Are acts of worship in Islam a means and not an end, and is their value in the impact they leave on the worshiper's behavior?

Worship in Islam is the ultimate purpose for which humanity was created, not merely a means, as Allah Almighty said: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me}. It is an end in itself, and the resulting rectification of the self and refinement of conduct are but effects of it, not its ultimate goal. Worship is a comprehensive term for all that Allah loves and approves of, including apparent and hidden sayings and actions, and it encompasses all aspects of human life.