Imam Hussain (PBUH) said: "Whoever worships Allah properly, Allah will grant him more than his hopes and…

Answer

In the name of Allah, before worshiping, a person should understand the meaning of worship. Many times, people confuse obedience with worship, thinking that performing obligatory acts, recommended acts, and avoiding prohibited acts is the essence of worship, but this is incorrect. The first and foremost aspect of worship is submission and humility. There were people who worshiped idols, the sun, the moon, and other beings, but they did not obey their commands or prohibitions. Allah's words highlight this, as He says: "Do you worship besides Allah that which does not benefit you and does not harm you?" (Qur'an 35:14), and "Do you worship besides Allah that which has no power to harm you or benefit you? And Allah is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing" (Qur'an 35:40). Therefore, worship is primarily about submission and humility, and then compliance with Allah’s commands and prohibitions. A rational person obeys these after humbling himself before the worshiped One. These acts of worship indicate that the one performing them is submitting and humbling himself before the One whose commands and prohibitions he follows. There are many verses that challenge idolaters and their worship of other beings, forcing them to admit that these things do not benefit or harm them. Now, the true worship, as we have described, requires knowledge. There are two types of knowledge: the first, which is accessible to most people, is the knowledge of the Creator through reflection on His creations. The Qur'an encourages this type of knowledge for those who are deficient or unaware of the second kind of knowledge, as seen in verses like: "Do they not look at the camels, how they are created, and at the sky, how it is raised, and at the mountains, how they are set up, and at the earth, how it is spread out?" (Qur'an 88:17–20) and the words of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to Nimrod: "Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west." (Qur'an 2:258). This type of knowledge is available to anyone with basic intellect. The second type of knowledge is the knowledge of Allah’s essence without any intermediary, which is the true and ultimate knowledge. Allah may command His servant to attain this knowledge, as in the sacred hadith: "I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known, so I created creation to know Me." (This narration appears in multiple sources such as Rawdat al-Muttaqin 2:710, Bihar al-Anwar 84:344, and Sharh Usul al-Kafi by al-Mazandarani 1:229). This knowledge is granted to a person through the purification of the soul and its sanctification. This knowledge can be represented in the words of the scholars: it is like a mirror that is polished and free from dust, reflecting the images of things. Similarly, when a person's soul is purified, the essence of the Creator becomes visible to him, according to the purity and clarity of his soul. It is known that analogies bring us closer to understanding, but they also have limitations. And Allah is the Guide.