Mu` meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaamu alaykum

i'm South Korean.

i want to ask you about 'prostation'.

Someone said to you:

Regarding bowing in front of the Grave of Prophet Mohammed... First a clarification... it is not just Shias, but 90% of sunnis too who do

that.

And you quoted:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48

Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

In these context, if really more than 90% of muslim is bowing in front of the grave of prophet Mohammad(saw), those more than 90% muslims all must to go hell. Am i right? If it's right, the Christians who belong to Jehova Witness are better than those muslims because 'Shirk' is above all the sins.

if it's not the case..

if those muslims are bowing only for respect without any intention of worship, is it not shirk?

Here in korea, as a remnant of Confucianism people prostrate to parents, old peoples as a respect in a special days like thanks giving day and marriage ceremony..

No one here consider this as a worship. they consider it as a way of respecting elders.

So my intention is clear, can i prostrate for my parents?

wa'assalaam..

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can one prostrate to Parents

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Islamic act of sajdah, whereby one prostates himself in humility with his forehead, knees, and palms touching the floor in front of someone; is an act of Islamic worship. And as with all acts and rites of worship in Islam, they are due to none other than Allah Subhanah Alone! If one does this act of ‘sajdah’ to any other being, or statue, or photo, or image, or animal, or whatever….he will be sharing a right that is due to Allah Subhanah Alone with another, and that would be considered manifest shirk with Allah!

One cannot justify the act of ‘sajdah’ simply because some people from a pagan religion or culture like Confusianism or Hinduism perform it to their elders in respect!

Beloved brother, it is a known fact that the noble companions of the Prophet (saws) loved and respected the Prophet (saws) more than anything else in the world!; even more than their parents, their children, their wealth, and their own selves! At his (saws) one command, they would willingly sacrifice their lives and their property; but never ever did they ever bow down to him (saws) in respect; nor did the Prophet (saws) ever allow them to share with him, any of the rights that were due to Allah Subhanah Alone.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fusselat verse 37:

Do not do ‘sajdah’ to the sun and the moon, but do ‘sajdah’ to that Allah, Who Created them, if you really are indeed His worshippers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77:

O you who believe, do ‘rukoo’ and ‘sajdah’ to Allah Alone, worship Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds. It may be that you attain true success.

Thus, in the above aayahs, Allah has clearly forbidden the believers to bow down in sajdah to the sun, moon, or anything else…for the Islamic act of ‘sajdah’ is due only to the One Who is the Creator of all these things…that is, Allah Subhanah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan