Usool al-Ibaadah (Basic Principles of Worship)
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
[Majmoo` 10:172-174]
Worship, obedience, uprightness, necessity of adhering to the Straight Path
etc. are from the names by which one and the same is intended and which have two
basic principles. Allah the Exalted says: "So whoever would hope for the meeting with his
Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord
anyone." [al-Kahf (18):110] "Yes, [on the contrary], whoever submits his face [i.e. self] in Islam to
Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear
will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." [al-Baqarah (2):112]
And He says: "And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to
Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining
toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend." [An-Nisaa
(4):125] Righteous deed is al-ihsaan, which is performance of good actions, and good
actions are what Allah and His Messenger love, which, in turn, is what He
ordered from obligatory and recommended matters. So whatever is from innovations
in religion, i.e. that is not legislated, Allah and His Messenger do not love
it, and it cannot be from good actions, and righteous deeds. Just as performing
impermissible actions - such as acts of indecency and oppression - is not from
good deeds and righteous actions. As for His saying: "…and (let him) not associate in the worship of his
Lord anyone" and His saying, "who submits his face [i.e. self] to
Allah", it is being sincere to Him in religion. `Umar ibn al Khattab used to
say: "O Allah, make all of my actions righteous, and make them sincere for
your Face, and do not make in them anything for anyone [else]." Al Fudayl ibn `Iyyad said about His saying: "To test you which of you is
best in action." [al-Mulk(67):2], "Most sincere and most proper (action)"
They said: "O Abu Alee, what action is most sincere and most proper?" He said:
"Verily, an action that is done sincerely and is not proper is not accepted, and
when it is proper and not done sincerely it is (also) not accepted. Sincere
(action) is one that is [done] for Allah, and proper is one that is in
accordance with the Sunnah."
Courtesy Of: Islaam.com