RESULTS OF WRONG MEANING OF `IBADAT`

BY MD. HADIUL ISLAM (FARUK) 

Keep the meaning of `Ibadat` in mind and than give answers to my questions.

What will you say about that servant who instead of performing the duties prescribed by his master stands all he time before him with folded hands and goes on chanting his name? The master orders him to go and redeem what is due to such land such persons but he sticks to his post, and bowing to the master salutes him ten times and again stands up with folded hands. The master instructs him to go and remove such and such wrongs but he does not budge an inch and starts prostrating before him. The master commands:

 ``Cut  off the hand of the thief``. On hearing this order the servant still standing there, recites scores of time in an extremely melodious tome:``Cut off the hand of the thief, but not once does he try to establish that system of Government under which the hand of a thief can be severed.Can you say that this man is really serving his master? If do not know what you will say about it. But I am surprised at you that a servant  of God who behaves like this is regarded by you as a devout worshipper of God.this heartless person reads from dawn to dusk , God knows how many times, the Divine injunctions in the ``QURAN``.

  But never stirs himself to carry out these injunctions. On the other hand , he starts offering Nawafil after Nawafil., chants the name of God on a thousand –bead rosary and recites the ``Quran ``in a melodious tone. When you see him in this position you exclaim: ``what a devout and pious person he is`` the misunderstanding arises because you do not know the correct meaning of `Ibadat`.

There is another servant who is busy day  and night discharging duties entrusted to him by other people. He obeys their orders, and acts according to their laws, while he consistently flouts the commands of his real msater but presents himself before him at the time of saluting and wags his tongue in chanting the masters name only. If a servant  of any of you were to follow such a course,what will you do with him? Will you not throw back his salutation on his face ? when he will address you as master and lord, will you not at once turn back and retort:``You are an infernal liar and  a chear, you take salary from me and do the service of others.You verbally call me master and actually serve everybody else except me``.

This is a matter of simple common sense which everyone of you can easily understand. But how astonishing it is that you consider as `Ibadat`of God the prayers, fasting, chanting on rosary-beads, recital of `Quran` pilgrimage and Zakat of those people who day and night violate the law of God ,act on the orders of unbelievers and polytheists, and never care for the commandments of God in the affairs of their life.this misunderstanding is also due to the fact that you are unaware of the real meaning of `Ibadat`.

Take the example of yet another servant, the uniform fixed by the master for his servant is worn by this man with perfect trimming. He presents himself before the master showing the utmost respect and reverence. One hearing orders, every time he bows meekly and says:

``With all my hearts I will obey ``, thus given the impression  that no other servant is more faithful than him . at the time of saluting, he stands ahead of everybody and excels all other servants in chanting the name of the master. But, on the other side, this very man renders service to the rebels and enemies of his master, participates in the conspiracies they hatch against him and co-operates with them in their efforts to efface his name from the world. In the darkness of night he commits burglary in his house and in the morning presents himself with folded hands before  him like and extremely faithful servant. What will you say about such a servant ? only this that he is a hypocrite, rebel and unfaithful.but what do you call those servants of God who behave like this? You call them pir sahib, Hadrat Maulana, religious people, pious persons and devotees of God.

 This is just because on seeing beards of full measure on teeir faces, their pyjamas two inches above their ankles, knobs due to Sajdah on their foreheads, their long sessions of Salah and their rosaries of big beads, you consider them highly religious and full of adoration to God. This misunderstanding arises also because you have not correctly grasped the meaning of `Ibadat`and religiousness.

You think that standing towards `Qibla` with folded hands, bowing with your hands resting on the knees, prostrating with the hands, knees and fore head placed on the ground and uttering a few stereotyped words –only such few actions and movements are by themselves `Ibadat`. You think that to be hungry and thirsty from morning till evening every day from the first of Ramadan till the appearance of Shawwal moon is called `Ibadat`. You think that a verbal recital of some parts of Surahs of the `Quran` is called `Ibadat`. You think that a visit to mecca and circum- ambulation of ``Kaba`` is called `Ibadat`. In sort, you call `Ibadat`only the outward aspects of some actions, and whenever you notice any person doing  these acts in their external forms, you think that he has performed `Ibadat` of God and fulfilled the purpose of the verse:

``I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.`` (Al-Quran 51-56)