Submitting to God’s (SWT) commands at a personal level:

The first obligation of a Muslim to God(SWT)

The first and foremost obligation of a Muslim to God is to submit to His commands at a personal level.

The following four Qur’anic terms express the essence of personal submission in slightly different ways:Islam, obedience (ita`ah), abstinence (taqwa) and worship (`ibadah).

1. Islam

Islam is the most basic of these four terms.Literally it means to completely surrender, to give up resistance, and unquestioningly obey Divine commandments.The Qur’an requires of us that we enter Islam wholly:

O ye who believe! Enter into Islam wholly(Al-Baqarah 2:208)

There is no such thing as partial acceptance of Islam or partial obedience to God.It is unacceptable to obey certain commands and disregard others.If one is not prepared for an attitude of total submission then he/she must choose another path.Islam represents a case of “take it all or leave it all”.There cannot be any compromise in this principle.

2. Obedience (ita`ah)

Obedience represents the spirit of Islam from an enhanced perspective.While Islam signifies surrender and giving up any resistance, obedience denotes one’s willing submission in an active and positive sense.One’s resolve to observe the dictates of faith willingly is branded as obedience. The Qur’anic position is:

“Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, the duty of our Messenger is only to convey clearly.” (At-Taghabun:64:12)

What is stated in the definition of Islam also lies at the core of obedience (ita`ah), which is the “all or none” law.The Messenger, Prophet Muhammad a, had the duty of conveying the Divine message, a duty that he discharged in an exemplary fashion.If one who has received the message turns away from it, he/she will be solely responsible for this defiance and rebellion.There is no room for partial obedience.

3. Abstinence (taqwa)

The term abstinence approaches the concept of Islam from the opposite direction of `ita`ah. Whereas obedience represents an active and positive response to the requirements of Islam (submission), abstinence is its active but negative dimension.Implicit in the term are the following connotations:Avoiding any disobedience to divine commands, shunning any disobedience to God, entertaining the fear of His displeasure and striving for avoiding His punishment. Taqwa is a very comprehensive attitude and it is difficult to define this term in a single expression.The Qur’an comprehensively uses the term Taqwa in the following ayah:

O believers! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.(Al-i-‘Imran 3:102)

4. Worship (`ibadah)

This is perhaps the most comprehensive term regarding personal submission.As a term it might be defined as,“To surrender oneself completely out of love”.The Qur'an declares that the very purpose of the creation of human beings is to worship God, a point made in ayah 56 of Surah Az-Zariyat:

I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me. (Az-Zariyat 51:56)

The Arabic word "`ibadah" stands for both worshipping and praising, embracing the twin connotations of obedience and love.A person’s relationship with God is similar to the relationship between a master and his slave.A slave by definition submits his/her entire life to the will of the master.The distinction between a slave and a servant is crucial to understanding this concept.A slave is at the master’s beck and call twenty-four hours of the day, fulfilling every command, whereas a servant is merely an employee who is there for part of the day and then free to live as he/she desires.The former serves the master all the time and constantly, while the latter merely fulfils the terms of a mutually agreed upon contract.If a servant has chosen to work as a clerk, he/she is not obliged to do any other task unless there is an amendment to the contract and salary.Furthermore, a servant who is employed for particular hours will be paid overtime salary if asked to stay longer, and has the option of refusing to do so.The Persian poet, Sheikh Sa'di, draws attention to this truth in his profound couplet(translation):

Life has come for slavery                   Life devoid of slavery is shame.

Let us be absolutely clear that God’s servitude alone does not constitute worship.It should be permeated by extreme love and devotion.

Ref: An excerpt from the English translation of the Book دینی فرائض کا جامع تصورbyDr Israr Ahmad (RAA); “Obligations to God: A Comprehensive Islamic View”[Translated by Markazi Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur’an Lahore]

Complete Book Link: https://tanzeemdigitallibrary.com/Book/OBLIGATIONS_TO_GOD/10020/70152/80748/116361