The difficulty of researching the Islamic value system does not stem fundamentally from any ambiguity in the subject matter or obscurity in its facets. Rather, it is due to its vastness, its sprawling dimensions, and the breadth of its aims. And why not? Researching this system is effectively a research into Islam in its entirety. It is the religion of values that commanded—first and foremost—and called for—before anything else—a supreme human and spiritual value: reading and the reception of knowledge aimed at building humanity in the present and the future.

From Revelation to the Perfection of Religion

Between the first command of revelation and the final declaration of perfection lies the foundation of Islamic ethics. Between the two noble verses:

“{Recite in the name of your Lord who created}” [Al-Alaq: 1]

and:

“{This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion}” [Al-Ma’idah: 3]

Over the course of twenty-three years—the journey of Prophethood and nearly a quarter-century of divine revelation between heaven and earth—a massive reservoir of Islamic values was accumulated. These values brought the entire world out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge, from weakness to strength, and from humiliation to glory.

The Core Values: Monotheism and Equality

“Monotheism” (Tawhid) was the first value Islam planted in society. It grew and flourished within its fold until it became the organic bond connecting believers—a bond in God, and a connection among people.

Islam soon followed this with the value of “Equality,” declaring publicly for all to witness that: “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab except by piety and righteous deeds.” This principle had the greatest impact on Islam’s spread among various peoples and nations.

Integrating Values with Legislation

As Islamic values continued to unfold, it became necessary to have a system to embody them in reality. It was essential to link moral values to Islamic legislative rulings, whether devotional or organizational.

God Almighty summarized the moral virtues that lead humanity to the Straight Path in half a verse of His Noble Book:

“{Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives}”

Just as He summarized the vices that corrupt the social order—or signal the ruin of civilization, as Ibn Khaldun put it—in the second half:

“{and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression}”

In this statement and admonition lies provision for every thoughtful person: “{He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded}” [An-Nahl: 90].

The Function of Worship: Bridging Belief and Reality

If correct Doctrine (Aqidah) is what connects a human being firmly to their Creator and links the visible world with the unseen, then the various forms of Worship (Ibadah) in Islam are proof of the doctrine’s flow into the limbs and souls.

The believer sees by the light of God, facing their day by standing before Him, asking for aid to face life’s difficulties. In this way, “Worship” represents a fundamental part of the Islamic system. It makes the Islamic worldview alive in the souls, transferring it from:

  • The realm of abstract thought to the realm of practical application.
  • A system of commands and prohibitions to the spaciousness of the mind, heart, and conscience.

Furthermore, worship is the effective means that transports a human being from the state of intellectual conviction regarding God’s existence to the station of sensing His majesty. It reminds the believer of God’s knowledge of what “{the breasts conceal}” [Ghafir: 19], and the inevitability of meeting Him:

“{The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children, But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart}” [Ash-Shu’ara: 88-89].

Worship, Vicegerency, and Empowerment

Worship in Islam constantly reminds the Muslim of their true position in existence and their Vicegerency (Khilafah) on earth. God Almighty linked sincere worship with Empowerment (Tamkin) in His Noble Book:

“{Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth… and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion… [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me.}” [An-Nur: 55]

Reaching this station (knowing man’s position in existence) requires one to first understand the reality of rituals and their devotional purpose so that performing them becomes a beacon illuminating the path.

Rationality and Wisdom in Worship

It would be unwise regarding the Creator to have imposed worship void of meaning or wisdom. God equipped humans with minds to perceive distant ends. The Quran repeatedly appeals to reason:

  • “{Then will you not reason?}” [Al-Anbiya: 10]
  • “{That you might understand}” [Yusuf: 2]
  • “{Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses that you might use reason}” [An-Nur: 61]
  • “{Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought}” [Ar-Ra’d: 3]

Conclusion: Answering the Existential Questions

Returning to the possibility of exploring man’s position in existence by contemplating the purpose of worship, we can say: Worship in Islam mediates between Doctrine (Aqidah) and Transactions (Mu’amalat).

  • Doctrine connects man to his Creator, transcending other ties.
  • Worship connects the practitioner to their life, reality, humanity, and purpose.

The true believer realizes that attaining the highest levels of human consciousness is linked to realizing their position in the universe. The essence of worship in Islam answers the three questions that have baffled humanity: Where from? Where to? And why?

The Quranic verse:

“{And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me}” [Adh-Dhariyat: 56]

This expresses the grand purpose for which God Almighty delegated humanity, a trust so heavy that the heavens and earth declined it:

“{Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant}” [Al-Ahzab: 72].

By Mohamed Helmy Abdel Wahab