Does God need our worship?

[Star]

Salam everyone.

So I had a question--how come if God doesn't need anything, why does He want us to worship Him, and why does He punish us if we don't? Many people are born into extreme poverty and God is the one who's made them suffer, so why does He get mad if these people don't worship Him? Many people grow extremely sad and bitter after going through suffering and start disbelieving in God. But if He is the one who made them suffer, how can He be angry if they don't like Him?

[Hassan A]

Salaam mia666,

You asked:

"if God doesn't need anything...why does He want us to worship Him"

You are right in saying that God is not in need of us. I am, therefore, of the belief that Worshipping Him has been legislated for us solely for the benefit of humanity, on an individual as well as societal level. We must bear in mind that in Islam worshipping God does not simply consist of the five daily Prayers, fasting once a month every year, etc; but it also consist of acts such as giving charity (76:8-9; 2:110; 2:215; 2:273), forbidding the doing of evil, encouraging the doing of good (3:110;), defending the oppressed (4:75), standing up for justice (4:135), all of which, though placed under the umbrella of 'worshiping God', are actions which help us to elevate ourselves and our societies. Supplicating, imploring, praising God, and reciting verses from His revelation, though also under the umbrella of 'worshipping God', helps us in being ever-conscious of God and thus creates a strong sense within the individual to remove the evil within himself and in the community/environment he lives in, as well as to strive to establish the word of God within himself and within his community. Society is merely a conglomeration of individuals, and when individuals are spiritually and morally upright through the remembrance/worshiping of God, then society itself will also be upright. Therefore, Allah asks us to worship Him (by fulfilling the above acts) not so that He may benefit from it, but so that we (on an individual as well as societal level) may benefit from it/them.

You also asked:

"Many people are born into extreme poverty and God is the one who's made them suffer, so why does He get mad if these people don't worship Him?"

With respect I must ask why you believe God would get mad and inflict his punishment upon those who've been unfortunate enough to be born into extreme poverty? If those who've been unfortunate enough to be birthed into extreme poverty have no concept of God, and His existence and commandments have either never reached them or have never been clearly manifested to them then, as alluded to earlier, I find no reason why Allah would punish them, seeing as how He is full of mercy and forgiveness. It is only those who, though having been born into extreme poverty, deny the existence of God and rebel against Him even after His existence and commandments have been fully manifested to him/them that Allah will be displeased with; or He may choose to forgive them, given their unfortunate state.

UNDERSTANDING OUR TRIALS - WHY ME?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/understanding%20trials%20FM3.htm

WE WILL BE TESTED
http://quransmessage.com/articles/tests%20FM3.htm

[Star]

Salam

After reading your answer, I thought this through and decided that we don't get punished for offending God, because He can't be offended. Neither are we punished for harming others, because God will always compensate for them. We are punished for corrupting our own souls. Corrupting your own soul is what leads people to do bad things, whereas worshipping Allah purifies your soul. So by worshipping Him, you're not helping Him, you're just helping yourself. And purifying your soul is part of what you owe to God if you want to go to Jannah. By creating us, God did us a great service because He gave us the opportunity to earn eternal happiness in gardens (and in whatever other places you might want to visit once you're in Jannah). If you want to fulfill your duty to God, you have to purify your own soul. But God doesn't get offended if you don't worship Him, so you're not being punished for that, you're being punished for messing up your soul.

LOL. I hope that made some sense.

Mia

[Star]

Also, does Allah forgive disbelief if you repent? 4:168 says He doesn't, but there are other verses that say He does.

[Hamzeh]

Asalamu Alykum Mia


Whats important to note is that a "sin" is something and "disbelieving" is another thing.

A person is not in a state of disbelief if he/she had not rejected the truth.

The verse below is speaking to the people receiving the message of the Quran and telling them do not setup rivals while you know the truth of the matter. Before you may not of known but now you have been brought the truth.

(2:22) Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth)

The word "kaffaru" means disbelieved after truth has been made clear and known. If a person chooses to live his/her life as a disbeliever and die in that state of disbelief, God is telling us on the Day when we are called for Judgment, God will not forgive such a person.


From the following verse, I find that if a person has believed and accepted the truth, and then goes to let go of the truth(believing and worshipping God, and thinking about the Day of Judgment) and increases in disbelief, God will not accept their repentance. Also the second scenario is that if a person dies in a state of disbelief also God will not forgive them.

3:90-91 Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief: their repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray. (90) Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul). Theirs will be a painful doom and they will have no helpers

And also, for those people who have sins and transgressed against their souls in anyway, whether they setup rivals with God or not, who committed mischief, and think of themselves they are no good, God is telling them don't lose hope, despair not of the Mercy of God. He forgives all sins. Of course these are people who did not know and they did not have a messenger and were not guided before.

39:53 Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Again for people who believe and the message has been manifested and they know the truth, God warns them do not associate or make partners with God or worship anything other than God. He may forgive all sins even as a believer but "associating partners and worshipping other than God" they will not be forgiven. So a believer might make mistakes, might fall in sin throughout his/her life and make bad judgment and calls, but his belief is solely in God and relies on Him and asks for forgiveness and prays and repeatedly tries not to sin. He knows there will be answering for his ways on the Day of Judgment.

(4:115-116)And whoso opposeth the messenger after the guidance (of Allah) hath been manifested unto him, and followeth other than the believer's way, We appoint for him that unto which he himself hath turned, and expose him unto hell - a hapless journey's end! (115) Lo! Allah pardoneth not that partners should be ascribed unto Him. He pardoneth all save that to whom He will. Whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah hath wandered far astray.

you asked: "Also, does Allah forgive disbelief if you repent?"

I would say Despair not in the Mercy of God. If a person denied the truth somehow some way and he/she is shown the right away again from the Mercy of the Lord, and repents, believes, and righteousness then possibly yes. If they die in a state of disbelieve, God says that people which truth has been manifested to them and clearly shown the way and continue to deny God then no. On the Day of Judgment they will not be forgiven. That is the ultimate test at the end. These are the guidelines and rules set by God.

Peace

[Wakas]

By "worship" are you referring to the Arabic word "ibadah"? If so, "worship" is only one meaning of this word. In my view it more correctly means "serve".

Think of it like this:

If one were to service a machine, by simply doing one small positive act, such as oiling a cog-wheel (i.e a component of the machine), then whilst the act was done on only one part of the machine, it would be true to say that one served the whole of it.
This observation holds, no matter how many components the machine has, be it ten or billions.


I believe in this, lies the foundation to understanding the concept of serviing (ibadat) The God, as expressed in 'the reading' (al quran).

[Hamzeh]

Peace Wakas

Im assuming the question you posted was for me? If yes, I just meant worshipping in a general term. By doing the actions and following the ways God had ordained. You may call it "serve". I don't really see the difference in serving God or worshipping God. I mean in the end, God is the only one who should be worshipped. No one else.

Peace and Blessings