What to do before you serve God.

All thanks and praise to Allah (s.w) for giving us this particular day, we believe in His oneness and there is none like him. We believe Muhammad pbuh is His messenger.
   Since we are believers and people who believe in God Almighty, then it is our responsibility to enlighten ourselves on how to worship and serve God.
Worshiping God is compulsory on everybody even though no one will force you but you as a human being should know your purpose of life. Why you were created and what you are doing in this world. It is important to know that the purpose of our creation is not to just come to this world and have fun as people think.
    Allah (s.w) says in the Qur'an 51:56 وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).  (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

So the main reason for our existence is to worshiping and serve God. Worshiping God is very important in our daily lives . In fact God Almighty do not care if you chose not a certain profession in life such as a doctor,   president or a lawyer in your life but what Allah (s.w) cares about is our devotion, our reverends, our worship to him that is why Allah says in the noble Qur'an 51:57مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ

I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures).  (Adh-Dhariyat 51:57)
So all Allah want is for us to worship him. Now we all worshiping God, the Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews etc all claim they are worshiping God . But the Million dollar question is , if indeed we are worshiping God then why are we condemning each other? Why the difference in our ways of worship? The reason is simple, we have rejected the Holy scriptures sent by God to us which is supposed to be there as a guide to lead us to God and have embraced the ways of men .
 As a human being, heaven is our goal, but since there is only one God , I think His laws or commands must be one and all of us  must submit totally to him . It is for this reason that we must find out our ways of conduct before worshiping God Almighty.
   You will agree that one cannot become a student if he disobeys the rules and regulations of the school he attends , He either get suspended or sacked from the school. Its for this reason that before a child is admitted in school, He is given the prospectors of the school so that both him and his parents will know the do's and the don'ts in the school.  Similarly God Almighty gave mankind scripture so that it will serve as guide or Manu to guide mankind , whoever doesn't go by the scripture transgresses the laws of God and he is classified as a sinner.
  So the question remains,how do we worship God or what must we do to please our creator.

THE PREPARATION TO WORSHIP GOD.
 Before we discuss this, we must keep in mind that we are servants in the eyes of God, we are his slaves .Moreover we must understand the meaning of the term "Worship" first.
 Worship is defined as  the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.   One has to admit he is a servant before the deity he is worshiping first before he submit to it with full of respect and honor devotedly .
Like I said in order to become a believer, there are laws in which one has to follow in order to become a believer, the  dressing code for all believers being a man or woman  is very important. A believer's appearance must differ from the disbeliever . So before we discuss the ways of worshiping, our dressing code should be considered vitally .
 DRESSING CODE FOR BELIEVING MEN.
Exodus 28:2-8

 And make holy robes for Aaron your brother, so that he may be clothed with glory and honour.

 3  Give orders to all the wise-hearted workmen, whom I have made full of the spirit of wisdom, to make robes for Aaron, so that he may be made holy as my priest.

 4  This is what they are to make: a priest's bag, an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of coloured needlework, a head-dress, and a linen band; they are to make holy robes for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that they may do the work of priests for me.

 5  They are to take the gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen,

 6  And make the ephod of gold and blue and purple and red and the best linen, the work of a designer.

 7  It is to have two bands stitched to it at the top of the arms, joining it together.

 8  And the beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.

   You realize that this is exactly how the Muslims dress , It is the life style of every Muslim, when they are home, at work and when they are in masjid to serve Almighty God. But Most of the none Muslims do not Adhere to this mode of dressing described by God for men to design and wear. We are not saying that to put on suit and t- shirt before God is a sin but the best is what God wants for us.  especially if you are the Imam or Leader in the congregation.

DRESSING CODE FOR WOMEN .

It is important to note that every part of the woman is not to be seen except her face and her palms and then her feet by any man apart from her husband or her close relation. Psychology is telling us that men are attracted to whatever they see and therefore, the need for women to cover themselves up. In the book of Matthew 5:27-28

You have knowledge that it was said, You may not have connection with another man's wife: Matthew 5:28  But I say to you that everyone whose eyes are turned on a woman with desire has had connection with her in his heart.

 For this reason its important for women to dress very decently , not showing their shapes or any part of their body except those mentioned above.Asumming you go to church or attend some meeting in a microscopic dress or some short mini skirt where there are plenty of men and women mixed together, do you know the number of men who will be aroused by your stature ? If its in the church you causing adultery and fornications mean while you are suppose to be holy and not to be unclean before your creator . Deuteronomy 22:5  It is not right for a woman to be dressed in man's clothing, or for a man to put on a woman's robe: whoever does such things is disgusting to the Lord your God.

