Enjoying worship

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Enjoying worship is a great gift from Allah (Most High). So, one must make Shukr for it. Worship will also have an element of struggle because it is part of the test. The norm is for a Muslim to experience both pleasure and difficulty in the context of worshipping Allah (Most High).

Explanation

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

He who created death and life to test you, as to which of you is best in actions. And He is the Mighty the Forgiving. (Surah al-Mulk, 2).

In the noble Quranic verse above we are reminded that Allah (Most High) has created us in a test. Therefore, we will be required to exhort ourselves and make sacrifices at times. Not everything is going to be easy. However, through his generosity Allah (Most High) has made enjoying worship a norm too.

Thus, worship tends to contain both. Struggle and enjoyment. Just like most things of value in life. There is an aspect of struggle, patience and sacrifice as well as reward, pleasure and enjoyment.

Hadith

وَلِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ: فَرْحَةٌ حِينَ يُفْطِرُ، وَفَرْحَةٌ حِينَ يَلْقَى رَبَّهُ

The Prophet ﷺ said: The fasting person has two joys: a joy when he ends his fast, and a joy when he meets his Lord. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 7492)

So many Hadith narrations confirm the notion of enjoying worship. The above Hadith links pleasure to fasting. There are numerous forms of enjoyment when ending one’s fast. The person experiences the joy of eating after refraining. Also, the delight of accomplishing an act of worship. Then there is the spiritual experience and contentment.

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ النِّسَاءُ وَالطِّيبُ، وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ

(Sayidina) Anas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: Women and perfume have been made beloved to me. And the coolness of my eyes has been placed in prayer. (Sunan al-Nasai, 3940).

أَخْرَجَهُ النَّسَائِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ بِسَنَدٍ صَحِيحٍ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)

(Imam) al-Nasa’i and others narrated it with a sound Sanad (chain of transmission). (Imam Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Fath al-Bari).

The Prophet ﷺ describes the Prayer as the coolness of his ﷺ blessed eye. This is a term the Arabs would use when speaking of that which was most beloved to them. Thus, it reflects how dear the prayer was to the beloved Prophet ﷺ.

How to achieve it

We see from the narrations above that enjoying worship is part of the Sunnah of our blessed Prophet ﷺ. So how can we attain it too. Firstly, we must study the Deen correctly and implement it. A Muslim can find the answers to all religious queries in the Quran and Hadith together with their correct understanding.

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our paths. And indeed, Allah is with the devout. (Surah al-Ankabut, 69).

We learn from the verse above that striving in the path of Allah (Most High) leads to guidance. Therefore, a person who strives to perfect worship will be assisted therein. Thus, the Muslim will inevitably enjoy worship Allah (Most High).

Whereas a person who does not seek to perfect worship. Rather one simply seeks to complete it and move on, is unlikely to experience the true pleasure of worshiping Allah (Most High). Thus, one’s intention, effort and concern are major factors.

Loyalty to Allah (Most High)

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ثَلاَثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ حَلاَوَةَ الإِيمَانِ: أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا، وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ المَرْءَ لاَ يُحِبُّهُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ، وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ فِي الكُفْرِ كَمَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ فِي النَّارِ

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: Three (qualities), whoever has them will experience the sweetness of faith. Allah and His Messengerﷺ  are more beloved to him than anything else. He loves a person only for the sake of Allah. He hates to return to Kufr (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 16).

We find in the Hadith above that loving Allah and His Messengerﷺ  more than all else leads to experiencing the sweetness of faith. Such an experience will certainly lead to enjoying worship more and attaining a deeper understanding of the fruits of Islam.

Loyalty to Allah (Most High) and His Messengerﷺ  is manifest in so many ways. For example, remaining steadfast on the law of Allah (Most High) irrespective of pressure from others. The same goes for the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

However, the issue of loyalty to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ manifests differently for more devout or learned Muslims. With them it is often an issue of Hadith authenticity or Kufr statements of famous Sufis. Rather than siding with Allah and His Messenger ﷺ such people reflexively side with their Shaykhs.

For example, one may be shown that a Hadith his Shaykh quoted or promoted is a fabrication. But he defends his Shaykh, making strange arguments. Rather than accepting the mistake and defending the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

As for the issue of defending Kufr statements, I have numerous answers and videos on the subject. They demonstrate how ostensibly religious people will make terrible excuses to defend extreme insults against Allah (Most High) and His Messenger. And it is all done to defend one’s Shaykh or sect.

Such behaviour will destroy one’s Deen. It will extinguish spirituality and leave one far from experiencing the sweetness of faith. Such a person will not truly enjoy worship. But he has much bigger concerns. Since defending Kufr undermines one’s own faith.

Making Dua

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ، وَقَالَ: يَا مُعَاذُ، وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأُحِبُّكَ، وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأُحِبُّكَ. فَقَالَ: أُوصِيكَ يَا مُعَاذُ لَا تَدَعَنَّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ تَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ، وَشُكْرِكَ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ

(Sayidina) Mu’adh (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took my hand and said: O Mu’adh, Indeed I love you. Then he ﷺ said: I advise you O Mu’adh, do not neglect, after every prayer, to say: O Allah assist me in remembering you, thanking you, and perfecting your worship. (Abu Dawood 1522, Sahih).

وروينا بإسناد صحيح في سنن أبي داود، والنسائي، عن معاذ رضي الله عنه، أن رسولَ اللَّه صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيده وقال: يا مُعَاذُ وَاللَّهِ إِنّي لأُحِبُّكَ ” ثم قال: أُوصِيكَ يا مُعاذُ لا تَدَعَنَّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلّ صَلاةٍ تَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ أعِنِّي على ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبادَتِكَ. (الاذكار)

We narrated with a sound chain of transmission in Sunan Abi Dawood and al-Nasa’i, from Mu’adh (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took my hand and said: O Mu’adh, Indeed I love you. Then he ﷺ said: I advise you O Mu’adh, do not neglect, after every prayer, to say: O Allah assist me in remembering you, thanking you, and perfecting your worship. (Imam al-Nawawi 676H, al-Adhkaar).

As well as implementing the above practices, the Muslim must always turn to Dua. In the Hadith above, we find that the blessed Prophet ﷺ encouraged Dua for perfecting worship. Undoubtedly, perfecting worship will lead to enjoying worship.

Tested for sincerity

Sometimes one may become bereft of enjoying worship after having experienced it. This may be due to changes or mistakes one has made. But it could also occur as a test. Allah (Most High) may test the individual’s sincerity. Meaning, was one worshiping Allah (Most High) out of pure devotion or was it due to the enjoyment.

Although we should be grateful when we are enjoying worship, we must also recognise it is not the purpose of worship. Rather, the purpose is to gain the love and pleasure of Allah (Most High). Which is attained through sincerity and devotion.

Nevertheless, enjoying worship is a blessing so if it is lost, one should make an effort to regain it. Whilst submitting to the decree of Allah (Most High) and observing the good in it.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (14.03.25)