10 Types of ‘Ibādah by Imām Al-Ghazālī (Raḥimahullāh)
1. Ṣalāh
Allāh Ta’ālā states, "And establish ṣalāh for My remembrance." Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Ṣalāh is a pillar of dīn." Understanding that during ṣalāh, you are having a conversation with your Creator and Sustainer. Therefore, watch carefully how you are performing your ṣalāh. One should be vigilant with regards to his ṣalāh, and all the necessary acts related to ṣalāh. Therefore, complete care should be taken in the following three matters:
Before ṣalāh, wuḍū’. A feeling of purity and expansion in the heart, which was not found before performing it. It is apparent that this is the effect of the wuḍū’, which transcends the body and reaches the heart.
Fulfil all the actions of ṣalāh, whether they are Sunnah or mustaḥabb.
Take extra care of the soul of ṣalāh, i.e. from the beginning till the end of ṣalāh, maintain full concentration and sincerity. Whatever you utter with the tongue, and whatever actions you perform with the limbs, bring its effect into the heart as well. This means that when your body bends for rukū‘, then bend the heart with humility. When you utter Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is the Greatest) with the tongue, then this feeling should pervade the heart, that definitely there is nothing greater than Allāh. When you recite Alḥamdulillāh, then your heart should be filled with gratitude for Allāh’s favours.
2. Zakāh
Allāh Ta’ālā states, "The example of those who spend their wealth in the path of Allāh is like a grain that has grown seven ears; within each ear there are one hundred grains." Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Those who possess a lot will be destroyed, except he who spends his wealth in the path of Allāh abundantly, on all sides." Charity fulfils the needs of the creation, and it removes the poverty of the needy ones. It is therefore a pillar of Islām. The wisdom behind this is that since Allāh has commanded us to love the creation, and the Muslims also claim to love Allāh, so Allāh has made the spending of wealth a scale and criterion to test one's love, so that the claims of the truthful claimants of Īmān can be differentiated from the false ones. The believers who spend charity are divided into three categories:
The strong ones - These are the ones who spend all that they own, and do not keep anything for themselves. They have shown themselves true in the covenant they have pledged with Allāh.
The intermediate ones - These are the ones who are unable to spend all their wealth at once. However, together with this, they do not spend on themselves more than necessity.
The lowest level - The weak Muslims who suffice on fulfilling only their compulsory duty of zakāh. If they do not give anything more than the compulsory amount, they also do not give anything less than required.
The difference in rank of these three groups, and the level of their love for Allāh, can be understood from their spending. If you are unable to reach the first or second group, then strive to reach the lowest level of the second group by giving more than the compulsory amount, even if it be a small amount, because sufficing on only the compulsory amount is the rank of the stingy. Ensure that no day passes by without giving some optional charity, even though it be a piece of bread, by which you will remove yourself from the category of the stingy.
3. Ṣawm (Fasting)
Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Allāh says, 'Every good action is multiplied by ten to seven hundred times, except fasting, which is especially for Me, and I will give the reward for it.'" Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Everything has a door, and the door of worship is fasting.” Fasting possesses these specialities due to two factors:
Fasting refers to abstinence from eating, drinking, and sexual relations. This is a hidden action which no one except Allāh is aware of. Other forms of worship like ṣalāh, zakāh, etc. are such that can be seen by others.
The second factor is that it overpowers the enemy of Allāh, i.e. Shayṭān. The enemy cannot become strong except by means of one's desires, which become forceful with a full stomach. Hunger crushes all these desires, which are the instruments of Shayṭān.
When Ramaḍān enters, the doors of Jannah are opened, and the doors of Hell are closed. The Shayāṭīn are chained. The caller calls out, "O seeker of good, advance. O seeker of evil, desist."
4. Ḥajj
Allāh Ta’ālā states, “It is compulsory on people, for the sake of Allāh, to make Ḥajj for those who can do so." Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Whoever passes away and he has not performed Ḥajj, then let him die, if he wishes, as a Jew or a Christian.” In another ḥadīth, Rasūlullāh ﷺ has also stated that Ḥajj is one of the five pillars of Islām. There are seven etiquettes of Ḥajj:
Seek a pious companion as well as pure, wholesome, and ḥalāl wealth for the journey.
