A Guide to Best Worship Allah

1: Introduction

As Muslims, worship plays a prominent role in our life. Our purpose for being sent to this temporary abode itself is nothing but worship. Allah says,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
-Surah Dhariyaat, Ayah 56

Here, Allah immediately follows the negation with an affirmation to highlight exclusivity; that the Children of Adam and the Jinn were created for this sole purpose alone.

Suppose a person tells, "I visited the city to buy a dress from the shop."

Another person tells, "I did not visit the city except to buy a dress from the shop."

While there is a chance that the former might have visited the city for something else along with buying the dress, the latter makes it crystal clear that the only purpose he visited was to buy a dress and that there was no other work involved whatsoever.

In the same way, the above Ayah  from Surah Dhariyaat is establishing one important facet of Islam- that we have been sent to this world only and only to worship Allah.

The question that arises now is- what sort of worship must we present? What is expected of us?

Allah says,

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.
-Surah Mulk, Ayah 2

So, we are expected to come with the best deeds in worship.

Notice, not much or large. Rather best. Quality is preferred here.

But what does quality mean with regards to deeds?

Fudayl bin Iyâd, a great Imam from among the pious predecessors, comments on it and says,
"The best of action here means done with sincerity and in accordance to the way of the Prophet ﷺ"
(At Tabari)

There you have it, the two secret ingredients for your worship to not only be considered best but also get it accepted.

1. Sincerity (Ikhlaas)

2. In accordance with Sunnah (Ittibau'n nabiyy)

Our worship is something we all want to be accepted. But it's necessary to remember that there are pre-requisites that determine its acceptance or rejection. So, these two conditions mentioned above, if met, will make sure that our worship is accepted as the best deed. Our key to the door of success now lays unraveled!

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(This book is primarily based on the classes taken by Ustadh AbdulRahman Hassan. I have refined the notes by adding and deleting content according to need. Hope you all benefit from it.

Jazaak Allahu Khair)