Work is a Form of Worship

I grew up believing that coupling faith with hard work is a divine way for a person to live their life. I also never forgot my father’s words: “An idle’s mind is the devil’s playground”. He spent his life working tirelessly, investing in his skills in a way that pleases Allah, and motivating others to make good use of their time to benefit themselves and society.

Work is worship because we’re putting the organs, senses, and awareness granted to us by God into beneficial and resourceful action. Allah didn’t create us in vain; there was a very clear and direct reason for our creation that appears in the following verses:

“Did you think that We had created you in play“

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً – Quran 15;115
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It means, “did you think that you were created in vain, with no purpose, with nothing required of you and no wisdom on Our part”. It was said that “in play” meant to play and amuse oneself, like animals who were created with no reward or punishment. But you, humans, were created to worship Allah and carry out His commands.

Our duty in life is to remember Allah, worship him, search for him and find him in every chore or work we do. All it takes is remembrance and a sprinkle of beauty from within, as He is with us, among us, and guiding us in every single thing we perform.

Mingling your personal profit or benefit with remembrance and acceptance alters your work into worship. Without work our life is meaningless.

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.“

JOHN THE BAPTIST 6:27
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We are God’s most perfect creations. We are granted countless blessings, abilities, talents and skills–not to waste, but to make use of, or else we would be acting against God’s will.   What’s more, He granted us the apex of blessings, “The Intellect”.

    “We have certainly created man in the best of stature“

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ – Quran 95:4
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Working hard to keep the world going on, is worship, as we were assigned to assemble life on this Earth in the best way possible. Investing in our intelligence, skills, capability and potential is worship. Finding joy in our performance is worship.