“WORSHIPPING” and “SERVITUDE (Abdiyat)"
First of all, we must focus our attention on the meanings of these two words, “worshipping” and “servitude”, now.
The word “WORSHIPPING” refers to a connection with a “god.” The act of “worshipping” is based on a dual existence such as a “worshipper” and a “worshipped.”
“You” and also “your God” are under consideration. In other words, “you” have a “god.” so that you may worship your god.
Therefore, what is known as “worshipping” is a manner of behavior that occurs between two separate beings. “Worshipping” in this sense is a name given to various pactices of a person who believes in some sort of a god off in the sky or on earth. ‘Your’ actions aimed toward someone else, are under consideration!..
As for the meaning of “servitude” (abdiyat)...
“Servitude” is a name given to “the fulfillment of acts by an individual in connection with the disposition and reason for which it exists.”
The following sign will help us understand this fact as it is emphasized in Chapter 51 (Sura Al Dhariyat), sign 56 in the Quran:
“And I have not created jinn and mankind except that they should serve Me.”
No doubt, it is impossible for a being created by One who is mentioned by the name ALLAH, to outpace its purpose of existence.
Also let us remember the meaning that the following sign implies, right at this point:
“There is not a moving creature on earth but HU holds it by its forelock.” (11:56)
Likewise, in the Chapter of Opening (Sura Al-Faatiha), the phrase “To You alone do we serve” makes it clear in this sense that: “we fulfill our function owing to the program and reason for which You created us” just by performing what is to be done accordingly.
Also, examine the sign:
“Kul kulluny-ya 'malu ‘alaa Shaaqilatihi” meaning “Say: Everyone acts according to his own disposition, i.e., everyone operates in accordance with the manner in which he was fashioned” (17:84)
The fulfillment of actions by individual beings as a result of their constitution (fitrat) that is built by the Nature-Maker (FATIR) through the convenient expression of HU's own qualities in accordance with HU's will WITHIN THEIR EXISTENCE, is called their “abdiyat” (servitude).
Essentially, regardless of the difference between forms of serving either as “obedience” (taat) or “disobedience” (masiyat), the behaviors of all individuals are their “constitutional (fatri) servitude!
It is the form of servitude only that is called either as “obedience” or “disobedience” in connection with people’s understanding, that all is nothing other than servitude (abdiyat) as we have explained above.
“The seven heavens, the earth and all those who dwell Therein; and there is not a single thing that does not give Glory to HU; all creatures celebrate HU's praise. Yet you cannot understand how they declare their praises!” (17:44)
This sign clearly declares that all things in existence carry out their servitude in the way explained.
In other way of saying, what is known as “obedience” is a servitude that involves a person’s practices and acts aimed at realizing his essential and original being; while “disobedience” is a [name given to the form of] servitude that involves a person's behavior acted toward losing the treasure found in his own essence and that bring regretfulness as a consequence.
In short, “abdiyat” (servitude) is to carry out the behavior pertaining to the reason for which one exists. However, “worshipping” is the attribution of praises to a god that the worshipper assumes is there, by dedicating a period of his time for him at his own convenience and “at his own free will,” with the hope of getting something from him in return.
As a final word we shall state that, “worshipping” relates to a “god” and “god” is worshipped,” but “ALLAH” is served.
Well, how and why is ALLAH served?
To understand this we must truly comprehend the meaning of the key concept “ALLAH is AHAD,” first!
If we precisely understand that “ALLAH is AHAD,” we will then see through insight (basirat) that there is not a duality of “an ALLAH” and “a separate universe” all aside!
That is to say, it is not such that there is ALLAH and also there are universes [that exist independently]!
In other words, such a consideration as there are some universes we live in, the cosmos (alam), and there is a separate GOD-out-of-all-things and at the farther side, is absolute nonsense!
MOHAMMED's ALLAH is not a GOD!
MOHAMMED's ALLAH is “AHAD!”
Having infinite expressions meanings (mana), MOHAMMED's ALLAH is in a state of contemplating them fully at every moment!
