与“ṭāʿah”“dīn”两个基本术语一样,“ʿibādah”也有若干不同含义,但彼此相互关联。词根“ʿabd”所蕴含的基本概念是:承认他人拥有至高无上的权威或主宰之权,并在对其的顺从中放弃自身的自由与独立。

Like the other two basic terms already dealt with, the term ’ibadah too has several different meanings, though all related to each other. The basic concept implied by the root word, ’abd, is that • Of acknowledging someone other than oneself as holding supremacy or enjoying over lordship and of abdicating one’s freedom and independence in big favour.

• 不抗拒他，也不违背他。

• Of relinquishing any resistance to or disobedience of him.

关于将自己完全交托于他的权威。

• Of surrendering oneself totally to his authority.

由于奴役或束缚同样意味着类似的地位,因此任何阿拉伯人听到这个词时,首先想到的意思便是这一因素,即奴役或束缚。

Since slavery or bondage too are tantamount to similar status, the first sense the word conveys to the mind of any Arab is of this very factor, namely, slavery or bondage.

此外，由于奴隶的首要职责是服从主人并执行其意愿，这个词也蕴含着顺从与听从的含义。

Also, since the primary role of a slave is to obey his master and carry out his wishes, the word also carries the sense of submission and obedience.

接下来，奴隶不仅在身体上服从主人的意志，在心理上也接受主人的权威；如果他同时对主人的恩慈和恩惠怀有感激之情，他便会自发地竭力颂扬主人，并表示尊重和敬重。他以多种方式表达和展示自己的感恩，以显示其深厚的依恋，其程度几乎近似于崇拜，尽管显然，只有在身体上的束缚之外，还存在心理上的依附时，这种情形才会出现。

Next, a slave not only submits himself to the will of his master physically, but mentally too he accepts his supremacy, and if he at the same time has feelings of gratitude for his kindnesses and favours, he is inclined spontaneously to go out of his way in extolling the master and in showing respect and regard for him. He expresses and demonstrates his obligation in many ways to show his deep attachment, in a manner amounting almost to worship although, obviously, this comes into play only when, in addition to physical bondage, there is mental attachment too.

这个词及其派生形式还有另外两种用法，但它们属于次要含义，因此在此阶段无需展开讨论。

There are two other senses also in which the word or its derivatives are employed, but they are secondary, and hence it is not necessary to go into them at this stage.

在研读《古兰经》时我们发现，这个词完全以上面解释的三种含义被使用，只是有时同时隐含第一和第二种含义，有时只隐含第二种，还有些地方只隐含第三种，而在另一些地方则三种含义都包含。

On studying the Qur'ān we find that, the word is used wholly in the three senses explained above, except that on occasion both the first and the second senses are implied, on others the second only, on still others the third only and, in yet other places, all the three.

以下是第一种和第二种含义的用法示例：

Here are examples of use in the first and second senses:

(i) 然后，我派遣穆萨和他的兄弟哈伦，携带明确的先知证据，去见法老及其权贵，但他们因权势所生的傲慢而轻视二人。他们说："难道我们要信仰与我们一样的两个凡人吗？而且他们的族人还是我们的奴仆。"（信士章 23:45-47）

(i) Then We sent Musa and his brother Haroon, with clear proofs of their Prophethood to the Pharaoh and his nobles, but they treated them with disdain because of haughtiness born of power. ‘Should we,’ they said, ‘believe in two mere humans like ourselves, and that too of a nation which is in bondage to us?’ (al-Mu’minoon 23:45-47)

(ii) 法老提醒穆萨，说他从小就抚养了他。（穆萨回答说）：“你提醒我的这份恩情，难道不是因为你奴役了以色列的后裔才发生的吗？（若非如此，我或许不会进入你的家中。）”（《诗人》26:23）

(ii) And the Pharaoh reminded Musa of having reared him from his childhood, (to which Musa replied):‘as for the obligation you remind me of, is it not a fact that happened only because you had made the Bani Israel your slaves (but for which fact I may never have come into your household)?”’(ash-Shu’araa’ 26:23)

这两节经文中分别使用的 ’aabidoon 和 ’abbadta 两个词，都含有奴役、顺服和服从之义。法老用第一个词指称穆萨和哈伦的民族时，其意是说，以色列的后裔受埃及人奴役，完全听命于他们。而穆萨（愿主赐其平安）用第二个词回应法老时，其意是说，法老奴役了以色列的后裔，使他们听从他的命令。

The words ’aabidoon and ’abbadta employed respectively in the two verses imply bondage, submission, and obedience. When the Pharaoh used the first word in respect of Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon’s nation, what he meant was that the Bani Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians and fully subservient to them. And, when Hazrat Musa (on whom be peace), used the second word in reply to the Pharaoh, he meant that the latter had enslaved the Bani Israel and made them do his bidding.

（iii）信道的人们啊！你们应当食用我所赐予你们的美好而洁净的食物，如果你们确实只崇拜真主，就应当感谢真主。

(iii) O you who believe! Eat of the clean and good things We have bestowed on you, and render due gratitude to God, if you do truly give ’ibadah to Him alone.

（al-Baqarah 2:172）

(al-Baqarah 2:172)

这节经文的背景是：在伊斯兰教出现之前，阿拉伯人在饮食方面，出于对祭司的遵从，或因祖先流传下来的迷信，给自己施加了各种各样的限制。然而当他们皈依伊斯兰之后，《古兰经》要求：如果他们确实感到自己只应向安拉行崇拜（ʿibādah），那么就应当抛开这些限制，毫无顾虑地享用伊斯兰所允许的一切食物。其意很明显：既然他们现在真正将自己的意志交付于真主的意志，就应当摒弃祭司或祖先所加的一切禁忌，转而只遵守伊斯兰在饮食方面的律例。