16
The Types of Worship Allah Has Enjoined and the Evidence for Each Type
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The Creator of these things is the One Who rightfully deserves worship. Among the forms of worship that Allah has commanded are Islam, iman (faith), and ihsan (excellence) [10].”
…“He spread the earth out for you as a carpet” (Nuh 19), that is, He laid it level; “and as a resting-place,” meaning that you may lie upon it, sleep on it, build on it, cultivate its surface, and journey over it wherever you wish. Thus the earth is both couch and cradle: “We spread out the earth—how excellent a layer we are!” (adh-Dhariyat 48), all for your benefit.
“And the sky as a structure”: the sky is the earth’s roof, containing things that serve humanity. “He sent down water from the sky, and by it brought forth fruits as provision for you; so do not set up rivals to Allah while you know” (al-Baqarah 2:22).
(10) Having established that the Lord is the only object of worship and having adduced the verse, “O mankind, worship your Lord who created you and those before you, so that you may become God-fearing” (al-Baqarah 2:21), the shaykh cites Ibn Kathir’s commentary on the verse to explain the categories of worship and the proofs for each. In Arabic, the root meaning of ‘ibada (worship) is humility and submission; hence a tariq muʿabbad is a road that has been subdued and smoothed by continual walking.
أنواع العبادة التي أمر الله بها وأدلة كل نوع
قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ ﵀ تَعَالَى: الخَالِقُ لِهَذِهِ الأَشْيَاءَ هُوَ الْمُسْتَحِقُّ لِلْعِبَادَةِ. وَأَنْوَاعُ الْعِبَادَةِ الَّتِي أَمَرَ اللهُ بِهَا مِثْلُ الإِسْلامِ وَالإِيمَانِ والإحسان [١٠]
﴿جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا﴾ [نوح: ١٩] . أي مبسوطة، وفراشا، أي: تفترشونها، تنامون عليها، تبنون عليها، تزرعون على ظهورها، تسيرون عليها في سفركم أينما تريدون، فالأرض فراش ومهاد: ﴿وَالْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَاهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمَاهِدُونَ﴾ [الذاريات: ٤٨] لأجل مصالحكم.
والسماء بناء: فالسماء سقف الأرض، وفيها مصالح للعباد ﴿وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ .
[١٠] لما بين الشيخ أن الرب هو المعبود واستدل بقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾ استشهد بكلام ابن كثير ﵀ في تفسيره للآية، وأراد أن يبين أنواع العبادة، وأدلة كل نوع، فالعبادة في اللغة معناها: التذلل والخضوع، ومنه طريق معبد: يعني مذلل مخضع بالمشي عليه.