Note: The table is populated with data obtained from the Quran.corpus.com and `a denotes the Arabic letter ayn.
Instances of `abada
Out of 122 instances of `abada meaning ‘to worship’ in the verb form I, 50 instances in 42 verses of 15 surahs in the Quran are reviewed here:
[1:5] You alone we worship (iyyaaka na`budu) and You alone we ask for help.
[2:21] O mankind, you shall worship your Lord (yaa-ayyuhaa al-naasu u`buduu rabbakumu), the One who has created you and those who were before of you so that you may be righteous.
[2:83] And when we had taken a covenant from the Children of Israel: “You shall not worship except God (laa-ta`buduuna illaa allaha) and to be good with the parents and of the relatives and the orphans and the poor, while you shall speak nice to the people and shall establish the salat prayer and shall give the zakat.” Then you had turned away, except a few from you, and you were averse.
[2:133] Or had you been witnesses when the death had come to Jacob; when he said to his children, “What will you worship after of me (maa ta`buduuna min badi-i)?” They said, “We will worship your god (na`budu ilaahaka); god of your forefathers: Abraham, and Ismail, and Isaac – One god, and to Him we will be submitters.”
[2:172] O you who have believed, you shall eat from good things what we have provided you and shall appreciate to God, if you have done to worship Him alone (in kuntum iyyaahu ta`buduuna).
[3:51] “Indeed, God is my (Jesus) Lord and your Lord; so, you shall worship Him (fa-u`’buduuhu). This is a straight path.”
[3:64] Say, “O people of the scripture, come to a fair agreement between us and between you that we do not worship except God (allaa na`buda illaa allaha), nor do we associate partner anything with Him, nor does it take of us to others as lords other than God.” Then if they have turned away, then say, “You shall bear witness of that we are submitters.”
[4:36] And you shall worship God (wa-u`’buduu allaha), and you do not associate anything with Him, while being good with the parents, and with the relatives and the orphans and the poor and the related neighbor and the unrelated neighbor and the close associate and the traveler and what has possessed your right hands. Indeed, God does not love whoever has been a boastful proud.
[5:60] Say, “Shall I inform you of worse than that a compensation with God? Whomever God has cursed, and has become angry upon them, and has made from them the apes, and the pigs, and he has worshipped the false deities (wa-`abada al-taaghuuta). Those are worse in position and faraway astray from an evenness of the path (of God).”
[5:72] That certainly, there has disbelieved those who said, “indeed God, He is the Messiah, son of Mary, while the Messiah said, “O Children of Israel, you shall worship God; my Lord and your Lord (yaabanee is’raa-eela u`’buduu allaha rabbi-i wa-rabbakum).” Indeed, he whoever associates partner(s) with God, then certainly God has forbidden the Paradise for him, and his abode is the Fire, and for the wicked, there are no helpers.
[5:76] Say, “Do you worship other than God (a-ta`buduuna min duuni allahi) what does not possess power for you any harm, nor any benefit, while God – He is the Hearer, the Knower?”
[5:117] I (Jesus) have not said to them except what You have commanded me with it that you shall worship God, my Lord and your Lord (ani u`’buduu allaha rabbi-i wa-rabbakum), and I have been a witness over them so long as I have been among them; then when You had put me to death, You have been the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness over everything.
[6:56] Say, “Indeed me, I (Muhammad) have been forbidden that I (Muhammad) worship those whom you call other than God (inni-i nuheetu an a’buda alladheena tad’`uuna min duuni allahi).” Say, “I (Muhammad) do not follow your desires; certainly, I (Muhammad) would have gone astray then, and I would not be with the guided ones.”
[6:102] That is God your Lord, there is no god except He, Creator of everything. So, you shall worship Him (laa-ilaaha illaa huwa khaaliqu kulli shayin fa-u`’buduuhu), and He is Guardian over everything.
[7:59] That certainly, we had sent Noah to his people, then he said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than Him. Indeed, I fear on you a punishment of a great Day.”
[7:65] And to Aad their brother Hud. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than Him. Will you not then fear?”
[7:70] They said, “Have you come to us that we would worship God alone (a-aji’tanaa li’na`buda allah wahdahu), and we abandon what has done to worship our forefathers (wa-nadhara maa kaana ya`budu aabaaunaa)? Then bring us of what you promise us, if you have been with the truthful.”
[7:73] And to Thamud their brother Salih. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than Him. Certainly, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. This is she-camel of God is a sign for you. So, you shall leave her to eat in land of God, and you do not touch her with harm that a painful punishment seizes you.
[7:85] And to Madyan their brother Shuaib. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than Him. Certainly, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. So you shall give full the measure and the weight, and you do not deprive of the people in their things, and you do not spread corruption in the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you have been believers.
[9:31] They (Jews and Christians) have taken their rabbis and monks as lords other than God, and the Messiah, son of Mary, while they have not been commanded except to worship One god (wa-maa umiruu illaa li’ya’buduu ilaahan waahidan). There is no god except He. Glory is His of what they associate (with Him).
[10:3] Indeed, your Lord is God, the One who has created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He has established (Himself) on the Throne to dispose all matters. There is no intercessor, except after His permission. That is God, your Lord; so you shall worship Him (dhaalikumu allahu rabbukum fa-u`’buduuhu). Will you then not take heed?
[10:18] And they worship other than God which cannot harm them, nor can it benefit them (wa-ya`buduuna min duuni allahi maa laa-yadurruhum wa-laa-yanfa`uhum), while they say, “These are our intercessors with God.” Say, “Do you inform God of what He does not know in the heavens nor in the earth?” Glory is His and He has exalted Himself too high what they associate (with Him).
