| What is the meaning of worship? It simply
means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of
meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's commandments both
in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit. Worship fall into two categories:
Visible (manifest or
outward).
Invisible (concealed or inward).
Visible worship includes acts such as
uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah
(the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising
Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.
This type of worship is associated with
movement of the parts of the human body.
Invisible worship is to believe in Allah,
in the Day of Judgement (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the
Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by
Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve
movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently
affects one's way of life.
It should be borne in mind that any worship
not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes
apostasy from the Islamic fold.
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