The domain (mahal) for such a “contemplation” (sayr) is known as the “Universe of Actions” (Alam-i Af'al).
With respect to HU's Zhat (ESSENCE): HU is Wahid-ul AHAD;
Considering HU's attributes (sifat), HAYY, ALIM, MUREED, QAADIR, SAMI, BASIR, QALIM is HU;
And with respect to the qualities found in Hu's self: HU encompasses infinite meanings (mana), the leading ones of them have been informed by Mohammed (PBUH) under the title of “Beautiful Names” (Asma-ul Husna).
The Universe of Actions known as “Alam-al Af’al” is a dimensional level of universe where angels, jinns and humans reside. Such a universe comes into existence by the observation through the perception instruments of men, jinns and angels.
However, they are nothing more than “images of knowing (surat ilmi)” existing at the SIGHT of ALLAH (indAllah), “by” the “KNOWLEDGE (ilm) of ALLAH.”
In other way of saying, everything that exists is only “INFORMATIONAL (ilmi) IMAGES" in truth (haqiqat) that nothing has ever had a particular body or a separate being in true sense.
To put it briefly, everything known to belong to the universe we live in only exists in ALLAH's KNOWING (ilm) without having any individual existence or any being in reality. Put more simply for our understanding: all EXISTENCE is IMAGINARY (khayal).
MAN can never experience the ORIGIN - the REALITY of existence as long as he is depended on data he perceived through the five senses, no matter what century he lived in and no matter what information he possessed.
Information gained through the five senses carries man away to countless cosmic spaces and dimensional universes in the macrocosm or in the microcosm! You are transported away from stars to galaxies, from galaxies to blackholes, and to whiteholes out of blackholes, to altered states of universes out of whiteholes; and then being got lost in the wasteland of such JINNAL DEMONIC ALIEN type of opinions, you waste all your lifetime with a misbelief that there is a GOD-OUT-THERE!
JINN’s are assumed as ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE by the people of our day, to deceive and mislead humans, one of their methods is to keep people away from “ALLAH” by providing some types of IDEAS and VISIONS that specifically relates to “RELIGIONS” and seems “VERIFIABLE”.
The beings assumed as “ALIENS” (also as extraterrestrial beings or UFO) which are known as JINN in Islam are definitely incapable of two points of comprehension. Thus, they try to keep the people with whom they associate always away from these two points. Conception that “ALLAH is AHAD” and the point of “DESTINY” (Qadar)!
In point of fact, DESTINY phenomenon is the absolute result of the fact that “ALLAH is AHAD!”
The “ONENESS” (tawhid) principal in Islam that is the BELIEF SYSTEM notified by Mohammed (PBUH) that “THERE IS NO GOD TO WORSHIP, there is ONLY “ALLAH” who is AHAD, and therefore no GOD ever existed,” is based on the fact that every person will be responsible for the result of his actions that are carried out through himself all through his lifetime.
Accordingly, the following signs in the Quran emphasize that every person will directly receive the return of his own deeds:
“And that man shall have nothing save only that for which he made effort.” (53:39)
“You are requited nothing save what you did” (37:39)
“You are rewarded nothing except for your deeds.” (36:54)
“And for all there are degrees from what they do, that HU may pay them for their deeds and they shall not be wronged” (46:19)
“Most surely you will taste the painful punishment-, this you will be responded nothing save what you did” (37:39)
As seen from the signs above, since man will see only the return of practices he or she has done in this world, it must be the most urgent task for a man to make investigation about life beyond death and to understand what “ALLAH” means!
Because, the theme of religion is mainly based on the concept of “ALLAH!”
We should firstly and definitely notify that it is impossible for a person to know the original structure of existence through its basic value unless he understands the meaning of the name “ALLAH.”
In point of fact, we can understand the structure of man and the universe only after we understand what “ALLAH” is. Without this, we will always have to be distracted with localized evaluations and will always be missing the essence of point.
TO BE CONTINUED......
[This message has been edited by Musalman (edited November 28, 2000).]