QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:Recently, a write-up went round in which the writer tried to find justification for prostrating and kneeling down as marks of respect while greeting. The writer said he felt that since the angels were commanded to bow down to Adam and the brothers of Nabiy Yusuf prostrated to him, then it becomes lawful in Islam for the young to bend and kneel down while greeting elders. The writer failed to recall that even though the angels prostrated to Adam, obedience to Allah's command was the centre-point of the entire incident such that if and when the command changed, it obviously becomes incorrect and an act of disobedience to Allah the Almighty to depend on the angels' bowing down to Adam as evidence for such bowing and kneeling down. Similarly, the writer was keen about inferring from the prostration in the story of Nabiy Yusuf that bowing down was at least allowed in the previous nations, but was unknowingly leaving behind a lesson that contradicted the entire essence of his piece: it was a prostration of elders to the young! How does he explain the father and mother of Nabiy Yusuf bowing down to Yusuf along with their children all but one of who are older than Nabiy Yusuf? And even though he only slightly mentioned at the end of the piece that prostrating became prohibited and abrogated, he failed to cite the abrogating hadeeth and other related points of benefit.These and other incongruences occur in the piece deserving that an explanation be given to clarify the preponderant view on this subject. To help highlight the major points on it, I chose to present it in a Q-A format hoping that Allah makes it a means of benefit for us all.1. Is it true that prostrating and bending down before creatures are of 2 kinds with different rulings?Answer 1: Yes; the scholars have mentioned 2 kinds, the prostration of worship (Sujud 'Ibaadah) and prostration of greeting and respect (Sujud Tahiyyah wa Takreem). They unanimously explain that prostrating before anything or person for worship and out of veneration is Major Shirk that expels the individual from the fold of Islam. Hence, prostration for worship and veneration must only be directed to Allah Alone and none else. "Prostration is of two kinds, prostration purely for worship and one of respect. As for the first, it must not be for anyone except Allah." Al-Fataawah (4/361).As for the prostration of greeting, by way of showing respect and esteem, such as the bowing of the angels to Nabiyy Adam as Allah ordered them, that is not from Major Shirk; worshipping Allah and obeying Him required them to bow down to Adam as Allah has commanded. Al-Imam Ibn al-'Arabiy (d. 543H) explained, "The Ummah is agreed that the prostration to Adam was not prostration of worship." Ahkam al-Qur'aan (1/31).Likewise the prostration in the story of Nabiy Yusuf and his family, the scholars affirm by consensus that such prostration was not of worship at all, it was of greeting and honour for Yusuf and such was allowed in their legislation at that time. It was allowed then that elders and kings are so greeted and honoured. Al-Imam at-Tabariy (d. 310H) explained, "Prostrating was a way of greeting among them from the aspects of good manners; not from the angle of a group of them worshipping the other." Tafseer at-Tabariy (6/722) and Tafseer al-Qurtubiy (9/200).(الاستعانة بفهم العلماء دليل إلى دليل)So, prostrating and genuflecting to the creatures are of 2 kinds; one which constitutes Major Shirk and is absolutely prohibited, and the other which was allowed in the previous legislations.2. So, should we still prostrate and bend to greet to show respect and esteem?No, the Muslim should not, because as al-Imam Abubakr al-Anbaariy (d. 328H) explained, "the people at that time would greet one another by prostrating and bowing down, but the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) forbade it..." Zaad al-Maseer (2/474).Al-Imam as-Sam'aaniy (d. 489H) said, "The people of knowledge said: it was allowed in the past nations, then Allah the Exalted annulled that in this Shari'ah and replaced it with the greetings of salam." Tafseer as-Sam'aaniy (2/67).Al-Imam al-Bagawee (d. 516H) said, "That was permissible in the previous nations, but became abrogated in this Shari'ah." Tafseer al-Bagawee (2/378).Al-Imam al-Qurtubiy (d. 671H) affirmed, "Allah has abrogated all that in our own Shari'ah and made the speech (i.e., saying the salam) to replace bowing down." Tafseer al-Qurtubiy (9/200).The narrations below evince the above affirmations: A. Anas bin Malik reported that the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said,لَا يَصلُح لِبشرٍ أن يَسجُدَ لبَشَرٍ؛ ولَو صلح لبشرٍ أن يسجُدَ لبَشَرٍ لَأَمَرتُ المَرأَةَ أن تَسجُدَ لزَوجِها..."It is not proper for a human being to bow down to another human being. If it were proper for a human being to bow down to another, I would have commanded the woman to bow down to her husband..." (collected by Ahmad 3/158 and others and graded authentic by al-Albaaniy, Shuayb al-Arnaoot and others). Al-Imam Al-Mundhiree (d. 656H) had classed it Jayyid (good).This hadeeth is reported from five different companions of the Prophet, radiya Allahu anhum. See: Irwaa al-Galeel (7/54-58).B. Anas bin Malik - may Allah be pleased with him - reported that a man asked saying, "Messenger of Allah! أَحدُنَا يَلْقَى صَدِيقَه؛ أَيَنحَنِي لهُ؟ قال: لاOne of us would meet his friend; should he bend to greet him?" Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) replied, "No!" (Collected by Ahmad 2/198, At-Tirmidhi 2728, Ibn Maajah 3702 and others. The wording here is of Ibn al-Jawziy in his Tafseer 2/474 - graded Hasan by an-Nawawiy in Al-Adhkar pg 267, Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari 11/66, al-Albaaniy in as-Saheehah 160, Saleem al-Hilaaliy in his checking on Al-Adhkaar 2/583, Hamzah Aal-Zayn in his checking on Musnad Ahmad 11/75 and others).Al-Imam Abubakr al-Anbaariy (d. 328H), al-Qurtubiy (d. 671), Ibn Taimiyyah (d. 728H), Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751H) and others have depended on the hadeeth in their various explanations on the subject.(والتأويل فرع التصحيح)Its meaning is also corroborated in the first hadeeth above.Quite badly, the author of the piece finding justification for bending and kneeling down while greeting claimed that the hadeeth "has been meticulously verified to be weak" and gave references for the "meticulous" study. I was surprised however, that he would refer to the 4-line, single paragraph mention of the hadeeth in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhee as the "meticulous" study that brought him to such conclusion. Even though he cited Silsilat as-Saheehah in which al-Imam al-Albaniy gave detailed explanations on the various routes and wordings of the hadeeth and concluded that it is at least "Hasan", good, suitable for proof, he still held the opinion of weakness!C. Jabir bin Abdillah reported that Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) fell ill and so, he led them in Prayer sitting down while they all were standing. When he noticed they were standing, he gestured that they should rather sit down and they all did. When he had ended the Prayer he said,إِن كِدتُم آنِفًا لتَفعلُون فِعل فارسَ والرُّومِ، يَقُومون على مُلوكِهم، وهُم قُعُودٌ، فَلاَ تَفعَلُوا... "A while ago you were almost going to behave like the Persians and Romans; they would stand up before their kings who would be seated. Do not do that..." (Collected by Muslim 933, Abu Dawud 606, Ibn Maajah 1240 and others). The point here is that the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) prohibited them to stand during the Prayer while he was seated in order to show difference with the non-Muslims who would do that by way of showing respect for their rulers and elders. Then it is certainly prohibited to prostrate and bend down outside the Prayer by way of showing respect to rulers and elders. See al-Fataawah 1/377.Hence, even though prostrating to greet by way of showing respect was allowed in the past legislations, it has been abrogated in the Shari'ah of Islam.But in the bid to find grounds for an annulled and abrogated act, the writer of the piece cited a narration regarding Umar, and another about Abubakr (may Allah be pleased with them). On each of the separate occasions in the 2 hadeeths, each of them noticed displeasure in the Messenger's countenance over certain statements and actions of the people. In the case of Umar (Sahih al-Bukhaari nos. 93, 504), it said,فَبرَكَ عُمَرُ على رُكْبتَيهAnd in the report regarding Abubakr (al-Bukhaari 3661), it said,فَجَثَا على رُكبَتَيْهِThe author interpreted the two expressions to mean that each of them knelt down before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). He inferred that even though they both had knelt down to appease and apologize to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), he "thinks" they serve evidence that kneeling down to greet is allowed in Islam.This thinking of this writer is wrong on 2 main grounds:A. Neither Abubakr nor Umar was greeting the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in what they did. They had greeted him and remained with him before the actions. How do the actions form evidence for kneeling down to greet when they had actually greeted him and remained with him before the actions?! None of those who collected these 2 hadeeth in the books of Hadeeth Collection had placed any of the 2 narrations under the Chapter