In one of the earlier issues we have stated that prostration before graves is an act of major shirk. We did not state that it is shirk itself. That statement was influenced by the rulings pronounced by Indian scholars especially those who were affiliated with the Deobandi School of thought. They in turn were influenced by their own principle that every effort should be made to keep the deviants within the Islamic fold — so far as it is possible, even if some stretching is to be resorted to. A man in unrecoverable coma, is still alive and in some ways better than the dead. Similarly, a man with the littlest possible amount of faith in Allah’s oneness and Muhammad’s Messengership, is better than one who denies.
It was the above influence, traceable among the Hanafiyyah throughout their history that resulted in the above ruling. Otherwise, there are counter evidences that lead us to believe that prostration could be outright shirk.
Prostration (the right word is kowtow) is the highest form of worship. There is no other act so difficult for the humans and as humiliating. Throughout history it has prevented — thanks to Allah — the proud from entering into Islam. There can be no better and more powerful way of expressing one’s submission to another than prostrating oneself to him. With complete liberation of the humans in view, the final Revelation has, therefore, reserved it for Allah. The Qur’an said (41: 37):
لا تَسْجُدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ وَلا لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
i.e., “Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun nor to the moon, but rather, prostrate yourselves to Allah who created them — if it is He Whom you worship.”
It is an affair of such importance that the Prophet made a theme of it during his last days in life. Bukhari reports on the authority of `A’isha,
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ- فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَقُمْ مِنْهُ: “لَعْنَ اللهُ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارىَ اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ”. (البخاري)
In one of the earlier issues we have stated that prostration before graves is an act of major shirk. We did not state that it is shirk itself. That statement was influenced by the rulings pronounced by Indian scholars especially those who were affiliated with the Deobandi School of thought. They in turn were influenced by their own principle that every effort should be made to keep the deviants within the Islamic fold — so far as it is possible, even if some stretching is to be resorted to. A man in unrecoverable coma, is still alive and in some ways better than the dead. Similarly, a man with the littlest possible amount of faith in Allah’s oneness and Muhammad’s Messengership, is better than one who denies.
It was the above influence, traceable among the Hanafiyyah throughout their history that resulted in the above ruling. Otherwise, there are counter evidences that lead us to believe that prostration could be outright shirk.
Prostration (the right word is kowtow) is the highest form of worship. There is no other act so difficult for the humans and as humiliating. Throughout history it has prevented — thanks to Allah — the proud from entering into Islam. There can be no better and more powerful way of expressing one’s submission to another than prostrating oneself to him. With complete liberation of the humans in view, the final Revelation has, therefore, reserved it for Allah. The Qur’an said (41: 37):