The Da’wah To Islam by Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud

They also say that the Messenger 􀁕 called people to the worship of Allah 􀀬 and did not call people to the establishment of an Islamic State; or that the central issue is the worship of Allah 􀀬 and not the Islamic State; or that it is not important to establish an Islamic State, but it is important to worship Allah 􀀬. These are their views; or something of the same nature.

To respond to this objection we must define the reality of ibaadah and how it is acheived.

Allah 􀀬 created mankind to worship Him. Thus, ibaadah is the objective for which Allah 􀀬 created the human beings. The meaning of, “Laa Ilaaha illallah” is the following: there is none to be worshipped except Allah 􀀬, and anything other than this is false and must be rejected and man must testify to this. “Muhammad rasoolullah”, means that the worship and obedience should be according to what only Muhammad 􀁕, the Rasool of Allah, has brought and man must testify to this.

Thus, ‘ibaadah (worship) is only for Allah 􀀬 and it cannot take place, except as legislated by Allah 􀀬 of what was brought only by the Rasool of Allah, and this is an origin that must be realised in every action or statement in our life.

Hence when the Muslim undertakes an action in this life to achieve a need for himself or a value which is in the reality of life, he moves solely for the motive of satisfying his needs and instincts, which can be satisfied in more than one way.

Satisfying this in the Shar’ee way, and restricting oneself to it, and linking that with the belief in Allah 􀀬, makes the action of the Muslim a worship.

Since behind every action there is the satisfaction of a desire or need, and mans needs are related to many areas, it is natural that the actions of man will cover all aspects of life.

Thus, ‘ibaadah is that man should direct his actions according to the orders and prohibitions of Allah 􀀬, and this must be done based on the belief in Allah 􀀬 only; this leads to the comprehensiveness of ibaadah which encompasses all of man’s actions.

When you say to a Muslim “worship Allah”, it does not mean that you are only instructing him to pray, pay zakah, make hajj or undertake things the fuqaha (jurists) have placed under the category of ‘ibadaat (worships).

It means that he should obey Allah 􀀬 in everything He 􀀬 has commanded and refrain from everything He 􀀬 has forbidden.

Thus, the Imaan in Allah 􀀬 is the origin of actions. The worship is for the sake of directing all the actions on the basis of belief in Allah 􀀬.

Therefore, the whole deen is ‘ibaadah, and ‘ibaadah means submission.

The meaning of submitting ourselves to Allah 􀀬 is to worship Him and humble ourselves to the order of Allah, the All-Knowing and All-Aware, and we submit ourselves to Him 􀀬 with contentment and submission.

That is why part of worshipping and obeying Him 􀀬 is, enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar, and engaging in Jihaad in His path against the people of kufr and nifaaq (hypocracy), establishing Allah’s deen in the life of the Muslims, spreading the da’wah between all people and protecting the Muslims; just as it is also in the prayer, Zakah and qiyaam (nightly devotional prayers).

Worshipping of Allah 􀀬 includes all actions of man, which the Muslim undertakes according to the reality in which he lives. If the reality is that the Muslim does not pray then calling him to pray is a call to worship, and inviting him to fast is an invitation to worship, and inviting him to buy and sell according to the Islamic Shar’a is an invitation to worship Allah 􀀬. Since Imaan in Allah 􀀬 is the origin of every worship, then calling people to prayer or fasting must be preceded by provoking the Imaan in the person who is given da’wah, and making this Imaan the impetus for commitment and the controller of actions.

Likewise for calling people to the establishment of Islam and ruling by what Allah 􀀬 has revealed, which are from the orders of Allah 􀀬 and they must be obeyed. They are undertaken by the one who believes in Allah 􀀬. The invitation to these orders must be preceded by the invitation to believe in Allah 􀀬. This is what will realise the worship of Allah 􀀬 in this matter.

Since the Muslims today live under kufr systems whose rules are not derived from Allah 􀀬, and the Muslim cannot live an Islamic way of life under them; then the call to establish the deen represents worshipping of Allah 􀀬, to which attention should be drawn and efforts spent.

Thus, we are obliged to link our call to Allah’s 􀀬 worship with the problems of this age, which are all reflected in the call to resume the Islamic way of life. Then the worship of Allah 􀀬 will be achieved in the most complete manner. Therefore, the call for the establishment of the Islamic State is a call for the establishment of the deen which is ‘ibaadah, and is a call for ‘ibaadah. This is because it is an order from Allah 􀀬 in whom we believe; the Muslim who ignores this is complacent in the worship of Allah 􀀬.

Therefore, the manner in which this issue has been presented by those people is wrong, because it seems to imply that working to establish the Khilafah contradicts with ‘ibaadah. Holding such an opinion is an attack on part of the Qur’an by another part, which the Muslims have been forbidden from doing.