Relationship between man and Allah (SWT): Commentary on Holy Quran (1:5)

Shafaqna English- Commentary on on the Quran (Chapter 1:5) by Mohammad Sobhanie.

1:5 The Relationship Between Man and Allah (SWT)

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿٥﴾

1:5 You (alone) do we worship, and to You (alone) do we turn for help.

Commentary: After praising the Lord, a servant (عبد) sees himself in the presence of Allah (SWT), calls to Him, and says, O! my Master (المولي), “You alone do we worship”, and to achieve that “To You alone, so we turn for help.”  What is the essence of worshipping (عبادة) Allah (SWT)?

The Qur’an depicts a multifaceted relationship between Allah (SWT) and the universe. For instance, Allah is the Creator (الخالق), and the universe is His creature (المخلوق). He is the Owner (المالك), and the universe is owned by Him (المملوك). He is the Master (المولي), and the universe is subject to His absolute dominion, authority, and command. The latter relation implies that the world metaphorically is Allah’s servant (عَبْدًا) and slave. Chapter Maryam (19:93) echoes the last relationship:

إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْدًا ﴿٩٣﴾

19:93 There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious as a slave.

The word “abd “(عبد) means slave and servant. The word “ibadah” (عبادة), derived from the word “abd” (عبد), means servitude: the state of being a slave or entirely subject to someone else’s authority. Therefore, “ibadah” (عبادة) has a connotation of obedience and submission with humility; this meaning is implied in some verses of the Qur’an.

For instance, in verse 36:60 (chapter Ya-Sin) the phrase (تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ) means “obeying Shaytan^[1]”:

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٦٠﴾

36:60 “Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not obey Shaytan. Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.”

Another instance is found in verse 23:47 (chapter Al-Mu’minun), where the phrase (وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَابِدُونَ) means “Their people are obedient to us.” When Prophet Musa went to Fir’awn and invited him to the religion of God, Fir’awn and his followers told each other, “Shall we believe in two men (who are) like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility!”

 فَقَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَابِدُونَ ﴿٤٧﴾

23:47: They (Fir`awn and his followers) said: “Shall we believe in two men (Musa and his brother Harun who are) like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility!”

Ibadah (عبادة) also means to worship a deity. Worship is defined as expressing humility, abasement, belittlement (خشوع و خضوع و تذلل) to divinity, and glorification and sanctification (تسبيح و تقديس) of its names and attributes. For instance, in the pre-Islamic era, the Bedouin of Arabia believed that Allah (SWT) delegated the affairs of the universe to various idols. Hence, the Bedouin placed idols in the Kaaba (کعبه) and offered sacrifices to seek their delights for securing their wellbeing.

In conclusion, “ibadah” (عبادة) means servitude, and it has a connotation of obedience and submission with humility. It also means worshipping a deity.

The essence of worship of Allah (SWT) is nothing but servitude or complete enslavement to Allah (SWT) with love and passion, and seeking joy in Allah’s delight, which could take many forms:

1. Obeying Him with love and affection
2. Praying to Him and calling on His name in times of difficulty
3. Praising, thanking, glorifying, and sanctifying His names
4. Prostrating before Him
5. Devoting life earnestly in promoting His virtuous causes

Any act of servitude to Allah (لِلَّـهِ) is considered worship. This latter broad definition is echoed in chapter Al-An’am (6:162-163), where the Prophet (SAW) said:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦٢﴾ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٦٣﴾

6:162-163 Say: “Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all that exists.”  “He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.”

A Subtle Literary Point: In Arabic grammar, when the object of a sentence precedes the subject, that sentence speaks exclusively about the object of the sentence. In the verse (إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ), the word (إِيَّاكَ), You, is the object and the word (نَعْبُدُ), we worship, is the subject. Since the object (إِيَّاكَ) is preceded by the subject (نَعْبُدُ), the verse thus implies “You alone, exclusively, no one else, we worship.” Similarly, (وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ) means “and to You alone, exclusively, no one else, we turn for help.”

Question: Does every act of reverence and obedience constitute worship? The answer is no. Only the reverence and obedience of a god (deity) is an act of worship, whereas obeying and respecting others does not constitute worship. For instance, obeying and respecting one’s parents is not considered worshipping parents.

Word-for-Word Translation:

1:5 [إِيَّاكَ] You alone [نَعْبُدُ] we worship [وَإِيَّاكَ] And You alone [نَسْتَعِينُ] we ask for help

Note:

[1]. Tfseer-e-Namona, Vol.18, P.425.