The Necessity of Accompanying Effects and Requirements in Worship

Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing (Al-Ankabut: 45)
– Surely, prayer prevents immorality and wrongdoing.

This verse indicates the expectation of inner transformation through prayer. However, the ineffectiveness of prayer in many cases demonstrates a deficiency in its form or content.

The Necessity of Accompanying Effects and Requirements in Worship

Formal worship, like a lifeless body, lacks real value. Worship must be accompanied by essentials such as sincerity and results such as drawing closer to God to be effective. Without these requirements, worship is like a shell without a spiritual core and cannot guide the servant towards perfection.

Challenges in worship within Islamic society, akin to thorns on the path of the garden of knowledge, prevent prayer from being impactful. Formal and substantive problems, such as the absence of correct understanding and sincerity, render prayer a ritualistic act. Addressing these challenges, like watering a withered tree, requires a reassessment of both the education and practice of worship.

Polytheism and Its Relation to the Human Self, Not Divine Essence

Key point: Polytheism is not attributed to God’s essence but returns to the human self. Qur’anic verses, such as “Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him”, indicate that polytheism manifests in human existence.

Polytheism arises like a shadow from incomplete human perception and is never attributed to the divine essence. God’s essence, like the sun without setting, is free from any form of association. A Qur’anic verse confirms this reality:

Exalted is He and far above what they associate with Him (Yunus: 18)
– He is free and superior to whatever they attribute as partners to Him.

This verse illustrates that polytheism manifests in the human self as a result of imperfect understanding.

The Adorned Self and Polytheism

The adorned self, which perceives the world as beautified, constitutes an obstacle to sincere faith and worship. A verse explains this:

The life of this world has been adorned for those who disbelieve (Al-Baqarah: 212)
– The worldly life has been embellished for those who disbelieve.

This attachment to the world acts as a chain preventing the servant from soaring toward knowledge. Polytheism, like dust on a mirror, prevents the reflection of the light of monotheism. This deficiency is attributed to the human self, not God, and Qur’anic emphasis on God’s transcendence calls the servant to self-awareness and rectification of the self.

Levels and Diversity of Faith in the Qur’an

Key point: Faith in the Qur’an ranges from superficial faith to firm belief, requiring continuous deepening and vigilance.

Faith, like a ladder, elevates the servant from the ground to the heights of knowledge. The Qur’an speaks of various levels of faith, from naive to steadfast. For instance:

They said, “O our father, why do you not trust Joseph?” (Yusuf: 11)
– This verse illustrates the measure of incomplete faith, which requires correction.

Faith and the Necessity of Righteous Deeds

Faith without righteous action is like a bird without wings, incapable of flying. A verse explains:

Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous deeds (Al-Baqarah: 62)
– Whoever believes in God and the Last Day and performs righteous actions.

This verse demonstrates the inseparable connection between faith and righteous deeds.

Superficial Faith and Its Critique

Superficial faith, devoid of inner transformation, is like a shell without a core. A verse clarifies this point:

You do not say what you do not do (As-Saff: 2)
– Why do you say what you do not practise?

This verse emphasises the necessity of alignment between speech and action in faith.

Faith and Repentance

Repentance acts like a key that unlocks deficiencies in faith. A verse states:

O you who have believed, turn to Allah with sincere repentance (At-Tahrim: 8)
– O those who have believed, perform sincere repentance towards God.

Repentance is a tool for correcting faith and returning to the right path.

Gradual and Dynamic Nature of Faith

Faith is like water that gradually penetrates the heart of the servant. A verse illustrates this dynamism:

Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, saying, “Believe in your Lord,” and we have believed (Al-Imran: 193)

This gradual process turns faith into a dynamic experience that requires continuous vigilance. Faith, like light, manifests in varying degrees from superficiality to perfection, and Qur’anic verses emphasising righteous deeds, repentance, and the dynamism of faith invite the servant to deepen their relationship with God. These levels are like steps on a ladder leading the servant towards the pinnacle of monotheism.

Worship and the Necessity of Inner Transformation

Key point: Prayer must effect change within the servant, akin to muscular growth in exercise. If a prayer has no impact, it indicates deficiencies in form or content.

Prayer, like exercise, should strengthen both the body and soul of the servant towards perfection. If a prayer induces no transformation, it resembles an athlete training without results. This ineffectiveness indicates a flaw in form (e.g., incorrect performance) or content (e.g., lack of sincerity). The Qur’an emphasises the impact of prayer:

Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing (Al-Ankabut: 45)

Post-Prayer Reflections and Their Role

Post-prayer reflections, like a mirror, reflect the quality of worship. These reflections are not merely reciting supplications but involve evaluating spiritual effects and inner transformation. This practice acts as feedback, helping the servant identify deficiencies in worship.

Practising Worship Under Special Conditions

Even in conditions where full prayer is not possible, such as menstruation, practising components of prayer, like remembrance and prostration, is recommended to maintain the connection to worship. This practice is akin to warming up before exercise and helps consolidate worship habits.

Prayer is like a seed sown in the heart of the servant, which requires care and practice to grow into a strong tree. Continuous reflection and practice are tools that help this seed bear fruit. Without inner transformation, worship becomes a shell without a core, unable to bring the servant closer to God.

The Role of Mentorship and Instruction in Worship

Key point: Worship, like exercise, requires a mentor. Historically, saints acted as mentors, but in the era of occultation, the absence of supervision has led to ineffectiveness in worship.

Worship, like professional sport, needs guidance and supervision. In the past, saints instructed and assessed worship, guiding servants towards perfection. However, in the era of occultation, the lack of supervision, akin to a sports field without a coach, has caused acts of worship, particularly prayer, to lose efficacy.

Teaching Worship from Childhood

Worship, like a skill, should be learned from childhood. Practising worship at an early age, like planting seeds in fertile soil, prepares the servant for worship in adulthood. This is comparable to learning a language in childhood, making worship a natural part of the servant’s being.

Assessing Prayer and Evaluating Its Effects

Just as an athlete examines their body, a believer should assess the effects of prayer. This assessment acts like a check-up, evaluating the spiritual health of the servant and guiding them to correct deficiencies. For example, has prostration softened the heart, or has bowing created a spiritual resonance in the soul?

Worship is like a journey that requires guidance and practice. The role of a mentor, early education, and continuous assessment serve as lights illuminating this path. Without these tools, worship becomes a mere formality, unable to guide the servant to the ultimate divine union.

Practical Solutions for Correcting Worship

Key point: To resolve issues in worship, the principles, conditions, and content must be corrected. This includes continuous practice, evaluating effects, and attention to details.

Correcting worship is like repairing a building whose pillars have weakened. This correction requires reassessment of principles (e.g., intention), conditions (e.g., performance circumstances), and content (e.g., sincerity). Continuous practice, like watering the soil of worship, and evaluating effects, like a mirror, reveal deficiencies.

Consequences of Ineffective Worship

Ineffective worship is like a plant that withers without water. Such ineffectiveness may lead to hardness of heart, indifference, or even moral corruption. In Islamic society, this issue has caused disillusionment among youth, as if the sky of religion has lost its radiance for them.