Service is a form of worship — and also a powerful method of self-transformation. Most service that we offer is selfish; it is service for the sake of reward: money, praise, or fame. By service, the Sufis mean service "for God's sake," without any thought of reward. This kind of service comes when we remember that we are a part of God's creation, and that by serving creation we are serving our Creator — not for a heavenly reward, but out of love and gratitude. An old sheikh once said, "Service without love is like a beautiful corpse. The outer form is lovely, but it is lifeless."
— James Fadiman, Robert Frager, Essential Sufism by James Fadiman, editor, Robert Frager, editor