THE PURPOSE OF MAN’S CREATION
Know that Allah (Exalted is He) created man for His worship.
Thus, Allah (Exalted is He) states in the Noble Qur’an:
“I have not created jinn and humankind but to worship Me.”(Qur’an 51:56)
Meaning,
I created jinn and man only for one purpose, which is My worship. The
original purpose of man’s life and the original purpose of his coming
into this world and residing in the world is that he worships Allah
(Magnificent is His Glory).
Are not Angels Sufficient for Worship?
If
this question arises in one’s mind, that Allah (Exalted is He) had
already created Angels previously for this purpose, so what need is
there now to create another creation, meaning mankind? The answer to
this is that although Angels were created for the purpose of worship,
they were created in such a fashion that by their nature they were
compelled to worship, because only the substance of worship was placed
in their innate natures. Besides worship, the substance of sin,
disobedience and rebellion were not placed in them.
However,
humankind were created in such a fashion that the substance of
disobedience was also placed within them, the substance of sin was also
placed within them, and thereafter, they were given the command to
worship. This is why it is easy for Angels to worship. But within people
there are desires, emotions, temptations, and needs, and incitements to
sin, and after this they were given the command to save themselves from
those inclinations to sin and to control those urges and suppress those
desires and worship Allah (Exalted is He).
Two Types of Worship (‘ibadah)
Here,
another matter ought to be understood, because of not understanding
which, people are often led astray. That is, from one perspective it can
be said that every act of a believer is worship. Meaning, if the
intention of the believer is correct, and his methods are correct, and
he passes his life in accordance with the Sunnah, then his eating will
also be worship, his sleep will also be worship, his to-ing and fro-ing
will also be worship, his work will also be worship, his playfulness
with his wife and children will also be worship. Now, the question
arises that in the same way that all these acts are worship for a
believer, Salah is equally worship, so what then is the distinction
between these two types of worship? The difference between these two
[types of worship] should be understood well, and because of not
understanding this difference, some people have been led astray.
The First Type: Intrinsic Worship
The
difference between these two types of worship is that one category of
actions are those that are intrinsically worship, and have no other
purpose besides servitude to Allah (Exalted is He), and those actions
were only instituted for servitude to Allah (Exalted is He), like Salah.
The purpose of Salah is only servitude to Allah (Exalted is He), that
the slave by means of it worships Allah (Exalted is He) and bows his
head before Allah (Exalted is He). This Salah has no other purpose or
objective. This is why Salah is original and intrinsic worship. The same
is the case with fasting, zakat, dhikr, recitation [of the Qur’an],
supplication (du‘a), Hajj, and ‘umrah. All these actions are such that
they were all instituted only for the purpose of worship, and they have
no other objective or purpose. These are categorised as “intrinsic
worship.”
The Second Type: Extrinsic Worship
In
contrast to them are some activities which originally have another
purpose like fulfilling worldly needs and desires. But Allah (Exalted is
He), by His grace, said to the believer that if you fulfil your worldly
activities with a good intention, within My prescribed limits, and in
accordance with the Sunnah of My Noble Prophet (Allah bless him and
grant him peace), then I will give you such reward for those acts that I
give to the first category [of worship]. This is why these are not
intrinsic worship, but are extrinsic worship. This is the second
category of worship.
Halal Earning is Extrinsic Worship
For
example, if in order to fulfil the rights of one’s wife and children,
while staying within the limited boundaries [of the Shari‘ah], you earn a
living, and you earn it with the intention that my wife’s rights are
from my responsibilities, and my children’s rights are from my
responsibilities, and my body’s rights are from my responsibilities, and
in order to fulfil these rights, I am earning a living, then this
earning will also become worship of Allah (Exalted is He). However,
earning a living was not originally instituted for worship, which is why
it is not intrinsic worship, but extrinsic.
