KNOWLEDGE BEFORE WORSHIP

Career, money, house, car, these and other worldly pursuits are the things that Muslims of today,
unfortunately, deem more important and thus give more priority to compared to their spiritual
growth. Parents of todays Muslim generation are influenced by a society wherein it is norm for
their children to be sent to schools that offer different kind of studies like sciences, technologies,
engineering, etc. in the hope of equipping them with the credentials and qualifications
necessary to build lucrative careers in the future. This is anchored from the understandably,
humanly desire for greener pastures, or to attain some level of financial security. And the
common mentality is that our professional careers will serve as the leeway to these. However, the
sad consequence is that in the course of pursuing these objectives, which are basically transient
in nature, we neglect what is more lasting and profoundly fulfilling: the cultivation of our
spirituality.
In an attempt to attain some balance between the aspect of the material and the aspect of the
spiritual, many Muslim brothers and sisters tend to incorporate what is only mechanical in the
religion of Islam into their lives: the daily prayers, compliance to fasting during Ramadan,
observance of the veil, and what have you. Actually, these are all noble acts of worship per se,
however it becomes mechanical when the person who performs the aforementioned practices,
does it in a half-hearted manner. Because it is what the religion prescribed. Yet, their minds and
hearts are not into it. And the reason why people cannot commit both their hearts and minds into
something is that they lacked sufficient knowledge (about it). And this is the growing problem
prevalent among Muslims today. For example, a career-oriented Muslim man spends a bulk of
his time acquiring expertise and improving the skills necessary in his chosen profession to
outperform his colleagues and therefore gain a promotion. In recognizing his positive
contributions, the company he works for thus compensates and rewards him accordingly. And the
Muslim man sees this and devotes more and more of his time to work (with the monetary gain in
his mind). At the periphery, he is aware that he should apportion a time for his religion. So, when
the Month of Ramadan1 comes, he observes fasting. When its the day of Eidil Fitri2, he joins the
congregational prayer. When he marries, the ceremony is performed under Islamic rites. But the
question is, does he understand why he is doing all of these things? When he fasts, does he
appreciate the essence of sacrifice or does he detest every minute he is required to work while
thirsty and hungry, and when something goes wrong in his office his temper flares up and is
projected upon his co-workers? When he prays, does he understand the verses he moves his lips
1 Month of Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar which fasting is an
obligatory act for all Muslims
2 Eid al-Fitr means, feast of breaking the fast. It is the first day of the month of
Shawwal, the 10th month

to utter, or does he just intend to go through all the lifting and raising and prostrating for the sake
of completing the act? When he marries, is he marrying because he already has enough spared
money to carry the responsibility of providing for another, or is he doing it because he intends
for that someone to complete his faith, that he wants not just to grown in number i.e. children,
with her, but also to grow in a holistic span e.g. emotional, spiritual, mental, etc., with her as
they mold their lives into one? Does he even know what to say during the marital declaration?
Furthermore, will he mean what he will say?
Many of us worship without knowledge in an attempt to salvage a portion of our spirituality
amidst our work-laden lives. We do what we see the Muslims in general are doing e.g. pray, fast,
etc., without attempting to acquire knowledge for ourselves first, as a Muslim individual. We are
actually just imitating and this can be dangerous instead of beneficial! That is why Ibn-Qayim
Al Jauziyyah3, said A person who acts without knowledge is like someone who travels without
a guide, and it is known that a person like this will likely be more destroyed than saved.4
I do not mean to discourage Muslim brothers and sisters from setting material goals for
themselves or their children, or to encourage passivity or apathy in their worldly affairs. I just
intend to remind them that in reaching for the goals that we have set, be it our careers, wealth, or
even building our dream house, we need to be guided. Or else we will inevitably be led astray.
Even as these things provide comfort to our lives, they can be instruments through which Iblis5
had replicated. They can function like Iblis deviates us from our true purpose. And what could
provide us with more guidance than our religion, Islam? Therefore, more than anything else, we
should consider acquiring knowledge of our religion as our primary priority. When we grasp
the meaning of Islam wholly with both our hearts and minds through the pursuit of knowledge
(about the religion), what used to be perfunctory turns profound, what used to be merely a
religion becomes a way of life. Hence, we are now capable of practicing Islam in the right way.
We are given the faculty of the mind because it is meant to be utilized. And as Muslims, the right
way to do this is to study and learn about Islam: Islamic Theology, Jurisprudence, Islamic
History, etc. And because the Quran, which is the greatest miracle of Allah (s.w.t.6) sent to our
beloved Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.w.7), is written in Arabic. It is encouraged that we supposed
to learn the message of God in the language it was sent. Not only through the translations of
3 Known as Ibn Al-Qayyim (1292-1350 CE) was an Arab Sunni Islamic Jurist, Quran
commentator, and theologian
4 Miftah Daar As-Sa'ada, 1/82-83
5 In Islam, Iblis is the hubristic devil who refused to bow for Adam
6 (s.w.t) stands for subhanahu wa taala. In English means, The most Glorified, The
most High

previous scholars. For it is said that the Quran cannot be translated into any language, not even
Arabic. The words of God contain mysteries only the unswerving pursuers of Faith can unravel.
And in our journey towards the religion of Islam, we must keep in mind the message of Imam
Ali8 (a.s9.), as he says, The first thing to know about religion, is to know Him10.

7 (s.a.w.w) stands for sallallahu alaihi wa alihi wa sallam. Means, peace and
blessings be upon him and his family
8 Imam Ali is the first cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad and the
successor after him
9 (a.s.) stands for alaihis salaam. In English means, peace be with him
10 Nahj Al-Balagha : 39, Subhi Saleh Edition