'ABDIYYAT

Literally, 'Abdiyyat means to be in a state of slavery. In Islam, it refers to total submission to the Supreme Being and obedience to His Messenger (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) without any objection or doubt — i.e., the perfection of Imaan and A'mal.

'Abdiyyat is, in fact, a fusion of the two wills — the will of Allah Ta'ala and the will of the servant: the will of the servant coincides with that of his Master, Allah Rabbul Aalameen.

In short, it is to transform oneself into an instrument in the hand of Allah Ta'ala. The following Hadith Qudsi explains this state of mind very clearly:

Allah Ta'ala said:

"I declare war on the one who opposes one of My Walis. My servant can only come closer to Me through the actions that I have declared Farz and which are highly appreciated by Me. My servant comes closer to Me through the Nawaafil until I am pleased with him. In this state, I become his ear with which he hears, his eye with which he sees, his hand with which he holds (touches), and his foot with which he walks." (Bukhari)

The purpose of man on this earth is to develop and cultivate this kind of 'Abdiyyat. Allah Ta'ala has established the means to achieve this. These means are the execution of His commands and the abstention from His prohibitions, which have been revealed to us through Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam). A slave or servant (Abd) does not need to ask or know the reason behind a divine order or prohibition. It is enough for him to know what the commands of his Master, Allah Ta'ala, are in order to submit to them. He must be at the service of his Master at all times, regardless of the circumstances.

When someone has become an instrument of Allah Ta'ala, he should consider the state he is in as the most appropriate. For example, when he feels extreme hunger, satisfying his hunger instead of performing Salah as he desires, as his heart tells him, is considered Ibaadah, because one does not do something for his own satisfaction, but to comply with the orders of the Supreme Being, Allah Rabbul Aalameen.

It is at this stage, precisely, that the servant feels only one will, one hand, one existence — that of Allah Ta'ala. Nothing else exists for him; that is to say, the existence of Allah Ta'ala prevails over everything else — in front of His Light, the other lights become imperceptible.

[English version of "‎Ab'diyyat" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 9]