God created human beings to worship Him and a practising Muslim in, essence, should be able to worship God in every second, of every hour of every day.\u00a0 Islam is a way of life and it means nothing more, or less, than submission to the One God.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I (God) created not the jinn and humans except they should worship Me Alone.\u201d (Quran 51:56)<\/p>\n
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The concept of God in Islam describes Him as the most Merciful and the most Loving and whatever He prescribes for humankind is in the best interest of humankind.\u00a0 Submission to the will of God is a pathway to purity, to peace and ultimately to Paradise.<\/p>\n
The word Quran most frequently uses to describe worship is Ibadah<\/em>.\u00a0 Ibadah<\/em> is the root of the word \u2018ubudiyyah<\/em>, which means to express ones humility or humbleness, and as with most Arabic words there are many shades of meaning.\u00a0 Ibadah<\/em> involves more then an awareness of humility. \u00a0It is the complete sense of humbleness that overcomes one who is totally submitted to the will of God, the Almighty.\u00a0 Worship is submission to God, the essential part of submission is humility.<\/p>\n \u201cSo glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him).\u201d (Quran 15:98)<\/p>\n Humility can guide us to Paradise, just as its opposite, arrogance, kibr<\/em> in Arabic, can only lead us into Hell.\u00a0 It is Satan\u2019s arrogance that caused his expulsion from Paradise; when he refused to humbly obey God\u2019s command and prostrate before Adam, the father of mankind, he condemned himself and his followers to Hell. \u00a0Satan\u2019s lack of submission, or humility, resulted in one of the most pious of God\u2019s creatures falling into the abyss.<\/a>[1]<\/p>\n Except Satan, he refused to be among the prostrators.\u00a0 God said, ‘O Satan!\u00a0 What is your reason for not being among the prostrators?\u00a0 \u2018Satan said: ‘I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from sounding clay…\u201d <\/em>(Quran 15:30-35)<\/p>\n No one who behaves arrogantly or who acts as if he or she has power over others is capable of true submission.\u00a0 All power and strength is from God Alone.\u00a0 All human beings are equal in the sight of God and the distinctions between nations, tribes, and families are only to know each other and not for the sake pride.<\/p>\n \u201cO mankind!\u00a0 We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.\u00a0 Verily, the most honourable of you with God is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa<\/em> (God consciousness).\u00a0 Verily, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.\u201d (Quran 49:15)<\/p>\n The main pillar of worship, Ibadah<\/em>, is the prayer.\u00a0 The congregational prayer\u00a0 is performed in rows where all men stand before God as equals.<\/a>[2] \u00a0There is no special place for the rich or powerful, the meek and poor are not relegated to the back lines.\u00a0 Each man bows his head in humility knowing that his brothers, on either side of him are equally important in the sight of God.\u00a0 Only one thing raises one man or woman above another \u2013 piety.\u00a0 True piety or righteousness is not achievable without cultivating a sense of humility.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth.\u00a0 Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster.\u201d (Quran 31:18)<\/p>\nHumility is Piety<\/h2>\n