Intrinsic Worship is Superior
By
this explanation is understood that those types of worship that are
intrinsic worship are manifestly superior to that worship which is
extrinsically worship, and it has a higher rank. This is why, that which
Allah (Exalted is He) said, that I only created jinn and humankind for
My worship, its intent is worship of the first category, which is
intrinsic worship. The second category of worship, that is extrinsic
worship, is not intended.
The Incident of a Doctor
Some days ago, a woman asked me about her husband who is a doctor.
[She
said:] He keeps his clinic open and sees his patients, and when the
time of Salah comes, he does not offer Salah at its time, and when he
closes the clinic at night and returns home, he prays three Salahs at
one time; so I asked him, why do you read all your Salahs at one time
once you have come home, and why do you not pray there in the clinic so
you do not have to make them up? In response, the husband said that the
treatment I give to patients is work in service of creation, and service
of creation is a great act of worship, and it relates to the rights of
slaves, which is why I give it preference, and since offering Salah is
my personal affair, this is why I pray them all at once when I reach
home.
The woman asked me: What answer can I give to this reasoning of my husband?
Salah is not Forgiven in any Circumstance
In
reality, her husband had a faulty understanding here because of not
appreciating the difference in the grades that exist between the two
types of worship. This difference is that the worship of Salah is
intrinsic, regarding which Allah (Exalted is He) stated that even if you
are in the battlefield, and the enemy is facing you, even then you must
pray. Although some ease has been created in the method of Salah in
such a circumstance, yet the obligation of Salah at this time is not
waived. Thus, Allah (Exalted is He) has decreed the following verdict
with respect to Salah:
“Surely, Salah is an obligation on the believers at fixed times.” (4:103)
Now,
ponder: Which act is greater than jihad? Yet this command has been
issued, that even [while engaging] in jihad, Salah must be offered at
its [set] time.
Service of Creation is Worship of the Second Category
Such
that even if a person was to have fallen ill, and was so ill that he is
unable to perform any action, even in this situation, his ruling is
that he must not leave Salah, and he must offer Salah, but some
allowance has been given, that if you are unable to pray standing you
can pray sitting, and if you are unable to pray sitting you can pray
lying down while gesturing; if you are unable to perform wudu, do
tayammum, but you must certainly pray.
Salah
has not been forgiven in any circumstance because Salah is intrinsic
worship that is desired in itself, and is worship of the first rank. The
treatment the doctor offers his patients is service of creation which
is also a great act of worship, but is from the second rank of worship,
not intrinsic worship. This is why if there is any disparity or
opposition between these two types of worship, then in such a situation,
that worship which is intrinsic worship will be given priority. Because
the doctor did not recognise this distinction between the two types of
worship, he was, as a consequence, afflicted by this error.
In Comparison to other Needs Salah is more Important
Ponder!
When you are sitting in the clinic to serve creation, at this time you
have to get up for other needs, like if there is a need to go to the
lavatory or to take a bath, in such a circumstance you will eventually
leave the patients and go [to fulfil these needs]. Similarly, if in this
time, hunger is felt, and the time for eating comes, will you take a
break for eating or not? Since you can pause for those acts, then if the
time of Salah comes, what trouble is there if at that time you pause
for Salah? And what barrier to the service of creation will be created?
While in comparison to other needs, Salah is more important.
In
reality, because of not understanding the difference between the two
types of worship, this misunderstanding was created. Although in terms
of the second category of worship, a believer can make all his acts
worship, as if a believer were to work with a good intention and in
accordance with the Sunnah, his entire life would be worship, but this
is worship of the second rank. Worship of the first rank, Salah,
fasting, Hajj, zakat, dhikr of Allah etc. are intrinsic worship of
Allah, and in actual fact, mankind was created for this worship.
Mankind is being Tested
Mankind
was created for such worship in order to see that if the human being,
in whom I [i.e. Allah] have placed various types of desires and urges, I
have placed in him inclinations and attractions towards sins, despite
all of this, will this human being come towards Me and remember Me, or
will he go in the direction of the invitations to sin and will those
urges overcome him? It was for this purpose that mankind was created.
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