All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Brethren in Faith! Your Lord knows what is in your hearts, and nothing of your affairs is hidden from Him, so fear Him and be conscious of Him. He shows Himself to you through His Names and Attributes and seek for your love through His favours and blessings. He loves the pious one, so hasten towards piety; He loves the righteous, so hasten towards righteous deeds; He loves the patient ones, so be patient and He loves those who put their trust in Him, so put your trust in Him if you are truly believers.

Fellow Muslims! Visitors to the Sacred House of Allaah! The first matter of importance to the human race and which its negligence leads to error and corruption on the earth is the matter of worshipping Allaah Alone.

Matter of worship is an inevitable matter for man, because he is naturally weak and dependent. He therefore, has one of the two choices: to direct his worship and submission to Allaah Alone and become a monotheist and happy or direct his worship to other creatures like idols, whims, earth, wealth, man-made laws, cultures and the like and become polytheist and unfortunate. Allaah says,

He also warns of the evil of following one's desires when He says, "Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his god? And Allaah knowing (him as such) left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allaah? Will you then not remember?"? (Al-Jaathiyah 45:23)

Dear Pilgrims! Worshipping of Allaah is the bridle that prevents mankind from falling into the abyss of lust and the only way that protects mankind from rebellion against the law of Allaah. Worshipping Allaah is the instrument that can keep man on the path of truth, righteousness and happiness. It is the real act of worship that can free man from manipulation and injustice of the powerful and unjust men as it also frees him from superstitions and whims. Defects in acts of worship therefore means defects in the system of life.

Brethren in Faith! Man cannot attain salvation, freedom and happiness except through worshipping Allaah, his Lord and Creator. Allaah says: "Say: Shall I seek a Lord other than Allaah while He is the Lord of all things."? (Al-An'aam 6:164)

It is by performing acts of worship that man can achieve real freedom and it is through submission to Allaah that he can attain glory. Man's glory and honour will be according to his submission to Allaah and his elevation to the ranks of human perfection will depend on his perfecting his worship to Allaah. It is then, that his life will be meaningful and his deeds fruitful.

Brethren in Islaam! What then is the essence of worship? Worship is the combination of deeds and sayings that emanates from one's tongue, heart and limbs and which Allaah loves and is pleased with.

Worship is obedience to Allaah with submission and disagreeing with one's desires as a sign of obedience and honour for Allaah. Worship should entail love and submission. The slave should therefore love Allaah and revere Him more than anything else. Hence, meaning of worship includes surrender and obedience to Allaah by carrying out all His commandments and abstaining from all that He forbids. He says,

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision."? (Al-Ahzaab 33:36)

Brethren in Faith! As for the fundamentals of worship, it is to have correct belief in all that Allaah says about Himself, His Names, Attributes, deeds, angels and all that are hidden from us about which the Messengers informed us and for the purpose of which Books were revealed; to worship Allaah Alone and deem Him above all that people associate with Him; to depend on Him, return to Him in repentance, fear Him Alone and hope for His pleasures and to be sincere in all these acts of worship; to be kind to parents, do good to the kith and kin, render trust to whom it is due, fulfil promises and to be kind to the neighbour, orphans and the needy.

Among acts of worship also are verbal deeds like, recitation of the Noble Qur'aan, remembrance of Allaah, saying the truth, enjoining good and forbidding evil, learning knowledge, abstention from apparent and hidden immoralities and shunning arrogance, showing off, haughtiness, jealousy, hypocrisy, backbiting and gossiping.

Worship is actually the religion as a whole. When Jibreel asked the Prophet About Islaam, faith and Ihsaan, the Prophet told his companions: "This is Jibreel. He came to teach you your religion."?

