The Purpose Of All Religious Practice
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
55. All [religious] practice prescribes the remembrance of God, and to
achieve this remembrance is its goal. God says, ‘And establish regular prayer for My remembrance.’
[20:14]‘My remembrance’ is said to have an active sense: ‘In order that I
[God] might remember you thereby.’ It is also said to refer to the One
remembered: ‘That you might remember Me thereby,’ with the letter lam [in
‘li-dhikrii’, ‘for My remembrance’] in both cases expressing purpose. Others, however, argue that the lam carries a sense of time:
‘Establish the prayer when I am mentioned’, as in the verse,
‘Establish the prayer at the sun’s setting’ [17:78] or the verse,
‘And We all set up the scales with justice on the Day of Judgment’
[21:47] In these two verses, time is certainly meant, but [in the present case]
this explanation is merely an opinion. The difference is that [in the letter two
verses], the lam of time precedes the nouns of time [‘the Sun’s
setting’ and ‘the Day of Judgment’]; whereas [in the first verse], it
precedes a noun [‘My remembrance’] derived from a verb, unless [we agree
that] an expression of time is understood, so that the verse means ‘at [the
time of] My remembrance’ - which is possible. However, lam most plainly expresses purpose. The verse means
‘Establish the prayer for the sake of My remembrance.’ This includes the fact
that the prayer is offered at the time that God is remembered; and the fact that
when the servant remembers his Lord, God’s remembrance of him has preceded his
remembrance of God. For when God remembers His servant, it inspires the servant
to remember Him. Therefore, all three meanings are correct. God has also said: ‘Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and
establish the prayer. Verily, the prayer restrains from shameful and unjust
deeds. And God’s remembrance is greater.’ [29:45] It has been said that this
means, ‘In prayer you remember God and He remembers you, and His remembrance of
you is greater than your remembrance of Him.’ According to Ibn `Abbas, Salman,
Abu l-Darda’ and Ibn Mas`ud, this is the meaning. And Ibn Abi l-Dunya related
from Fudayl ibn Marzuq that `Atiyya said that “And God’s remembrance is
greater” [29:45] is “Remember Me, I shall remember you.” [2:152] His
remembrance of you is greater than your remembrance of Him.’ Ibn Zayd and Qatada, however, held that it meant the remembrance of God is
greater than everything. And when Salman was asked, ‘Which is the best
practice?’ he answered, ‘Do you not read the Qur’an: “And God's remembrance
is greater “?’ [29:45] This is supported by the hadith from Abu
l-Darda’ already quoted above: ‘Should I tell you which of your deeds is best?
Which purifies you most before your Sovereign ... and is better for you than
giving away gold and silver?’ The Shaykh of Islam Abu l-`Abbas [ibn Taymiyya] said, ‘The correct
understanding of the verse is that the prayer has two major purposes, one
greater than the other: prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds and
contains the remembrance of God Most High; the remembrance of God contained in
the prayer is [something] greater than the restraint from shameful deeds and
injustice.’ Ibn Abi l-Dunya said that when Ibn `Abbas was asked which deed was most
excellent, he answered, ‘And God’s remembrance is greater.’ In the
Sunan, [there is a hadith from `A’isha where the Prophet says, ‘The
circumambulation around the House, the course between Safa and Marwa and the
casting of stones at the Pillars are [all] for maintaining the remembrance of
God Most High.’ This hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi, and
is considered both good and sound [Tirmidhi, Hajj, 826; Abu Dawud, Manasik,
1612]. 56. The most excellent of those who perform any practice are people who do it
with the greatest remembrance of God. The most excellent of those who fast are
people who remember God most in their fasting. The most excellent of those who
give charity are people who remember God most [in their giving]. The most
excellent of those who make the pilgrimage are people who remember God most [in
their pilgrimage]. And the same holds true for all other practices. Ibn Abi l-Dunya mentioned a hadith reliably transmitted from the first
generation [Mursal, literally ‘hurried’: a hadith with a chain of
transmission which is reliable but which only goes back to the ‘generation of
followers’ (al-tabi`un)] that when the Prophet was asked which of the people who
frequented the mosque were best, he answered, ‘Those who remember God most.’
When asked which of the people who attended a funeral were best, he answered,
‘Those who remember God most.’ When asked which wariors were best, he answered,
‘Those who remember God most.’ When asked which pilgrims were best, he answered,
‘Those who remember God most.’ And when asked which of those who visited the
sick [read as `ayyaad, ‘those who visit’. In some versions, this is read as
`ibaad, or ‘the worshippers’] were best, he said, ‘Those who remember God most.’
At which Abu Bakr said, ‘Those who remember have taken all the good!’ [Bayhaqi,
Shu`ab al-Iman, 558, but with slightly different wording] Said `Ubayd ibn `Umayr, ‘If you find this night too long for standing, and
you find Yourselves too worried about your money to give it away and too
cowardly to fight your enemy, then invoke God Most High abundantly.’ [Isfahani,
Hilya, 3.267]
Courtesy Of: Islaam.com