The Islamic Sharī‘ah of Worship Rituals

The objective of the religion of the prophets is purification of the soul. Attainment of excellence in this purification relies on a person’s relationship of servitude with the Almighty on right footings. The stronger this relationship, the greater a person is able to achieve purification both in his concepts and in his deeds. Love, fear, sincerity, faithfulness and gratitude as an acknowledgement of His innumerable favours and blessings are the inner manifestations of this relationship. In the life of a person, this relationship generally manifests itself in the form of the following three: worship, obedience and support. In the religion of the prophets, worship rituals are prescribed to serve as a reminder for this relationship. The prayer and zakah and animal sacrifice and ‘umrah are worship; the fast and i‘tikaf are symbolic expressions for obedience, while hajj is a symbolic expression for offering support for the cause of Allah.