As worship was the reason for which we were created it is important to understand what it is.
“And I did not create the jinn and men except that they should worship me (alone).” (51:56)
‘Worship (ibaadah) is a comprehensive term that brings together everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, from the sayings and actions, both inward and outward’
This is the definiton given by Ibn Taymiyyah.
We know what Allah loves and is pleased with through the revelation, whereby Allah:
a) praises the action
b) praises the doer of the action
c) orders the action
Likewise for those things that are prohibited:
d) Allah dispraises the action (which shows he loves and is pleased with it’s avoidance)
e) Allah dispraises the doer of an action (showing he loves and is pleased with those who avoid doing the action)
f) Allah forbids the action (which means he loves and is pleased with its avoidance)
So when we see the above in the revealed texts we know it falls under worship, it is whatever Allah loves and is pleased with.
ISLAM NOTTINGHAM 