[10:28] And a day we will gather them all, then we will say to those who have associated partners, “Here is your place, you and your partners.” Then we will separate between of them, while had said their partners, “You had not done to worship us alone (maa kuntum iyyaanaa ta`buduuna).”
[10:104] Say, “O the people, if you have been in doubt of my religion, then I (Muhammad) do not worship those whom you worship other than God (fa-laa-a`budu alladheena ta`buduuna min duuni allahi), but I (Muhammad) worship God, the One who causes death to you (wa-laakin a`budu allaha alladhee yatawaffaakum), while I have been commanded that I would be with the believers.”
[11:2] That you do not worship except God (allaa ta`buduu illaa allaha). Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bearer of good news.
[11:26] That you do not worship except God (an laa-ta`buduu illaa allaha). Indeed me, I (Noah) fear for you a punishment of a painful day.”
[11:50] And to Aad their brother Hud. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than He. You are not but inventors.
[11:61] And to Thamud their brother Saleh. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than He. He has created you from the earth and has settled you in it. So, you shall ask forgiveness to Him, then shall repent to Him. Indeed, My Lord is Near, Responsive.”
[11:62] They said, “O Saleh, you have been one to whom there was a great expectation among us before this. Do you forbid us that we worship what our forefathers had worshiped (a-tanhaanaa an na`buda maa ya`budu aabaaunaa)? And indeed, we surely are in doubt being suspicious about what you call us to it.”
[11:84] And to Madyan their brother Shuaib. He said, “O my people, you shall worship God (yaaqawmi u`’buduu allah); there is no god for you other than He, and you do not make less of the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, and indeed, I fear upon you a punishment of day of surrounding.
[11:87] They said, “O Shuaib, does your salat prayer command you that we leave what our forefathers worship (yaashu`aybu a-salatuka tamuruka an natruka maa ya`budu aabaaunaa), or that we do about our wealth what we will? Indeed you, surely you are the forbearing, the right-minded one.”
[11:109] So, you do not be in doubt of what these people worship (fa-laa-taku fee mir’yatin mimmaa ya`budu haaulaai); they do not worship except like that their forefathers worshiped before (maa ya`buduuna illaa kamaa ya`budu aabaauhum). And indeed, we will surely pay them in full of their share without being diminished.
[11:123] And to God belongs an unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him will be returned all matters of it. So, you shall worship Him and shall put trust upon Him (fa-u`’bud’hu wa-tawakkal `alayhi). And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.
[12:40] You do not worship other than Him except names you have named them – you and your forefathers (maa ta`buduuna min duunihi illaa asmaa-an sammaytumuuhaa antum wa-aabaaukum); God has not sent down any authority to them. None but to God belongs the judgment. He has commanded that you do not worship except Him alone (amara allaa ta`buduu illaa iyyaahu). That is the established religion, but most of the people do not know.
[13:36] And those whom we have given the scripture to rejoice with what has been sent down to you (prophet); while of the parties there is whoever denies a part of it. Say, “I (Muhammad) have only been commanded that I (Muhammad) worship God, and I do not associate partners with Him (innamaa umir’tu an a`buda allah wa-laa-ush’rika bihi). To Him I call and to Him is my return.”
[14:10] Their messengers said, “Is there any doubt in God as Creator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you that He may forgive for you of your sins, and may give you respite to an appointed time.” They said, “You are not except a human like ourselves wish to hinder us from what had done our forefathers to worship (an antum illaa basharun mith’lunaa tureeduuna an tasudduuna `ammaa kaana ya`budu aabaaunaa). So come to us with a clear authority.”
[14:35] And when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this, the city secure, and keep me away and my children that we worship the idols (rabbi ij’`al haadhaa al-balada aaminan wa-uj’nub’ni-i wa-baniyya an na`budu al-as’naama).
[15:99] And you shall worship your Lord, until comes to you the certainty (wa-u`’bud rabbaka hattaa yatiyaka al-yaqeenu).
[16:35] And those who have associated partners said, “If God had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him (law shaa-a allahu maa `abadnaa min duunihi min shayin), neither we nor our forefathers, nor would we have forbidden anything other than Him.” Thus that there had done of those who were before of them. Is there then on the messengers except the conveyance of the clear (message)?
[16:36] And that certainly, we have raised messenger in every community that you shall worship God, and shall avoid the false deities (ba`ath’naa fee kulli ummatan rasuulan ani u`’buduu allaha wa-ij’tanibuu al-taaghuuta). That of them there is whomever God has guided, and of them there is whoever has justified the straying upon him. So, you shall travel in the earth, then you shall see how there has been an end of the deniers.
[16:73] And they would worship other than God (wa-ya`buduuna min duuni allahi), which does not possess for them any provision from the heavens and anything of the earth, and they do not be able.
[16:114] So, you shall eat of what God has provided you lawful good thing, and you shall appreciate God’s favor, if you have done to worship Him alone (wa-ush’kuruu ni`’mata allahi in kuntum iyyaahu ta`buduuna).
The core message from reviewing 50 instances of `abada found in 42 verses of 15 surahs is God has sent messengers with the clear message, even with a sign to every community to invite the people with logic in the worship of Him alone as He is their only god as well as god of their forefathers and is the One who has created the heavens and the earth, and that they do not associate partners with Him, and that they can avoid the worship of the false deities, which do not possess nor are able to provide any provision for them, and that they can understand their consequence on a day of Gathering not to have any helper or intercessor for them. But of them there are whomever God has guided, and of them there are whoever has justified the straying upon him.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (09/19/2020).