Brethren in Islaam! Being a slave of Allaah is the highest quality. It is a quality with which Allaah honoured His angels when He says, "They are but honoured slaves. They speak not until He has spoken and they act on His command."? (Al-Anbiyaa 21:26-27)

Being a slave of Allaah is a quality of honour for the Messengers and Prophets of Allaah, for they are the ones required to actualise the highest rank of worship. Allaah says: "And peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen."? (An-Naml 27:59)

He says about some of His Messengers: "And remember Our slaves Ibraheem, Is'haaq and Ya'qoob (all) owners of strength (in worshipping Us) and also of (religious) understanding."? (Saad 38:45)

As for Prophet Ayyoob the patient one, He says, "Truly, We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)."? (Saad 38:44)

As regards Eesaa, Allaah has elevated him to the position of being a slave of Him when He says, "He was not more than a slave. We granted Out favour to him."? (Az-Zukhruf 43:59)

As for the greatest of all Messengers, Muhammad, Allaah describes him of being His slave and worshipper in highest position of honour and He made him ascend the heavens from Baitul-Maqdis. Allaah says,

"Glorified and Exalted is He Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsaa (in Jerusalem) the neighbourhood thereof Our Aayaat (proofs, evidences, signs)."? (Al-Israa 17:1)

The Prophets are all in the highest ranks of being slaves to Allaah. The next in the ranks are the truthful slaves of Allaah, the matyrs, the fighters in the way of Allaah, the scholars and the righteous people. They are all in different ranks of worship of which nobody knows except Allaah and the most honourable of them in the sight of Allaah are the strongest, the most-guided and most-perfect in their worship of Him.

Fellow Muslims! It is through reflection over what is required of the slaves of Allaah, irrespective of their positions, that one can recognise the comprehensiveness and subtleness inherent in belief, acts of worship, other acts of obedience and good manners that Islaam teaches. Allaah says,

"Say (O Muhammad) to My slaves who have believed that they should perform prayers and spend in charity out of the sustenance We have given them, secretly and openly."? (Ibraaheem 14:31)

He also says, "And say to My slaves that they should only say those words that are the best."? (Al-Israa 17:53)

He says, "Say! O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins."? (Az-Zumar 39:53)

As for the beautiful characters of His slaves, He says, "And the (faithful) slaves of the Most-Gracious (Allaah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness."?

In describing their worship He says, "And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrating and standing."?

In describing their fear for Hell He says, "And those who say: Our Lord avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever as inseparable, permanent punishment."?

In describing their actualization of the Oneness of Allaah and their shunning of major sins He says, "And those who invoke not any other god with Allaah nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden except for just cause nor commit illegal sexual intercourse."? (Al-Furqaan 25:63-68)

Brethren in Faith! Sincere acts of worship elevate soul, refine man, make him give preference to good deeds over evil ones, make him remember his standing in front of his Lord on the Day of Resurrection and remind him of Allaah's knowledge and greatness. Correct worship brings great impact and tranquillity to the soul and mind and it is the greatest quality that man can achieve in this life that can make him attain happiness, pleasure of Allaah and Paradise. The Messenger of Allaah said: Allaah says,

"O Son of Aadam! Occupy yourself with My worship, I will fill your heart with wealth and cater for your needs. But if you do not do that, I will fill your heart with worldly matters and will not meet your needs."? (Ibn Maajah)

Allaah says, "And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led right."? (Al-Baqarah 2:186)

Brethren in Faith! Of the things that help to attain perfection in acts of worship is concentration, sincerity, purification of the heart and humbleness to Allaah.

Fellow Muslims! Every act of worship has suitable preparations. When preparing for prayer, one must perform ablution, go to the mosque early and walk to the mosque in tranquillity with a prepared mind. In preparing for Hajj or Umrah, one must return trusts to whom they are due, earn from lawful means, select good company and abide by the etiquettes of journey. It is mandatory to abstain from all that can disrupt one's acts of worship and free one's mind from worldly affairs and give one's total attention to one's Lord.

It should also be borne in mind that, none of our acts of worship benefits Allaah and that none of our sins harm Him. He says in a Qudsee Hadeeth,

"O My slaves, if the first and last of you and all men and jinns among you were to be as pious as the most pious one among you, that will not increase anything in My Kingdom and if the first and the last of you and all the men and jinns among you were to be as sinful as the most sinful one among you, that will not decrease anything of My Kingdom."?

Inspite of all this, Allaah loves the pious, the righteous, the patient the oft-returning in repentance and those who purify themselves.

Fear Allaah then and ask Him to help you to remember Him, thank Him and worship Him as it is due.