The Concept of Ibadah: The Understanding of Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 A.H.)

The below is a translation of a facebook post by Dr. Sultan al-Umayri.

Anyone examining the writings of early Imams will find that they did not focus extensively on defining the specific terms within the concept of Ibadah itself, likely due to the clarity and obviousness of its meaning to them. However, a careful study of their statements and analyses reveals numerous instances that clearly indicate their understanding of Ibadah. Among the scholars from whom we can derive a comprehensive understanding of Ibadah through his general writings is Imam al-Nawawi. His foundational principles and detailed explanations provide valuable insights into this issue. A thorough review of his work suggests that the concept of Ibadah does not necessarily require belief in the independent Rububiyyah, influence, or rivalry with Allah. Furthermore, the essence of polytheism can apply to an individual without them attributing any form of Rububiyyah to the created being. His statements that support this view are numerous, including:

The First Instance:

Al-Nawawi discusses the status of pagans and how they enter Islam:

الوثني إذا قال: لا إله إلا الله، فإن كان يزعم أن الوثن شريك لله تعالى، صار مؤمنا. وإن كان يرى أن الله تعالى هو الخالق ويعظم الوثن لزعمه أنه يقربه إلى الله تعالى، لم يكن مؤمنا حتى يتبرأ من عبادة الوثن

"If a pagan says, 'There is no god but Allah,' and he used to claim that the idol is a partner of Allah, he becomes a believer. But if he believes that Allah is the Creator and venerates the idol, thinking it brings him closer to Allah, he does not become a believer (by merely asserting there is god but Allah) until he [explicitly] renounces idol worship."[1]

Al-Nawawi's statement implies that a pagan idolater has two scenarios:

1. They venerate their idol, believing it to share in Allah’s Rububiyyah, either as equal or subordinate.

2. They venerate the idol without believing in its Rububiyyah, but rather to seek proximity to Allah.

This distinction indicates that, according to al-Nawawi—and those who agree with him among the Shafi'i scholars—polytheism can manifest in a person without them attributing Rububiyyah characteristics to a created being.

One might ask: How can the concept of Rububiyyah be inferred when al-Nawawi only mentions creatorship? It is said in response: The structure and division of his statement imply that by 'creatorship,' he means all aspects of Rububiyyah, as he equates the lack of creatorship with merely seeking proximity. It is also unlikely that al-Nawawi would limit the criteria of polytheism to creatorship alone, or that he would restrict idolaters to those whom equate their idols with Allah to this attribute alone, as such a group is extremely rare. I consulted with a Shafi'i scholar, presenting my understanding of al-Nawawi's statement, and he confirmed and approved it.

The Second Instance:

When discussing the concept of Ibadah, al-Nawawi states:

العبادة فهي الطاعة مع خضوع , فيحتمل أن يكون المراد بالعبادة هنا معرفة الله تعالى والإقرار بوحدانيته فعلى هذا يكون عطف الصلاة والصوم والزكاة عليها لإدخالها في الإسلام .... ويحتمل أن يكون المراد بالعبادة الطاعة مطلقا فيدخل جميع وظائف الإسلام فيها

" Ibadah is obedience coupled with humility. It is possible that 'Ibadah' here means knowing Allah and acknowledging His oneness; thus, including prayer, fasting, and Zakah under the umbrella of Islam… It could also mean absolute obedience, encompassing all the duties prescribed by Islam."[2]

In this context, al-Nawawi defines Ibadah as based on obedience and humility. When we combine this explanation with his categorization of the pagan's conditions, it becomes evident that attributing Rububiyyah to a created being is not a prerequisite for Ibadah.

The Third Instance:

When discussing the views of his companions and others on the definition of Ibadah, al-Nawawi states:

واختلف العلماء في حد العبادة , فقال الأكثرون العبادة الطاعة لله تعالى , والطاعة موافقة الأمر وكذا نقل هذا عن المصنف. وذكر المصنف في كتابه في الحدود الكلامية الفقهية خلافا في العبادة , فقال : العبادة والتعبد والنسك بمعنى , وهو الخضوع والتذلل , فحد العبادة ما تعبدنا به على وجه القربة والطاعة. قال : وقيل : العبادة طاعة الله تعالى , وقيل : ما كان قربة لله تعالي وامتثالا لا مره. قال : وهذان الحدان فاسدان , لأنه قد يكون الشيء طاعة وليس بعبادة ولا قربة , وهو النظر والاستدلال إلى معرفة الله تعالى في ابتداء الأمر. وقال إمام الحرمين في كتابه "الأساليب في مسائل الخلاف" : العبادة التذلل والخضوع بالتقرب إلى المعبود بفعل ما أمر. وقال المتولي في كتابه في الكلام : العبادة فعل يكلفه الله تعالى عباده مخالفا لما يميل إليه الطبع على سبيل الابتلاء , وقال الماوردي في الحاوي : العبادة ما ورد التعبد به قربة لله تعالى وقيل أقوال أخر وفيما ذكرناه كفاية

