A basic principle regarding worship
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikh Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Indeed, there has been much confusion in this subject matter, just as it is the case in the subject matter of halal and haram. A group of people make permissible some of the things that Allah has declared impermissible and others declare impermissible some of those things that Allah has made permissible. Likewise, some people innovate acts of worship that are not legislated by Allah, rather Allah, The Most High, prohibited them. The foundation of the religion of Islam is that the permissible things are those that Allah and His Messenger have made permissible, and the impermissible things are those that Allah and His Messenger have made impermissible. It is not allowed for anyone to leave the straight path that Allah sent His Messenger with. Allah, The Most High, said:
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطِى مُسۡتَقِيمً۬ا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمۡ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious]. [Al-An’am 153]
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, drew a line for us and said: “This is Allah’s Straight Path”. Then he drew lines to its right and left and then said: “These are other paths. Upon every one of them there is a devil calling towards it”. Then he recited:
وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطِى مُسۡتَقِيمً۬ا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمۡ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ
Indeed, this is My Straight Path, so follow it. And do not follow other paths; they will separate you from His Path. [Al-Musnad 4437]
Indeed, Allah mentioned – in Surah Al-An’aam, Surah Al-A’raaf and other them – those deeds due to which the idol worshipers were rebuked when they declared impermissible the things that Allah did not declare impermissible, such as the Baahirah [i.e. a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it] and the Sa’ibah [i.e. a she-camel let loose for free pasture for their false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be carried on it]. They declared permissible those things that Allah declared impermissible, such as the killing of their children, and they instituted a religion that Allah did not allow. Allah, The Most High, said:
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَڪَـٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُۚ
Or have they partners with Allah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed.” [42:21]
There were impermissible deeds they established as acts of worship, such as shirk, and lewd behaviour, such as Tawaf around the Kabah, whilst naked.
The acts of worship through which a person seeks to get close to Allah are those that are beloved and pleasing to Allah and His Messenger- whether obligatory or recommended – as reported in Sahih [Al-Bukhari] that Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: Allah, The Blessed and Exalted, said: “The most beloved things which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My Protection (Refuge), I will protect him”.[a]
It is well known regarding the prayer that it can either be obligatory, such as the five daily prayers, or optional such as the Qiyaamul Layl [i.e. Tahajjud prayer].
Also regarding fasting, it can either be obligatory, such as fasting in the month of Ramadan, or it can be optional such as fasting three days every month. Also travelling to the Masjid Al-Haram [i.e. The kabah] is obligatory and travelling to the other two Masajid- Masjid of the Prophet and Masjid Al-Aqsaa- is recommended. Also, charity can be an obligation, or a recommendation such as the surplus beyond (what is) needed, as Allah [The Most High] said:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ
And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: That which is beyond (what they need).
It has been reported in an authentic Hadih that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “O son of Adam! It is better for you if you spend (your) surplus (wealth), but if you withhold it, it is evil for you. And there is no blame (on you) if you withhold the surplus in accordance with a need, in order to spend on yourself and poor relatives. The upper hand (i.e. the one who spends) is better than the lower hand (i.e. the one who asks without a need as opposed to the self-sufficient one); and begin (charity) with your dependents”. [b]
Source: An Excerpt from ‘Al-Ibaadaat Ash-Shar’iyyah Wal-Farqu Baynahaa Wa Baynal Bid’ah page: 7-9
[a]: Regarding the statement: “And My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks…”
This statement is understood to mean that when a person becomes a Wali (close friend) of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, when the command of Allah is mentioned with regards to what Allah loves or hates, he protects his hearing from what Allah hates and lends an ear to what Allah loves. He does the same with regards to what he looks at, what he grips with his hand and where he walks to; or Allah guides him, thus he only looks at what Allah loves, listens to what Allah loves and walks towards what Allah loves. [Sharh Arba’een by Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen.. Pages 376-381 and Sharh Arba’een by Shaikh Salih Aala Shaikh pages 256-258] [Also see, Jaami’ul Ulum Wal-Hikam by Imaam Ibn Rajab pages 619-641 Daar Ibn Rajab 2002].
[b] Sahih Muslim Hadeeth No 1036 as well as ‘Sharh Saheeh Muslim Vol 7-8 pages 111-113]