Worship [‘ibādah] has value when it is not superficial. In fact, it should be associated with cognizance of the heavenly leader and his guardianship [wilāyah] and associated with humility and its particular disciplines.
Hadrat ‘Alī (‘a) was encumbered by a group of holier-than-thou prayer performers who were known in history under the labels, Māriqūn and Khawārij.[1] They were those whose foreheads were calloused on account of long and frequent prostrations in prayer. Yet, they revolted against ‘Alī (‘a) and unsheathed their swords against him. We also read in the hadīths that when the Imām of the Time (‘a) would appear, a group of mosques will act against him.
Do not imagine that those who had gone to Karbalā’ to kill Imām al-Husayn (‘a) were all neglectors of prayer [tārik aṣ-ṣalāh]. In fact, they used to even attend congregational prayers! Mu‘āwiyah and Yazīd themselves were mosque-goers!
Yes, worship, which is associated with ignorance [jahālah], regards killing the most devoted worshipper [‘ābid] among mankind as the greatest form of worship, and goes to kill ‘Alī (‘a) on the Night of Power [laylah al-qadr] with the aim of seeking nearness to Allah!
Not only prayer but in fact all other forms of worship should be associated with cognizance of the leader of truth and obedience to him. It has been stated in the traditions that God has made Ḥajj obligatory so that the people could gather around His House and establish communication with the infallible Imāms (‘a) at this center of gathering. Nowadays, however, millions of people gather around the Ka‘bah but because they have no divine leader they have been splintered, and in spite of having this center of unity and economic leverage, they sill suffer setbacks from a handful of Jews!
Yes, Islam is a totality which is indivisible. Prayer without the acknowlegment of guardianship [wilāyah] is unacceptable. Prayer without the payment of zakāh is invalid. In the same manner, alms-giving without the performance of prayer is nullified.
The precepts of Islam are like limbs of a body none of which can replace the other. The eye can neither assume the function of the ear nor can the ear assume the function of the hand. In Islam also, the performance of prayer cannot replace the payment of zakāt. In the same manner, neither of the two can be substituted for jihād and struggle in the way of God. Rather, the aggregate of them is Islam.
Prayer and leadership
If the prayer is only conducted by the divine leaders, the tentacles of oppression and the tāghūt would be shattered. The ‘Īd [feast] prayer of Imām ar-Ridā (‘a) commenced with such grandeur and majesty that the oppressive government itself trembled and understood that if they allowed this prayer to be completed, the ‘Abbāsid rule would also come to an end. Thus, Ma’mūn ordered the Imām (‘a) to be taken into custody along the way.
The reason why the prayers of Muslims today are ineffective is that only a part of the injunctions of the Qur’an are practiced while other parts are forgotten. In this regard, the Qur’an states:
﴾ وَ أَقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ آتُوا الزَّكاةَ وَ أَطيعُوا الرَّسُولَ ﴿
“Maintain the prayer and give the zakāt, and obey the Apostle.”[2]
Today, however, some people perform prayers but do not give zakāh. They are also those who say their prayers and give zakāh but accept the guardianship [wilāyah] of infidels [kuffār]. In other words, they have faith in God but they do not deny the tāghūt. This is defective faith.
God says:
﴾ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطّاغُوتِ وَ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللّهِ فقد استَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقى ﴿
“So one who disavows the Rebels [tāghūt] and has faith in Allah has held fast to the firmest handle.”[3]
That is, both the disavowal of the tāghūt and faith in God are required. Yet, nowadays Muslims have forgotten the declaration of disavowal of the tāghūts and infidels. So, concerning those who turn to the tāghūt, the Qur’an states:
﴾ أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ﴿
“Have you not regarded those who claim that they believe…?”[4]
[1] The Kharijites [khawārij] or al-Māriqūn (a name given to them by Imām ‘Alī and meaning “those who missed the truth of religion”) were a group of quasi-holy, narrow-minded Muslims who were originally followers of Imām ‘Alī and fought alongside him at the Battle of Siffīn. Initially they supported arbitration, pushing Imām ‘Alī to accept it; however, later they revolted against it arguing that because God was the only true arbitrator, Imām ‘Alī and those who agreed with him in the arbitration were not simply wrong; they were in fact unbelievers, hence they could have no dealings with them. On Imām ‘Alī’s return to Iraq from Siffīn, this group seceded from his army and set up camp on the banks of the Nahrawān canal. The Kharijites (or seceders) became a fierce group who believed that they were the only true Muslims, and as such they began terrorizing people whom they regarded as unbelievers. Imām ‘Alī was at first able to talk to them and persuade some of them to cease their hostilities, but eventually he was forced to take up arms against them. In 659 CE he attacked their army under the leadership of ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahab al-Rasibī at Nahrawan almost annihilating them. Nahrawān was the third and last battle Imām ‘Alī engaged in with his internal enemies. [Trans.]
[2] Sūrah an-Nūr 24:56.
[3] Sūrah al-Baqarah 2:256.
[4] Sūrah an-Nisā’ 4:60.