Remove any thought or intention of conducting business during the journey, as this will result in one's thoughts being diverted. Intention must remain clean and pure.
Be generous with food on the journey, and speak softly and kindly to travel companions, servants, and hired assistants. Keep them happy.
Abstain from vulgar, immoral, futile, and worldly speech, and fighting.
Travel on a simple conveyance to avoid showing one's status.
At times, exit from the conveyance and walk.
Be happy and pleased with whatever money is spent, and with whatever tiredness and loss one must endure. One should regard this to be the effect of the acceptance of Ḥajj and hope to receive reward for this.
5. Recitation of the Qur’ān
Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "The most virtuous act of worship for my ummah is the recitation of the Qur’ān." In another ḥadīth, Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "If the Qur’ān is placed in a leather bag, the fire will not burn it." Rasūlullāh ﷺ also said, "On the Day of Judgement, there will not be a greater intercessor than the Qur’ān, neither a Nabī, nor an angel, nor anyone else.” There are three external etiquettes to be observed when reciting the Qur’ān:
Whilst reciting, one's heart should have honour and reverence for the speech of Allāh. Recite the Qur’ān according to the laws of tajwīd, with every letter being pronounced from its correct makhraj. Read distinctly, without rushing.
At times you should aim to attain the greatest virtue of tilāwah, as you have come into this world for the commerce of the Hereafter. Therefore, wherever possible, try to attain the maximum profits. Most definitely tilāwah of the Qur’ān, whether recited whilst walking, sitting, or lying down, with wuḍū’ or without wuḍū’. The greatest benefit is when one recites the Qur’ān at night, especially in the masjid, whilst performing ṣalāh.
Keep in mind the amount of tilāwah made. The lowest level is to make one khatam every month, and the highest level is to make one khatam every three days.
6. Dhikr of Allāh in all conditions
Allāh Ta’ālā states, "Make the dhikr of Allāh in great abundance so that you may be successful." Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "The dhikr of Allāh in the morning and evening is better than brandishing swords in the path of Allāh and giving wealth in great abundance." From this we learn that no action is more virtuous than the dhikr of Allāh. The dhikr of Allāh has a core and three coverings. The core is the object, and the coverings are desired and beloved, as they are the medium through which the core is reached. The outermost covering is mere verbal dhikr. The second covering is dhikr within the heart. The third covering is when dhikr within the heart becomes so difficult for one to leave it. This means that just as it was difficult to become accustomed to the dhikr, it will become more difficult to abstain from remembering Allāh in the third stage.
7. Earning ḥalāl sustenance
Allāh Ta’ālā has linked the consumption of ḥalāl and pure food with worship. Allāh Ta’ālā states, "Eat from the pure foods and perform good deeds." Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "Seeking ḥalāl sustenance is a compulsory duty on every Muslim after the other compulsory duties." Making ‘ibādah together with consuming ḥarām is like building a house on excrement. Remember, pure food has a great influence in purifying the heart and enlightening it. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that one abstains from ḥarām wealth and adopts taqwā (piety). Taqwā has four levels:
Do not use such things or wealth that the jurists and ‘ulamā’ have declared ḥarām, as using these will result in one becoming a sinner.
The second level of piety is that of the ṣulaḥā’ (pious). This means that one should abstain from doubtful things.
The third level is that of the atqiyā’ (those having taqwā). Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "A person cannot reach the rank of the muttaqīn until he does not leave out the harmless things."
The fourth level is of the ṣiddīqīn, i.e. they abstain from eating all such foods from which one does not gain strength to perform acts of worship and obedience. An incident is mentioned of a sage who drank some medicine. His wife asked him to take a small walk. He answered, "I do not see a need for such a futile action. I take stock of my every move." Similarly, it is necessary in this stage to abstain from anything that has been contaminated by sin prior to it reaching you.
8. Fulfilling the rights of Muslims, neighbours, and friends
This is an important branch of dīn and is the means to travel to Allāh, and an important fundamental of travelling is to be considerate of one's fellow travellers. All of creation is also travelling, their lives moving with them, just as a ship moves with its passengers. The condition of a man is one of the following:
Isolated and alone
With the creation in general
With one's close associates such as family, friends, neighbours, etc.
