Pre-Islamic Era & Islam

In the Noble Qur'an, "Al-Birr" is not merely the name of a few outward acts of worship, but rather it is the name of a complete way of life and the reformation of the inner self. This is why Allah the Exalted has said:

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards the east or the west, but rather true righteousness belongs to one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books of Allah, and all the prophets, and who spends his wealth out of love for Allah upon the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the traveller, those who ask, and for the freeing of slaves, and who establishes prayer, and gives the obligatory charity (Zakat), and those who fulfill their covenant when they have made one, and those who are patient in hardship, adversity, and at the time of fighting. These are the ones who have been truthful, and these are the ones who are the God-fearing—that is to say, those who draw near to Allah.

Meaning:

In other words, righteousness is not merely the name of outward deeds or formal acts of worship, but rather it is the name of correct belief in Allah, sincerity, and obedience to Him.

Before the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), pilgrimage (Hajj), the lesser pilgrimage (Umrah), prayer, fasting, and the concept of Allah the Exalted existed in Arabia. However, their acts of worship had become devoid of their original spirit and purpose. Prayer (Salah), instead of being performed with humility and submission before Allah, had become merely a custom of whistling, clapping of hands, and mechanically repeating words without understanding. In other words, those who performed these acts were unaware of their meaning, purpose, and reality. Acts of worship, instead of establishing a connection with Allah, had become merely a means of custom, pretence, and outward display. Three hundred and sixty idols had been placed in the House of Allah, and even the sacred act of circumambulation (Tawaf) had been made subordinate to their own desires and self-invented customs and traditions. The outward deeds remained, but their reality and purpose had been lost.

When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called people towards the true reality of these acts of worship and informed them that true worship is that which is in accordance with the method taught by Allah, the Quraysh, instead of accepting the truth, preferred blind imitation of their forefathers and their own arrogance. They said: "Will a human being like us guide us?" Then in their arrogance, they also raised this objection: if Allah were to make someone His messenger, He would have chosen someone who possessed a great status, honor, and influence and power in the world. Their arrogance did not allow them to accept that Allah the Exalted, in His wisdom, could choose an orphan and apparently ordinary human being for the guidance of all humanity.

The Qur'an made clear that Allah's decisions are not based on the standards set by human beings. In His sight, true excellence is not wealth, lineage, or worldly position, but rather piety, sincerity, and adherence to the truth. Allah the Exalted says:

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ

"Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the one who has the most piety and God-consciousness among you—that is to say, one who draws near to Allah."

(Chapter Al-Hujurat: 13)

This message is not limited to the age of pre-Islamic ignorance alone, but rather it is for every human being of every era. When worship becomes a mere custom, when tradition overpowers the truth, and when a person takes the thinking of society as the standard instead of the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), then worship loses its spirit.

Therefore, the true meaning of "Al-Birr" is that a person shapes his acts of worship and his conduct in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet), comes out from blind imitation and adopts the truth, and gives precedence to the pleasure of Allah in every deed. This is the righteousness that brings a person closer to Allah and makes him join the ranks of the truly successful.