what does ibadah mean?
ibadah is an Arabic words which is translated as "worship". The English word "worship" means reverend homage or servhcecpaid to God. In English usage, it's commonly referred to prayer and praise of God usually performed in places of worship.
what constitute 'ibadah in islam
"ibadah" has much wider meaning in Arabic than only worshiping and praising. It includes all lawful acts Done with consciousness of Allah and all acts of kindness done with intention of pleasing Allah. It also include Avoidance of unlawful acts out of obedience to Allah. It states further to include urging of other to do good and avoid evil acts.
Allah subhanau, WA tahala says in the quran
الذاريات ٥١:٥٦
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me
this verse shows that worship or ibadah is Islam does not only mean prayer and praise, or even the pillar of Islam. It's obvious from other verses of the Quran and from the hadith that Allah does not wish us to devote our whole time to perpetual prayer, fasting, charity and pilgrimage. He has prescribed also other vital duties such as earning a livelihood, seeking knowledge, looking after families, helping our neighbors, spreading the message of Islam and so on, all these are also more of worshipping. Therefore the "worship" that's the purpose of our creation and cannot mean only prayer or only the five pillar.
**it should be understood that the five pillar of Islam are not the whole of Islam. Pillars are gongs which holds up a building, and as such they are very important. However, they are not the whole building but only part of it. In the same way, the five pillar of Islam are not the whole of Islam but a part of it. They are only a means to an end, which is constant God-consciousness and the good behavior that flows from God-consciousness. **
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The Qura'an itself makes it clear that we shall not be judged only by our practice of the pillar of Islam, but also on our deeds and behavior to other people. Allah says in ayatul birr in the Qura'an
البقرة ٢:١٧٧
لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
Therefore 'ibadah in islam does not just refer to what we do in the mosque, or to the 5 daily prayer. Ibadah(worship) can include what we may do in our houses, in work-places, in the street or the market, it includes what we should be doing in between the times of prayer.
In this manner, one's profession or job can be converted to worship if it's carried out with consciousness of God and good conduct, however, if the job itself is unlawful in islam, it cannot be converted to worship.