Explanation

by Shaikh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan "So, if you have acknowledged that Allah has created you for His worship." meaning from this verse, "Verily, I did not create Jinn and mankind except to worship Me (Alone)." [surah ad-Dhariyaat (51): 56] You being from amongst mankind are included in this verse, and you know (from this verse) that Allah did not create you for amusement, nor for mere eating and drinking, roaming and joking. Allah created you for His worship and He subjected all the things to assist you in His worship because neither can you live, nor can you worship Allah except with these things. Allah has subjected these things to you so that you worship Him, not so that you become - 22 - immoral life and commit sins, eating and drinking whatever pleases you. Such (life) is for animals. As for humans, Allah has created them for a very great purpose and wisdom. Allah says, "Verily, I did not create Jinn and mankind except to worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me." [surah adh-Dhariyaat (51): 56] Allah did not create you so that you earn for Him, and not so that you gather wealth for Him as do the children of Adam; i.e., they hire employees to gather profits for them. Allah is not in need of this, and Allah is in no need of the creation, and therefore, He said, "I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me." [surah adh-Dhariyaat (51): 56] Allah, the Exalted, feeds (His creation) and does need to be fed, He is in no need of provision, and He is in no need of anything and is in no need of your worship. If you were to disbelieve in Him, you would not have decreased anything from the dominion of Allah. Rather, you are in need of Him and in need of the worship. It is from His mercy that He has commanded you to worship Him for your own benefit because if you worship Him, He will honor you with recompense and reward. So, worship is a cause of Allah honoring you in this world and the Hereafter. So, who is the one who benefits from the worship? The beneficiary is the worshiper himself, whereas Allah is in no need of His creation. - 23 - worship is not correct and pleasing to Allah unless it satisfies two conditions. If either of the conditions is not fulfilled, the worship is nullified. First condition: (the worship should be performed) solely for Allah's Sake without Shirk. If Shirk was to make way into the worship, then it is nullified just like purification which is nullified by impurity. Similarly, if you worship Allah, and then commit Shirk, your worship is nullified. Second condition: Following the Messenger. Any act that was not taught by the Messenger is false and rejected because it is an innovation. The Prophet r said, "Whosoever performs an act which we have not commanded, it is rejected." [sahih Muslim] and in another narration, "Whosoever introduces in this affair of ours that which is not from it, will have it rejected." [Agreed upon] So, the worship has to conform to what the Messenger came with, and not people's desires, intentions and aims. If there is no proof from the Shree'ah for the act, then it is an innovation. It does not benefit the doer. Rather it harms him because it is a sin even if one thinks that it will take him closer to Allah. So, it is necessary for the worship to conform to these two conditions; (i) Ikhlas (sincerity in worshiping Allah) and (ii) following the Messenger. - 24 - correct and beneficial to the doer, because if it includes Shirk, the worship is nullified and if it is an innovation that has no proof from the Sharee'ah, then too it is nullified. Without these two conditions, worship is of no benefit because it is against what Allah has legislated. Allah does not accept any act except what He has legislated in His Book upon the tongue of His Messenger r. So, there is no one from amongst the creation who is obliged to be followed except the Messenger. Everybody other than the Prophet is to be followed and obeyed only if he is following the Messenger. If he opposes the Messenger, then there is no obedience to him. Allah says, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; and those of you who are in authority." [surah an-Nisa (4): 59] "those who are in authority" (mentioned in this verse) are the rulers and scholars. If they follow Allah, then it is required to obey them. However, if they oppose the Command of Allah, then there is no obedience to them in that issue because there is no one who is to be followed independently (blindly) except the Messenger. Everybody is to be followed if they follow the Messenger. This is the correct worship. - 25 - Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab writes, If you recognize that when Shirk enters worship, it corrupts the worship, destroys all actions, and the doer is doomed to eternal fire, then you will (also) realize what is the most important matter for you (to learn). It is to learn this issue (i.e., tawhid and Shirk) so that Allah purifies you from this snare of Shirk. "Verily, Allah forgives not Shirk (i.e., associating partners with Him in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases." [surah an-Nisa (4): 48] Knowing Shirk comprises of knowing four principles that Allah has mentioned in His Book,