Essence of Ibadah: The essence of ibadah is to show humility in front of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Linguistically, Islam means submission. Hence ibadah and Islam go hand-in-hand. The opposite of ibadah is arrogance and that was the sin committed by Iblees. Iblees rejected by refusing the command of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to do sajdah.
Why do we do Ibadah?
Ibadah occurs when there is utmost love and fear for the same being. This is a rare combination and we usually do not love the person we fear the most. But we love Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and we are also terrified of his anger.
How should we do Ibadah?
There are two conditions of Ibadah. It must be done for Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and it must be in conformity with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Proof of this is everywhere from our Shahadah to every page of the Quran.
What constitutes Ibadah?
Our daily chores can also be converted to ibadah. For example, going to a grocery store and buying grocery can also be a form of ibadah if the intent is “O Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), you’ve blessed me with a family and it is my obligation to take care of my family and I’m spending my money to take care of my obligation”. It need not be the exact words but the intent should be like this. Hence if the intent is right and we are always conscious of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), even the most mundane actions like changing your baby’s diaper can also be considered as a form of ibadah.
Which is the most important type of Ibadah?
Isti’anah is a type of ibadah because we are seeking help from Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Isti’anah is the most important type of ibadah. According to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), the most noble act of worship is Dua. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has equated Dua to worship and has mentioned that whoever is too arrogant to worship him shall enter jahannum (hell).
Ibadah can also be purely ritual but isti’anah can be in our daily routines, whenever we seek Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for help.
What is the best way to get the help of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)?
Isti’anah is the help when you are exhausted yourself. If we want the help (or results) of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), we have to put our best effort. This is the most balanced way of asking for help.
Note that, we didn’t specify what we want help for. This is because we want help from Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) in everything. Another interpretation is that we are so desperate for help that we are short on words.
But, don’t we ask help from humans like doctors etc.? Is that also Isti’anah?
Isti’anah truly means tawakkul i.e. heart should always know that the help is through Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and all the worldly help is merely a medium in which Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is working to grant us that help. For example, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is using a doctor to help us with medical problems, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is using the company we work for as a medium to award rizq etc. Hence it isn’t wrong to ask each other for help but we should always remember that the help is through Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).