Question3
The Human Being, the Efficient Cause, and the Creator (God)
Intention, Sincerity, and Divine Lordship (Rubūbiyyah)
Do I worship God with sincere intention, or do I perform acts of worship merely out of habit or for the sake of appearance?
The central issue is not merely the performance of acts of worship, but rather the relationship between intention (niyyah), the reality of Divine Lordship (Rubūbiyyah), and the existential orientation of the human being. Worship devoid of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and orientation toward the Lord is nothing more than an outward motion; it brings about no transformation in the very substance of the soul (nafs).
Qur’anic Evidence
1. Intention and Sincerity as the Foundation of Worship
“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth…” (Qur’an 98:5)
Worship without sincerity is merely an external act. God has ordained worship not simply as ritual performance but as a means of directing the human being’s existential orientation toward Him.
2. The Error of Ostentation (Riyāʾ) in Worship
“So woe to those who pray, those who are heedless of their prayer, those who make a show [of their deeds].” (Qur’an 107:4–6)
This passage accords with the teachings of Imam ʿAlī: worship must unfold within the orbit of Divine Lordship; otherwise, it reinforces egocentrism and ostentation rather than servitude.
3. Worship Without Existential Guidance Is Ineffective
“So woe to those who pray, those who are heedless of their prayer.” (Qur’an 107:4–5)
Even when the outward form of worship is performed, neglect of its orientation toward Divine Lordship arrests the soul’s existential movement. The result is ritual practice without the transformative process of becoming truly God’s servant (ʿubūdiyyah).
4. Purification of the Soul and Existential Orientation
“He has certainly succeeded who purifies it, and he has certainly failed who corrupts it.” (Qur’an 91:9–10)
Worship performed with sincere intention places the soul within the sphere of Divine Lordship, leading to both the soundness of one’s actions and the purification of one’s intentions.
Sayings of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him)
Tuḥaf al-ʿUqūl, “Admonitions of Imam ʿAlī”:
“Know that your deeds are accepted only through sincerity, and intention is the foundation of every action.”
(Ghurar al-Ḥikam, no. 9214)
“Whoever comes to know his Lord, his deeds become sound and his intention becomes sincere.”
According to Imam ʿAlī, sincere intention is the fruit of true knowledge (maʿrifah) of the Lord rather than merely the result of moral effort or habitual religious practice.
Analysis
1. The Soul’s Substantial Motion and the Role of Intention
The human being is an entity whose every decision and intention gives rise to a new existential form. Worship motivated by ostentation (riyāʾ) constitutes only external movement; it produces no real transformation in the soul itself.
2. Theoretical and Practical Intellect
Theoretical Intellect (al-ʿaql al-naẓarī)
Provides knowledge of the true nature of worship and of God as the Lord (Rabb).
Practical Intellect (al-ʿaql al-ʿamalī)
Actualizes this knowledge in daily life and conduct.
If intention lacks sincerity, the practical intellect becomes subordinated to imagination (wahm) and desire (shahwah), rendering worship devoid of existential efficacy.
3. Divine Lordship and Existential Orientation
Knowledge of God as the Lord (Rabb) is the necessary condition for the formation of sincere intention and the soundness of one’s deeds. Without such knowledge, worship remains merely bodily movement and mental imagery, while the individual continues to revolve around the axis of self-centeredness.
Practical Protocol
Step 1. Reorient Your Intention Before Worship
Before every prayer, fast, or act of remembrance (dhikr), ask yourself:
“Is this act an expression of God’s continuing Lordship within my existence, or merely the repetition of habit and self-display?”
Step 2. Maintain Awareness of Divine Lordship During Worship
Shift your attention from physical movements to existential orientation.
Worship is a means for the soul’s substantial motion toward God, not merely the completion of an outward ritual form.
Step 3. Self-Examination After Worship
Ask yourself:
“Did this act of worship distance me from self-centeredness, or did it reinforce it?”
Step 4. Perseverance in the Remembrance of Divine Lordship
Continually remember God’s Lordship throughout everyday life—not only during formal acts of worship.
References
The Qur’an: 91:9–10; 98:5; 107:4–6.
Tuḥaf al-ʿUqūl, Ibn Shuʿbah al-Ḥarrānī, chapter: Admonitions of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him).
Ghurar al-Ḥikam wa Durar al-Kalim, al-Āmidī, no. 9214.
Mullā Ṣadrā, Al-Asfār al-Arbaʿah (The Transcendent Philosophy of the Four Journeys), vol. 8, discussion on the substantial motion (al-ḥarakah al-jawhariyyah) of the soul (conceptual reference)