It is necessary for one to fulfil the rights that are due from him, and to deal favourably with others in all the above conditions. It is necessary for man to reform himself, and to fulfil the rights of the internal army which Allāh Ta’ālā has created in this minor universe. When meeting with people, the least you can do is not to cause any form of harm to them. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "A true Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslims are safe.” A higher level is to benefit people. Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "All of creation is the family of Allāh. The most beloved of them in the sight of Allāh is the one who benefits His family the most.” A higher level than this is to bear their difficulties and, in spite of this, to be kind to them. This is the level of the ṣiddīqīn. Amongst the principles of dīn regarding friendship is to choose friends only for Allāh.
9. Commanding good and preventing evil
Allāh Ta’ālā states, "Let there be amongst you a group which calls towards virtue, commands good and prevents evil. They are the successful ones.” Rasūlullāh ﷺ said, "When people become involved in sin and amongst them are such people who are able to stop them but do not do so, then very soon Allāh will send a general punishment over all of them.” If you have witnessed any evil and do not prohibit it but rather remain quiet, then you will be regarded as an accomplice to this evil. Thus, those who listen to backbiting will be equal in sin to the one who backbites. This applies to all sins, just as the one who wears silk clothing or a gold ring is a sinner.
A person is absolved of the compulsion of commanding righteousness and prohibiting evil in the following two conditions:
One knows that if he must prohibit a sin, people will not pay attention to him, the sin will not be stopped, and he will be looked at with scorn and derision.
One knows that he can prohibit an evil, e.g. he sees a container in which there is alcohol and can break it. Similarly, he can snatch musical instruments from someone and destroy them. However, he knows that he will be beaten or have some harm inflicted upon him. In this condition, it will be mustaḥabb and not compulsory to prohibit it.
If a person fears that the other person will not like him to say something evil to him, have enmity for him, or in future will try to cause some harm to him, or it will create a barrier from one attaining greater goodness in future, then it is not permissible to keep quiet on such occasions, as these have no basis in the Sharī‘ah.
10. Following the Sunnah (lifestyle of Nabī Muḥammad ﷺ)
The key to success is to follow the Sunnah and lifestyle of Rasūlullāh ﷺ in all actions. Rasūlullāh ﷺ actions are of two types:
‘Ibādāt, e.g. ṣalāh, fasting, zakāh, ḥajj, etc.
‘Ādāt, e.g. eating, drinking, sleeping, standing, etc.
It is necessary for a Muslim to follow both above, since Allāh Ta’ālā has commanded us to follow Rasūlullāh ﷺ without any restriction. "Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he prohibits you from, abstain from it.” Muḥammad ibn Aslam never ate watermelons in his life since he did not know the way Rasūlullāh ﷺ ate them.
Equilibrium refers to placing everything in its proper place. For example, the four directions. Allāh Ta’ālā has given honour to the direction of the Qiblah. For this reason, all good actions, whether they be dhikr, tilāwah, wuḍū’ or du‘ā’, should all be done facing the Qiblah. Those actions which are regarded as lowly, such as passing urine and stool, etc., should be done by turning away from the Qiblah. Therefore, by establishing the honour of the Qiblah, one remains in equilibrium. By establishing the honour of the Qiblah, one remains in equilibrium. Allāh Ta’ālā has honoured the right hand over the left. Therefore, always keep its honour in mind. For example, raising the Qur’ān, eating food, drinking, etc., should be done with the right hand, whereas lowly work, e.g. istinjā’, cleaning one’s nose, or placing one’s hand on an impure object, should be done with the left hand.
From the above acts of worship, some can be performed together, e.g. ṣalāh, fasting, and tilāwah of the Qur’ān. A fasting person can recite the Qur’ān in ṣalāh. So, the types of worship at one time are being executed. Some acts of worship are such that they cannot be performed together, e.g. a person cannot make tilāwah of the Qur’ān and dhikr at the same time. Nor can a person perform ṣalāh and fulfil the rights of others simultaneously. It is therefore appropriate that the various acts of worship be divided over a period of twenty-four hours by following a schedule. Remember, this world is a cultivating field for the Hereafter. The object behind creating this world is so that man becomes attached and gains the love of Allāh Ta’ālā, the result being that he can attain success in the Hereafter.
Umar | Sanatayn Student
