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 already reviewed, and 45 instances of `abada in 43 verses of 16 surahs in the Quran are reviewed here:
[17:23] And your Lord has decreed that you do not worship except Him alone (allaa ta`buduu illaa iyyaahu), and with the parents being good whether one of them reaches the old age with yourself or both of them, then do not say to them a word of disrespect nor do you repel them, while you shall speak to them an honorable word.
[18:16] And when you had left them and what they worship other than God (wa-maa ya`buduuna illaa allaha) that you shall take shelter to the cave, your Lord will extend His mercy upon you and will help you in your affair with ease.
[19:36] “And indeed, God is my (Jesus) Lord and your Lord; so, you shall worship Him (fa-u`’buduuhu). This is a straight path.”
[19:42] When he (Abraham) said to his father, “O my father, why do you worship (yaa-abati lima ta`budu), which does not hear, nor does it see, nor does it benefit to you in anything?
[19:44] O my father, do not worship the Satan (yaa-abati laa-ta`budi al-shaytaana); indeed, the Satan has been disobedient to the Gracious.
[19:49] Then when he (Abraham) had abandoned them and what they worshipped other than God (wa-maa ya`buduuna min duuni allahi), and we had bestowed to him Isaac and Jacob, and we had made each a prophet.
[19:65] Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatever between both of them; so, you shall worship Him (fa-u`’bud’hu) and shall be steadfast in His worship. Do you know any likeness for Him?
[20:14] Indeed Me, I am God; there is no god except I. So, you (Moses) shall worship Me (fa-u`’bud’ni-i), and shall establish the salat prayer for remembering of Me.
[21:25] And we have not sent any messenger from before of you (Muhammad) except we inspire to him that there is no god except I; so, you shall worship Me (fa-u`’buduuni).
[21:66] He said, “Do you then worship other than God (a-fa-ta`buduuna min duuni allahi), which does not benefit you in anything, nor harm you?
[21:67] Shame on you and on what you worship other than God (uffin lakum wa-limaa ta`buduuna min duuni allahi)! Do you not understand?”
[21:92] Indeed, this is one community of your people, and I am your Lord; so, you shall worship Me (fa-u`’buduuni).
[21:98] Indeed, you and what you worship other than God will be fuel of Hell (innakum wa-maa ta`buduuna min duuni allahi hasabu jahannama); you will be arrivers to it.
[22:11] And among the people whoever worships God on an edge (wa-mina al-naasi man ya`budu allaha `alaa harfin), then if it has befallen him good, he has been content with it, while if it has befallen him test, he has turned on his face; he has lost the world and the Hereafter. That – it is the clear loss.
[22:71] And they worship other than God (wa-ya`buduuna min duuni allahi) what He does not send down any authority with it, and what has not been any knowledge of it for them. and there is no helper for the wrongdoers.
[22:77] O you who have believed, you shall bow, and shall prostrate, and shall worship your Lord (wa-u`’buduu rabbakum), and shall do the good, that you may succeed.
[23:23] And that certainly, we had sent Noah to his people, then he said, “O my people, you shall worship God (u`’buduu allaha); there is no god for you other than Him. Will you not then fear?”
[23:32] That we had sent a messenger to them from them that you shall worship God (ani u`’buduu allaha): there is no god for you other than Him. Will you then not fear?
[24:55] God has promised those who have believed among you and have done the righteous deeds, that He will make them sovereign in the earth, as what He has made sovereign those who were before of them, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will surely change for them a security after their fear, they worship Me not associating anything with Me (ya`buduunani-i laa-yush’rikuuna bi-i shayan). And whoever has disbelieved after that, then those – they are the disobedient.
[25:17] And a day He will gather them and what they worship other than God (wa-maa ya`buduuna min duuni allahi), then He will say, “Have you misled My servants of these, or have they gone astray from the path?”
[25:55] While they worship other than God (wa-ya`buduuna min duuni allahi maa), which does not benefit them, nor harm them, and the disbeliever has been a helper against his Lord.
[26:70] He said to his father and his people, “What do you worship (maa ta`buduuna)?”
[26:71] They said, “We worship idols that we remain devoted to them (na`budu asnaaman fa-nazallu lahaa `aakifeena).”
[26:75] He said, “Do you then see what you have done to worship (a-fa-ra-aytum maa kuntum ta`buduuna)?
