CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WORSHIP IN THE FAMILY

Worship is the source of strength of the human soul. Without worship, a person's soul is weak. Worship is the moment when the servant bows his head before his Master and feels himself safe and at peace. Every person needs worship. It would be the most correct thing if the example for worship were taken not from the street but from the family; if worship were learned not from a stranger but from one's father. Worship is, first of all, a personal matter. No one is reproached with it as a favor, no one boasts of it, a person does not hold himself above others because he worships, and he expects no privilege from anyone for his worship. All these things are contrary to the essence of worship. Whoever sets himself apart from others because of his worship, expects a special status not given to others, and turns worship into a means of pride – his state takes on a dangerous turn in any case. Uzbek society has remained in the grip of ignorance and helplessness in the matter of worship. Although those who worship sincerely are the best of people, a mood has formed of fearing them and regarding them as a rejected, backward and dangerous group. The main reason for this is that a very large part of the people lack the foundational, basic knowledge in the matter of worship. That is, people do not know the answer to the question of what worship is and why it is needed. As a result, people often approach worship blindly, and the affairs of those who worship relating to their livelihood and conduct end up contradicting one another. For example, it is also observed that a worshipping person lies in order to make money, is rude and hurtful, arrogant and denies everything, and as a result the attitude toward worship becomes even more complicated. Although the human body was created from earth, 70 percent of the body consists of water for it to be alive. Water is a substance that is hard to control, and probably for this reason it is difficult to keep human character and deeds at a consistent quality. A person cannot do the right things every day and at all times; cannot always be in a good mood and full of fight; cannot always be gentle and well-mannered – it is not impossible that he often goes off track in his actions and his state undergoes changes. That is why, if he worships, he connects himself to God, gains grace and strength for himself, perceives his mistakes, his zest for life increases, and he at least tries to refrain from many evils; and even if not, he feels remorse for his evils. It follows from this that hindering people's worship and not creating conditions for their worship undermines the general spiritual peace and happiness of society; it intensifies spiritual tension and mutual discord in society.

This is one side of the matter. The other side is that worship lives together with enlightenment (ma'rifa). This means that alongside worship, a person must keep learning its essence and necessity, repeat what he knows, and benefit from the company of gnostic people. Enlightenment means, first of all, beneficial knowledge, and indeed knowing the Truth, understanding people, being patient, loving gratitude, striving for good, fleeing from evil, humility, admitting mistakes, being forgiving, and holding fast to kindness and love. Such qualities reach perfection in a person who knows God. Worship that arises upon enlightenment can become a means for a person to reach goals relating to both worlds. So every family must make its children acquainted with enlightenment and pay attention to their growing up as people steadfast in worship. It must not be forgotten that worship without enlightenment is ignorance; enlightenment without worship is falsehood. Before performing acts of worship, it is necessary to learn from a correct source how to perform them as prescribed. For this one must ask the imams for help; if asked sincerely, no one will refuse. In the law there are clauses such as banning religious education or private religious education until the age of eighteen, or certain penalties for it. We think that such clauses and such penalties were forcibly introduced into the law because they are not a harmonization of worship and enlightenment, and because they are attempts to achieve political goals by exploiting people's feelings about their worship and faith. But it is a plain truth that no one can block the path of a person's communication with God and his striving for knowledge about it. Once the knowledge of worship has been acquired, it must be carried out at its proper time without delay. It is also recommended that in the family various duas be known by heart with their meanings, and that tasks always be begun with these duas. For duas, by God's leave, protect a person like a shield from various unexpected afflictions. If a person recites duas at every step without raising his voice – that, it is said, is preferable – and asks God for help in every deed, he will be safe from the evils of Satan and the jinn. When parents teach their children worship, they must be careful that the child does not grow weary of worship and come to imagine it as a compulsory and unpleasant task. Rather, one calls to worship with beautiful words, so that it becomes a voluntary act performed with love. Some people, it seems, say, “When I'm older, I'll start worshipping.” Or they say, “I'm too old now, I'm embarrassed.” Or if their children begin to pray or start wearing a skullcap, they become alarmed and say, “Have you joined some movement?” However old a person may be, if he has not been worshipping, let him begin and not be ashamed. If his child is taking an interest of his own free will, he should be glad of it, but checking from which sources he is learning, introducing him to the imams of the neighborhood or the city, buying him books published with official permission and supporting him is counted as the work of wise and composed people. If his child is listening to traitors who themselves fled to foreign countries and then, saying “I need to make a living,” turned religion into a tool of politics, it is hard to suppress this with harshness or oppression too. On the contrary, one must take the path of making him understand, through enlightenment and without threats, that they are wrong. Indeed, at the root of every mindless following lies ignorance, and the darkness of ignorance must be illuminated with the sun of knowledge. Parents are elders. Their wisdom is great and their experience vast; given this, shouting at their child, forcibly turning him away from something or pushing him toward it is not at all becoming. One must speak with one's child in a free and friendly tone, without crushing him, without bowing his head, without breaking his spirit. In every household, if possible, it is advisable to have a separate room for worship, and once this room has been dedicated to worship, it should not be used for any other purpose. Then grace and tranquility will appear in that room.

Akrom MALIK