Worship is a reality, not just an outward form. What is true worship? It is an attachment to one object above all else. It presupposes such overwhelming preoccupation with that one object that everything else is reduced to insignificance. Claims to spiritual allegiance are of no value if one’s chosen object of worship is other than spiritual.
When one considers a person worthy of being bowed down to, one is actually worshipping that person. When one attaches so much importance to some worldly gain that one tends to overlook all other considerations in order to achieve it, one is actually worshipping that gain. When one associates all one’s hopes and ambitions with wealth, one is worshipping wealth.
In like manner, one is worshipping custom when one places it above all other demands. One is worshipping one’s own self when, overwhelmed by selfishness and antipathy, one blindly seeks revenge. One is worshipping the standard of living when one is so obsessed with the idea of improving it that one devotes one’s entire time and earnings to that end. One is worshipping fame if one is so greedy for rank and prestige that one will do anything to raise one’s status in life. One should never forget that man is being tried in this world to determine whether he is willing to devote himself entirely to God to the exclusion of all else, and to give proof of whether he dedicates himself to God, revering Him, depending upon him and serving Him as he should.
When a Muslim wakens early in the morning, he thanks God for putting him to sleep and awakening him. After his ablutions, he leaves for the mosque in order to join his brethren in attesting to God’s divinity and his own willingness to serve Him. He then ascertains what his Lord expects of him by reading an excerpt from the Qur’an. Then he starts the day’s work. There are three prayer times during the day: afternoon, late afternoon and evening. By leaving his work and standing his Lord at these times, he shows that he gives precedence to God above all else in life.
While satisfying his hunger and thirst, every fibre of his being gives thanks to God. “Lord,” he exclaims, “I am wonder-struck at the water you have created for me to quench my thirst with, and the food you have provided for the satisfaction of my hunger!” When success comes his way, he considers it be a gift from God and offers thanks for it. He considers failure to be the result of his own errors, so he seeks to make amends. When dealing with others, he is conscious of God’s presence, which makes him aware of the fact that one day he will be held to account for his actions. When night falls, and he is free of all commitments, he once again washes and, after offering the night prayer, goes to bed. As he drops off to sleep, this prayer is on his lips: “Lord, my life and death are in Your hands. Forgive me and have mercy on me.” It is evident then that a Muslim does not organize his life-pattern independently. When he arranges his life, it is with God clearly before him.
Wahiduddin Khan, Introducing Islam.
Usman Shahid's Page 