[26:92] And it has been said to them, “Where is that you have done to worship (ayna maa kuntum ta`buduuna)?”
[27:43] And there has diverted her what she (Sheba) had done to worship other than God (wa-saddahaa maa ta`budu min duuni allahi); indeed, she had been among a people of disbelievers.
[27:45] And that certainly, we had sent to Thamud their brother Salih that you shall worship God (ani u`’buduu allaha), that then they were two disputing groups.
[27:91] “I (Muhammad) have only been commanded that I (Muhammad) worship Lord of this – the city (an a`buda rabba haadhihi al-bal’dati), the One who has made it sacred and to Him belongs all things. And I (Muhammad) have been commanded that I would be among the Submitters.”
[28:63] Said those against them the word (punishment) has come true, “Our Lord, these are those we have misled. We have misled them as that we had gone astray. We have declared our innocence to You.” They had not done to worship alone us (maa kaanuu iyyaanaa ya`buduuna).
[29:16] And Abraham, when he said to his people, “You shall worship God and shall fear Him (u`’buduu allaha wa-ittaquuhu). That would be better for you if you had done to know.”
[29:17] You only worship idols other than God (innamaa ta`buduuna min duuni allaha awthaanan), and you create falsehood. Indeed, those whom you worship other than God do not possess any provision for you (inna alladheena ta`buduuna min duuni allahi laa-yamlikuuna lakum riz’qan); so, you shall seek the provision with God and shall worship Him and shall be grateful to Him (wa-u`’buduuhu wa-ush’kuruu lahu). To Him you will be returned.”
[29:36] And to Madyan their brother Shu`aib who said, “O my people, you shall worship God and expect the Last Day (u`’buduu allaha wa-ir’juu al-yawma al-aakhira), and do not roam the earth being corrupters.”
[29:56] O My servants who have believed; My earth is spacious, so alone Me that you shall worship Me (fa-iyyaaya fa-u`’buduuni).
[34:40] And a day He will gather them all, then He will say to the angels, “Were these on you they had done to worship (a-haaulaai iyyaakum kaanuu ya`buduuna)?”
[34:41] They (angels) had said, “Glory is Yours. You are our Protector, not them. Nay, they had done to worship the jinn (bal kaanuu ya’buduuna al-jinna); most of them were believers in them.”
[34:43] And when it is recited our clear revelations to them, they had said, “This is not a man who wishes to hinder you from what has done to worship your forefathers (`ammaa kaana ya`budu aabaaukum).” And they had said, “This is not except a fabricated lie.” And said those who had disbelieved in the truth when it had come to them, “This is not but an obvious magic.”
[36:22] What is for me that I do not worship the One who has created me (wa-maa liya laa-a`budu alladhee farani-i), and to Him you will be returned?
[36:60] Did I (God) not make a covenant upon you, O Children of Adam that you do not worship the Satan (yaabanee adama an laa-ta`buduu al-shaytaana)? Indeed, he is for you a great enemy.
[36:61] And that you shall worship Me (wa-ani u`’buduuni-i). This is a straight path.
[37:22] (O angels) Gather those who have done wrong and their spouses, and what they have done to worship (wa-maa ya`buduuna).
[37:85] When he (Abraham) said to his father and his people, “What is it you worship (maadhaa ta`buduuna)?
[37:95] He said, “Do you worship what you carve (a-ta`buduuna tanhituuna)?”
[37:161] That indeed, you and what you worship (fa-innakum wa-maa ta’buduuna).
The message from this review is God has sent messengers from time to time that they had called people to worship God, but the people denied them, and their leaders said, “This is a man who wishes to hinder you from what has done to worship your forefathers.” They also said that this was not except a fabricated lie when God’s revelations were recited to them. They have worshiped idols being devoted to them, which do not benefit them, nor harm them, but it would be better for them if they had done to worship God not associating anything with Him.
There is a lesson for the people of present generation to avoid idol worship reflecting to an example God has cited with Abraham who had abandoned the idols and also told his father and his people not to worship those they had curved, and from a statement of Muhammad whom God had commanded to worship Him to be among the submitters. While we should not overlook that God has made a covenant with the children of Adam to worship Him instead of the Satan being it a straight path for them, and He has chosen religion for them that they may succeed when we all will be gathered to Him.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (09/26/25).