Introduction

Created as the vicegerent on Earth and appointed as the commander of all creatures, man is given infinite drives and emotions. The life and afterlife are presented before him, and he is granted the nomination for a position from the most superior to the most inferior. Equipped with such talents and furnished with comprehensive emotions, he had been sent to this world where his capabilities will flourish through tests.

The very reason behind the existence of man in this world is to know the Creator, to believe in and worship Him. Thus, it is worship that will open the gates of bliss of this life and of afterlife by nourishing his emotions and enhancing his aptitudes. It is worship that will make him achieve his aims. It is worship that will bring an order to his ideas. It is worship that will limit his drives of lust and wrath. It is worship that will cheer up his sublime spirit. It is worship that will wipe the dirt and the rust which pollute his outer and inner organs and feelings. It is worship that will form the strongest and yet most charming bond between the creature and his Creator. In short, it is but worship that will exalt him to the honor of being real human by making him addressed by Allah.

The materialistic philosophy that takes atheism as its very principle has made the contemporary man a slave of his own self by filling his realm with flesh and has had him search everything within the matter. Even the subjects belonging to faith and worship are judged by this mentality and religion is attacked.

Each believer needs to be aware of what are the worships that are both the reason and the result of his existence. In this book, fardh (obligatory) worships as prayer, fasting, hajj, and alms, are studied by an inquisitive approach, resulting in a succession of wisdom, knowledge, and logic in their presentation. Thus, it is tried to answer some tricky questions, coming from science and philosophy relating with the principles of belief and worships, like the reasons behind worships.

Fardh worships could clearly be meaningful only when presented together with the catechism. However, since this book will be translated into various languages and therefore it will deal with many undergraduate and graduate students who are believers or not, we chose to present those characteristics of worships in a different dedicated book. We wish that our readers will tolerate this lack we would like them to pray for us.

It is for us to try, and for Allah to give success.

Kayseri, 2008