    So women must not wear anything that looks like that of men and this goes same to men also , the men shouldn't wear things that pertains to women. So whoever that wears the dress that resembles that of the opposite sex is not part of believers .

Allah further educates us on how the women should dress by telling us in Quran 33:59 يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا 

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft_Forgiving, Most Merciful.  (Al-Ahzab 33:59)

Just as the Qur'an says women must be well covered and must cover even their heard with veil. In the bible it similarly foretold the same .  in the book of 1 Corinthians 11:5-6  But every woman who does so with her head unveiled, puts shame on her head: for it is the same as if her hair was cut off.

 6  For if a woman is not veiled, let her hair be cut off; but if it is a shame to a woman to have her hair cut off, let her be veiled.  Therefore ,any woman who goes to church without using veil or masjid gas gone as astray and needs to repent . The bible further tells the women the kind of hair styles and dresses to wear .1timothy 2:9-11 And that women may be dressed in simple clothing, with a quiet and serious air; not with twisted hair and gold or jewels or robes of great price;

 10  But clothed with good works, as is right for women who are living in the fear of God.

 11  Let a woman quietly take the place of a learner and be under authority. So the evidence is clear here she is not to wear expensive clothes in the house of God, use perfumes or wear anything that can draw the attention of men unto her , or put on artificial hairs, artificial fingers etc .

   The believing woman as said in the Qur'an is not to just cover herself only in the Mosque but also every where and this is in the Bible as well in Genesis 24:65 And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it.

Rebecca was almost going out without her veil, but she realized it when she saw Isaac pbuh and she went back and get her veil. So this is how a believing woman should also dress. You realize that its same Muslims who practice this daily in their lives , Majority of our Christian brothers and sisters don't do it and they see nothing wrong in rejecting the word of God.

Having in mind how we must dress before moving in front of God , I will move straight to the procedure on  what to do and what not to do before entering the house of God.

 It is for this reason that God tells us to be Holy before coming to him .ref Leviticus 21:5 Let them be holy to their God and not make the name of their God common; for the fire offerings of the Lord and the bread of their God are offered by them, and they are to be holy. 

 One has to be spiritually clean or purified before beginning to worship.  Let's analyze how the purification is also done.

PURIFICATION BEFORE WORSHIPING

In the book of Leviticus 15:1-17 teaches that when a man either urinate, or use the toilet, or better still reach his orgasm,  such thing has made him unclean. But how to purify these differs. The one and who only urinated or used the toilet will only use water to clean that part but the one who released a sperm should bath a ritual bath which I might discuss in another book In shaa Allah.

   With the women , when they urinate, or use the toilet, or better still menstruate or have any sexual intercourse either in dreams or physically, she is also to purify herself. The purification also differs like that of men . If she Menstruate she is to Wait until her menstruation stops then she take a spiritual purification bath. If she urinate or use the toilet she only must use water to clean that part but if she had intercourse with man or even masturbate herself and she finds herself wet, then she has take that spiritual bath right after she is done .

Having this in mind, we are not to forget that  we are going to worship and there is a need to have meditation and we shouldn't be interrupted in our worship. So there is the need for you to check yourself whether you have fart, or feel like farting, or urinating, or shitting, you must do all that to ease yourself and get your body (private parts) cleaned so that you proceed the ritual purification..

    RITUAL PURIFICATION OR ABLUTION

Allah (s.w) has thought us how the ablution is done. In Qur'an 5:6

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا ۚ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَٰكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ 

O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful.  (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)

The washing of the head ,the face ,the hands and feet is called the Ablution which is done by Muslims before they enter into any form of worship such as entering the Masjid.

It is similarly thought in the Bible. Exodus 40:30-32 

30  And between the altar and the Tent of meeting he put the vessel with water in it for washing.

 31  In it the hands and feet of Moses and Aaron and his sons were washed,

 32  Whenever they went into the Tent of meeting, and when they came near the altar, as the Lord had given orders to Moses. 

We further see Jesus doing the same thing in John 13:4-15 and tells his disciples to teach others to do the same .

 Having performed your ablution , you are to enter into the house of God to worship .

 This is when you are ready to serve your creator as your physically and spiritually clean.

Was akhir dawaana Anil Hamdulilahi rabil Aalameen.