"Scholars have differed on the definition of Ibadah. Most say that Ibadah is obedience to Allah, and obedience means complying with His commands. This is also reported by the author. In his book on terminological and jurisprudential definitions, the author mentions a disagreement on Ibadah, stating: 'Ibadah, devotion, and religious rites mean submission and humility. Thus, the definition of Ibadah is what we practice as a form of closeness and obedience to Allah. It is also said that Ibadah is obedience to Allah, or it is what brings one closer to Allah and fulfils His commands.' However, these two definitions are flawed, as something can be obedience without being Ibadah or bringing one closer to Allah, such as contemplation and reasoning to know Allah initially. Imam al-Haramayn in his book 'Al-Asalib fi Masa'il al-Khilaf' says: 'Ibadah is humility and submission by drawing close to the worshiped through acts of obedience.' Al-Mutawalli in his book on Kalam says: ' Ibadah is an act that God imposes on His servants contrary to what their nature desires as a test.' Al-Mawardi in 'Al-Hawi' says: ' Ibadah is what is prescribed as an act of devotion to God.' There are other statements, but what we have mentioned suffices."[3]

This text offers a reasonably clear indication of the concept of Ibadah, showing that all the definitions provided by the early Shafi'i scholars do not restrict the concept of Ibadah to the belief in the Rububiyyah of the created being, either independently or influentially. If there were such an implication, al-Nawawi would not have mentioned that among the polytheists are those who do not believe in the Rububiyyah of their worshiped entities.

‎The Fourth Instance:

When al-Nawawi discussed the actions that might be considered Ibadah, and the factors that make them so, he did not mention the restriction to Rububiyyah. Instead, he highlighted concepts of veneration and Ibadah as he defined them in his works. For instance, he says:

أما لذبح لغير الله فالمراد به أن يذبح باسم غير الله تعالى كمن ذبح للصنم أو الصليب أو لموسى أو لعيسى صلى الله عليهما أو للكعبة ونحو ذلك فكل هذا حرام ولا تحل هذه الذبيحة سواء كان الذابح مسلما أو نصرانيا أو يهوديا نص عليه الشافعي واتفق عليه أصحابنا فإن قصد مع ذلك تعظيم المذبوح له غير الله تعالى والعبادة له كان ذلك كفرا فإن كان الذابح مسلما قبل ذلك صار بالذبح مرتدا

"As for sacrificing for anyone other than Allah, it means to sacrifice in the name of other than Allah, such as sacrificing for an idol, a cross, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them), or the Ka’bah and the like. All of this is forbidden, and the meat of such a sacrifice is not permissible, whether the one who performs the sacrifice is a Muslim, Christian, or Jew. This is explicitly stated by al-Shafi'i and agreed upon by our scholars. If, in addition to this, the person intends to venerate and worship the sacrificed entity other than Allah, it becomes an act of disbelief. If the sacrificer was a Muslim before this act, he becomes an apostate by performing the sacrifice."[4]

Al-Nawawi identified the influential factor distinguishing the scenarios as the belief in veneration and worship. He has elaborated on the nature of each of these aspects in his works, and thus his words should be interpreted according to his definitions, not others'. If the influential factor for him in these scenarios were the belief in the Rububiyyah of the sacrificed or prostrated entity, he would have mentioned it for clarity and to avoid misunderstanding, as indicated in his other writings.

A Potential Objection:

One might argue: Al-Nawawi mentions that the polytheists believe that stones can benefit and harm by themselves (bi-dhatiha), as he comments on Umar ibn al-Khattab’s statement about the Black Stone:

وإنما قال وإنك لا تضر ولا تنفع لئلا يغتر بعض قربى العهد بالإسلام الذين كانوا ألفوا عبادة الأحجار وتعظيما ورجاء نفعها وخوف الضر بالتقصير في تعظيمها وكان العهد قريبا بذلك فخاف عمر رضي الله عنه أن يراه بعضهم يقبله ويعتني به فيشتبه عليه فبين أنه لا يضر ولا ينفع بذاته

"He said this to prevent some new converts to Islam, who were accustomed to worshiping stones and held them in reverence, hoping for their benefit and fearing harm by neglecting to venerate them. The recentness of their conversion meant that Umar feared they might see him kiss the stone and mistakenly think it has the power to benefit or harm by themselves (bi-dhatihi)."[5]

This is not problematic because the phrase "by itself" (bi-dhatihi) does not necessarily indicate that he means the stone has independent power to benefit or harm in a way that rivals or equals Allah. It could imply that they believe Allah has placed the power to benefit and harm within the stone. This is similar to the scholars' saying: "Reason perceives goodness and evil by itself," (العقل يحسن ويقبح بذاته) which does not mean that reason independently, apart from God, discerns good and evil, but that it inherently has the capacity to recognize them. Al-Nawawi himself says:

العقل لا يوجب شيئا ولا يحسنه ولا يقبحه ، وإنما يقع ذلك بحسب العادة لا بذاته

"Reason does not necessitate anything, nor does it render something good or evil by itself; this is determined by custom, not by reason itself (bi-dhatihi)."[6]

Even if we accept that al-Nawawi means the Arabs believed the stone could benefit and harm independently of Allah, it does not imply that he restricts the concept of Ibadah to the belief in Rububiyyah. It simply means that he recognizes that some polytheists hold this belief, and he also notes that there is another group who does not hold such a belief, as mentioned earlier.

Recommended Reading:

Ibadah Discourse

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[1] Rawdat at-Talibeen, vol. 10, p. 84

[2] Sharh Saheeh Muslim, vol. 1, p. 162

[3] Al-Majmu’, vol. 1, p. 312

[4] Sharh Saheeh Muslim, vol. 13, p. 141

[5] Ibid., vol. 9, p. 17

[6] Ibid., vol. 12, p. 205