The Islamic Mode of Worship — Page 3
3 that are ordained by God, aim to free the self from evil and mischief, and endow people with the strength to forgo their gratuitous desires. Worship ought to help individuals better their relationship with Allah the Exalted, as well as solidifying their bond with His creation. Accordingly, religion as defined by Islam, is that which strengthens the human relationship with the divine and enhances the kinship of people. A system of belief which fails to satisfy any of these essentials, cannot be considered a religion, because it does not fulfil the requirements of faith. Thus the real purpose of all prescribed religious practice is to bring people nearer to God Almighty and to give them the strength to eschew sin. Any act of worship which provides the means for the fulfilment of these two needs is beneficial, and to occupy oneself in that which fails in these objectives is to idle away one’s time. The Holy Qur’an has explained this in the following terms: 4 ِ وَالْمُنْکَر 羡 ِ ء الْفَحْش�َآ 羡 َِ ع 羡 تَنْٰی 羡 َ الصَّلٰوة 羡 َّ اِن 羡 Nam a z is a safeguard against indecency and evil. In other words, it fulfils the purpose of worship. 4 Al-‘Ankabut , 29:46 [Publishers]