In another wording he said, “Supplication is worship.” This version is more authentic than the wording, “Supplication is the marrow of worship,” although both convey the same meaning.

Taken together, the two wordings underscore the greatness of supplication and show that it is the highest form of worship. The Prophet ﷺ likewise declared, “Ḥajj is ʿArafah,” meaning that standing on the plain of ʿArafah during the pilgrimage is the most important pillar of Ḥajj; it does not mean that the entire pilgrimage is nothing but ʿArafah. In the same way, worship is not confined to supplication, yet supplication is its most exalted expression. For this reason he said, “Supplication is worship,” so as to magnify its rank and clarify its standing.

The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—then cited proofs for the acts of worship he had listed: fear, hope, tawakkul (reliance), raghbah (eager longing), rahbah (awe), khushūʿ (humble submission), khashyah (reverential dread), inābah (turning in repentance), istiʿānah (seeking help), istiʿādhah (seeking refuge), sacrificial slaughter, vows, and every other form of worship that Allah has commanded, all of which must be devoted solely to Him. He, Exalted is He, said: