Cultural Greetings: Prostration And Kneeling Down (Part 1)

In some Africa countries, most especially Southern Nigeria; in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, bowing or prostrating is the predominant form of greeting known to men; while the females go on their kneels to greet. Some see this as a form of being respectful in greeting while others frown at this cultural act claiming it goes against the Islamic teachings.

It will be interesting to note that the form of Prostration, Stooping, Kneeling, bowing, we are talking about is not prostration by way of submission and worship which is called “Sujood” in Arabic Language; this, if done for other than Allah is no doubt a form of Shirk according to unanimous consensus.

Meanwhile, we must get the terminologies right and their meanings.

Stooping/bowing one’s head down to greet (which does not reach the level of rukuu’ we make on solaat) is what we call الإنحناء Al-inhinaau. While kneeling the two kneels down (in form of sitting) is called البروك Al-burook in Arabic language. And to prostrate with the two hands and legs stretched forward is close to Sujood of Solaat but still not the same; because in Sujood of solaat, the fore head and nose must touch the ground while the hands be by the sides and legs folded to the kneels.

We must not mix up these terminologies; else we get their rulings mixed up. And this made some people erroneously regard prostration by the way of greeting to be Shirk.

Prostration by the way of greeting (to anything other than Allah) is not Shirk (disbelief).

Those who claim prostration by the way of greeting is Shirk because prostration in and of itself is an act of worship that cannot be directed to anyone other than Allah are wrong.

This is buttressed by the following:

1: Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam; if merely prostrating was shirk, Allah would not have commanded them to do that. The form of Prostration they did is not that of Sujood (of solaat).

Imam Tabari while explaining the verse “…then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him” [al-Hijr verse 29], he said: “this refers to the prostration of greeting and honour, not the prostration of worship.

Ibn al-‘Arabi said: The ummah is unanimously agreed that the angels’ prostration to Adam was not a prostration of worship.

See Ahkaam al-Qur’an Volume 1 page 27.

Ibn Hazm az-Zaahiri said: There is no difference of opinion among any of the Muslims that their prostration to Allah, may He be exalted, was a prostration of worship, and their prostration to Adam was a prostration of greeting and respect. See al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Ahwa’ wa’n-Nihal Vol. 2 pg. 129.

2: Allah informed us about the prostration of Ya‘qoob and his sons to Yoosuf (alayhi salaam). If it were Shirk, the Prophets of Allah would not have done it. We cannot say that this was part of the religious teachings of those who came before us, because Shirk has never been permitted in the teachings of any of the Prophets at all, and the teachings and symbols of Tawheed have not changed from the time of Adam till the time of our Prophet Muhammad.

Imam Tabari said: Ibn Zayd said concerning the verse: “and they fell down before him prostrate” [Yoosuf verse 100]: “That was a prostration by way of honouring and showing respect, as the angels prostrated to Adam by way of honouring and showing respect; it was not a prostration of worship. Rather with regard to the one who said that their prostration was a greeting among them, what he meant was that it was a custom on their part and was not by way of worshipping one another, and what may support this view is the fact that this custom continued to be practised by people for a long time, and was not done by way of worshipping one another.”
See Jaami‘ Al-Bayaan of Imam Tabari Vol. 13 pg 356.

Imam Al-Qaasimi said:
“What there can be no doubt about is that it was not a prostration of worship or humility; rather it was a prostration of respect only, beyond a doubt”.
See Mahaasin at-Ta’weel Vol. 6 pg 250.

3: Mu‘aadh radiya Allahu anhu prostrated to the Prophet when he returned from Syria. If it were shirk, the Prophet would have explained that to him, but the most that happened in that regard was that he explained to him that it was not permissible to prostrate to him.

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa said: when Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal came from Syria, he prostrated to the Prophet who said, “What is this, O Mu‘aadh?” He said, I went to Syria and saw them prostrating to their archbishops and patriarchs, and I wanted to do that for you. The Messenger of Allah said, “Do not do that. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no woman can fulfil her duty towards Allah until she fulfils her duty towards her husband.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah (1853). Even though there is an argument over the authencity of Mu’aadh’s travel to Syria; but the most correct is to grade this hadith authentic.

Regarding the meaning of this hadith, Ibn Taemiyah said: “It is well known that he did not say: If I were to command anyone to be worshipped”. See Majmoo‘ Al-Fataawa Vol. 4 pg 360.

Imam Adh-Dhahabi rahimahu Allahu said: “Do you not see that the Sahaabah, in their great love for the Prophet said: “Shouldn’t we prostrate to you? And he said no. If he had given them permission, they would have prostrated to him by way of honouring and showing respect, not by way of worship, as the brothers of Yuusuf prostrated to Yuusuf. Something similar may be said about the Muslim prostrating to the grave of the Prophet by way of veneration and respect: he does not commit an act of disbelief thereby; rather he is sinning. So he should be told that this is not allowed, and the same applies to praying facing towards the grave.” See Mu‘jam ash-Shuyookh Al-Kabeer Vol. 1 pg. 73.

4: It is proven in some ahadeeth that some animals prostrated to the Prophet. If merely prostrating constituted Shirk, this would not have happened in the case of the Prophet.

Ibn Taemiyah rahimahu Allahu said: “Animals used to prostrate to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and animals do not worship any but Allah, so how can it be said that prostrating to something implies worship thereof?” See Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa Vol. 4 pg. 360.

5: “Mere prostration” is one of the Shar‘i rulings which may change from one set of laws to another, unlike matters of Tawheed which is to be established in the heart; it is fixed and does not change.

6: Differentiating between prostration by way of greeting and prostration by way of worship is the view of the majority of scholars of different madhhabs.

Ibn Nujaym al-Hanafi said: “Prostration to tyrants constitutes disbelief, if what is intended thereby is worship, but not if what is intended thereby is a greeting, according to the view of the majority.” See al-Bahr ar-Raa’iq Vol. 5 pg 134.

Imam Shihaab ad-Deen ar-Ramli said: “Merely prostrating before the Shaykhs does not mean that venerating the Shaykh is like venerating Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, in the sense that he is worshipped. It only constitutes disbelief if that is the intention”. See Nihaayat Al-Muhtaj Vol. 1 pg. 122.

Imam Ash-Shawkaani said: “It is essential to clarify this by noting that if this prostration is done with the intention of affirming the Lordship of the one to whom one prostrates, then by prostrating in this manner he has ascribed a partner to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and affirmed that there is another god with Him. But if his intention is only to show respect, as happens often with those who enter upon foreign (non-Arab) kings, where they kiss the ground in veneration of the king, this does not constitute disbelief at all. All scholars are agreed that labelling a specific person as a disbeliever

is a very serious matter and is not to be taken lightly.” See as-Sayl al-Jaraar Vol. 4 pg. 580.

With the above points, it has been established that prostration by the way of greeting is not Shirk.

Then, what is the ruling of Stooping, Bowing, Kneeling and Prostration?

To be continued…..