be seen in the above mentioned verse that there is the allusion that no individual from jinn or from mankind can be the Worshipped One (ma`bud) for he has been created and is not the Creator. As he has been created for `ibadat he has to be `abd or `ābid (worshipper) and not ma`bud (Worshipped). And he will attain the recognition of God when he has observed his own spiritual creation. This is the reason why in this verse spiritual creation is mentioned before true `ibadat, for in the creative act of God (“I created”) all stages of both physical and spiritual creation are mentioned.
The recognition of God and true `ibadat is a very difficult yet a necessary task, the importance of which is neither understood nor can be accomplished without being taught. Therefore, in order to teach them, God sent the Prophets for as He says: “And verily We raised in every ummat (community) a messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allah and eschew the worship of the taghut.” (16:36). Taghut means wayward, Satan or idol. Thus the meaning of this verse is that you should worship Him in the light of His recognition and the knowledge of His oneness so that you may be saved from the worship of idols or the wayward Satan.
If people do not act in `ibadat according to what God has said they will be asked “Did I not make a covenant with you, O children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan - verily he is an open enemy to you, and that you should worship Me? This is the right path.” (36:60-61). It is certain that there is no one who would worship Satan having recognised him. But the fact is that people deviate from the right path and follow Satan due to their ignorance. However, it is this form of following Satan which is called the worship of Satan.
There is no doubt that every form of obedience to God is in fact worship of God including obedience to the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr, for as God says: “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the ulu'l-amr (those vested with command) from among you.” (4:59). If we look at this Divine teaching it is clear that obedience to the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr (the Imam of the time) is the worship of God in two ways. Firstly, God has commanded us to obey them, so acting upon this command is to worship Him. Secondly, obedience to the ulu'l-amr is obedience to the Prophet and obedience to the Prophet is obedience to God and obedience to God is to worship Him.
Regarding setting the face of one's soul straight towards God during worship of Him and calling Him making religion free from polytheism, it is commanded: “And set your faces straight during every worship (masjid) and call upon Him, making religion pure for Him.” (7:29).
The earth of Allah which is infinitely vast is the earth of spirituality. (4:97; 29:56; 39:10). It is said in verse (29:56): “O My servants who believe, verily My earth (of spirituality) is vast, so worship Me only (so that you will be granted vicegerency in it)”, as promised in verse (24:55): “Allah has promised to appoint those of you who believe and do good deeds, vicegerents in the (spiritual) earth, just as He had appointed those before you.” These two verses are about those mu'mins, who because they have recognised God and believe in His oneness, become worthy of His favours.
One very important Qur'anic subject which deals with the recognition of God, belief in His oneness and His pure and sincere worship without association with anything else is “ikhlas” and this means to purify the concept of oneness of God from polytheism of all kinds. One of the wisdom-filled words that is related to this subject is “mukhlasin” which is mentioned eight times in the Qur'an, the wider meaning of which is those servants of God who have been selected due to their having recognised Him and by their pure worship of Him, for it is said: “He (Satan) said: Then by Your honour, I will certainly beguile them, every one, save those of Your servants whom You have selected.” (38:82-83). Foremost of the selected and chosen servants of God are the Prophets and Imams, then come those mu'mins who, protected under the aegis of Imamat, walk on the right path in the illumination of their light of guidance. It is because of this that Satan cannot mislead them.
It is said in verses (37:40-44): “Save the selected servants of Allah (people of salvation); for them there is known sustenance, fruits, and they shall be honoured in the gardens of bliss on thrones, facing one another.” In this luminous teaching also, the magnificent results of “ikhlas” are mentioned, for those who recognise God and believe in His oneness will receive the lasting and eternal bounties of Paradise. In this connection “known substance” is very important. Because if we consider this substance to be physical, it leads to a strange conclusion, for it means that the bounties of Paradise will be granted to those who live in this world in comfort, for it is they who know material and external bounties. But this is not correct, for true bounties are those for the intellect and the soul. It is this bounty which is known by the people of reality, even though it is only given partially in this world and will be given completely in the Hereafter.

The known substance is the taste of worship, it is the fruit of the love for Mawla and luminous knowledge. A question that arises from this is, do the people of Paradise worship in Paradise? The answer is yes, but that worship is with greater ease, luminosity, great pleasure and with the unveiling of secrets, for as Almighty Allah says: “They (will succeed to the office of vicegerency in the earth of spirituality and) will worship Me purely and not associate anyone with Me.” (24:55). Here by association (shirk) is meant hidden shirk, that is to let a thought of other than God enter the heart during worship. An example is mentioned in verse (29:65) where some mu'mins who, when they are on a ship in a storm, call upon Allah sincerely and without association with anything else, yet when He brings them back safely to land, start to associate other things with Him. Thus, this form of shirk which is in the form of false thoughts, can be committed even by many mu'mins and by which worship is damaged. This form of shirk will not occur in the hearts of the people of Paradise. Thus in Paradise they will be able to worship Him without any kind of shirk.
Worship in Paradise is indeed miraculous, and an example of it in this world is the worship practised by the Prophets and Imams, for as it says in the Holy Qur'an: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for him who has hope in Allah and the Last Day (i.e. the Imam), and remembers Allah abundantly.” (33:21). The clear meaning of this Divine teaching is that those who obey God, the Prophet and the Imam of the time and are in constant remembrance, it is certain that the excellent example of the Holy Prophet becomes clear to them. Had this not been so, God would not have invited them to follow the excellent example of the Prophet.
There is no doubt that there are hidden treasures in worship free from open and hidden shirk, and the rubies and pearls that it contains are in the form of soul, intellect, knowledge and recognition. It should be remembered here that the hidden treasures are Almighty God, the Holy Prophet and the True Imam.
The various levels or stages of recognition and worship are linked to each other. Recognition is also called certainty (yaqin). Thus, with respect to certainty, worship has three stages: worship at the stage of the knowledge of certainty, worship at the stage of the eye of certainty, and worship at the stage of the truth of certainty, which is the final stage, for it is said: “Continue to worship until (the stage of the truth of) certainty comes.” (15:99). This is the ultimate stage of obligatory worship, but where it is in the form of the fruit of Paradise, there it always gives light and happiness.

Khanah-i Hikmat/Idarah-i `Arif,
Humble Nasir,
28th December 1984.

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