ভূমিকা
Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Salat (Prayer): The Mode of Divine Proximity and Recognition Worship and Submission Allah the Almighty declares, وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ “I have not created the Jinns and mankind except to worship Me.” (Qur’an, 51:56) وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ “And your Lord has decreed that you will not worship anybody but Him.” (Qur’an, 17:23) وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ “And indeed We sent in every nation a Prophet saying, ‘worship Allah and keep away from the rebellious ones.” (Qur’an, 16:36) Explaining the first verse, Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) says, “He created them so that they follow His command, i.e.
they worship Him.”[^1] Similarly, in another exegesis of the above verse, he (‘a) says, خَلَقَهُمْ لِلْعِبَادَةِ. “He created them for worship.”[^2] Amir al Mu’minin (‘a), in the sermon of Dhi-qar elucidates, …فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعالى بَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا – صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ و آلِهِ – بِالْحَقِّ لِيُخْرِجَ عِبَادَهُ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ عِبَادِهِ إِلى عِبادَتِهِ، وَمِنْ عُهُودِ عِبَادِهِ إِلى عُهُودِهِ، وَمِنْ طَاعَةِ عِبَادِهِ إِلى طَاعَتِهِ، وَمِنْ وِلاَيَةِ عِبادِهِ إِلى وِلايَتِهِ.
“Then surely Allah the Almighty raised Muhammad (‘s) with truth to bring out His servants from the worship of His servants to His worship, from the binding of His servants to His Own binding, from the obedience of His servants to His Own obedience and from the mastership of His servants to His Own mastership.”[^3] To be a slave implies a sense of smallness and slavery. Vice-versa, to be a master means to feel great and lordly. One who is king, is master and the one who is a subject, is a slave.
Allah, Who enjoys absolute lordship dominates all affairs, possesses mastership and power of governance over one and all, and His mastership entails commands and prohibitions for everybody without exception. It is necessary that the servants should feel a sense of slavery, submission and humility in His presence. Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) says, لَيْسَ الْعِلْمُ بِالتَّعَلُّمِ. إِنَّمَا هُوَ نُورٌ يَقَعُ فِي قَلْبِ مَنْ يُرِيْدُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى أَن يَهْدِيَهُ.
فَأِنْ أَرَدْتَ الْعِلْمَ فَاطْلُبْ أَوَّلاً فِيْ نَفْسِكَ حَقِيقَةَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ. وَاطْلُبِ الْعِلْمَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهِ. وَاسْتَفْهِمِ اللهَ يُفْهِمْكَ. “Knowledge is not acquired by learning.
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