on Greeting. Al-Imam al-Bukhaari cited the hadeeth of Umar 11 times, and that of Abubakr twice in Saheeh al-Bukhaari alone under different chapters. None of this came under the manners of greeting because the actions of Umar and Abubakr given a balanced consideration has nothing to do with greeting. Is it from scholarship to squeeze out evidence for our own desires even when all other indicators point in the opposite direction?! The "thinking" of the author of the said piece was that as long as they did something before the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then the same thing becomes allowed to show respect while greeting. So, if a man ate food in the presence of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), it would serve evidence that from the manners of showing respect while greeting is to eat food?! This is clearly wrong.B. The expressions in both hadeeths mean that they sat down resting on their knees. Both (برك) and (جثا) are words that are synonymously employed to express a mode of sitting down in which the individual rests on the knees similar to the Iftiraash sitting posture during Salat. Both Abubakr and Umar actually sat down while resting on the knees. The same words also describe the camel's falling down and resting on its knees; the "knees" and "rest" are key components in the meanings of both words. The "kneel down" translation does not appropriately convey the meanings of these expressions. See: Fath al-Baari (7/32), Umdat al-Qaariy (2/74), Al-Ifsaah fee Fiqh al-Logah (133) and others.Unfortunately, the writer cited an unsubstantiated version of the story of Umar that he even prostrated to kiss the feet of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The report occurs in Tafseer at-Tabariy (4/729) and is weak and unsuitable as evidence; it is Mursal (a form of broken link) and has a reporter (Asbat bin Nasr) in its chain who is a reporter with some weakness. See: Tafseer at-Tabariy (4/729) - Darul-Hadeeth Print.3. How then has Islam taught us to greet?Allah the Mighty has replaced prostrating and bowing down with the greetings of salam, the greetings upon which the angels will receive the souls of the true believers when they depart this world (an-Nahl vs 32), by which the angels of the Paradise shall welcome them from its various entrances into the everlasting home of bliss (az-Zumar vs 39), (ar-Ra'd vs 24), the greetings with which they will be received on the day they shall see their Lord, Allah the Almighty (Al-Ahzab vs 44).سلام قولا من رب رحيمSo, here in this world, the greetings of salam became a duty upon any two or more Muslims which they must discharge when they meet or just even speak. It consists of 3 expressions each of which carries 10 rewards (and the extent of each reward is known to Allah Alone)! They are taught to spread the greetings and assured of love among themselves in return, and that the young should first greet the older person, the person upon a ride first greets the person sitting, the person on foot first greets the person sitting down and the best of two people walking starts the greetings of salam. The one who comes to a gathering says it as he joins the gathering and the person leaving it departs upon the greetings of salam. The group of fewer persons will first say salams to the larger group. Even when he enters his home at night, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would give the greetings of salam in a way that it wouldn't awake anyone asleep, but the person who was awake would hear it. Even the individual upon Salat may be given the greetings of salam; the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) taught us how the praying person will reply. From the manners of the greetings of salam is handshakes. Authentic narrations abound in the books of hadeeth regarding the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) shaking the hands of his companions and them shaking themselves. Handshake in the subsequent generations is well-known and so widely reported. Al-Imam an-Nawawiy captures it, he said, "It is an agreed upon practice..." Al-Adhkar pg 265. Hence, greeting in Islam is as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had said:"When a believer meets another believer, says the (greetings of) salam to him and holds his hand in handshake, their sins fall off them as the leaves fall off the trees." (Collected by at-Tabaraaniy in al-Awsat 1/84 - graded authentic by al-Albaniy in Saheeh at-Targeeb no. 2720). See: Tuhfat al-Ahwadhiy 7/161. So, no one is taught or commanded to bow down to greet the other as was in the past nations; bowing down and prostrating had rather been cancelled and prohibited in the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). 'Adiyy bin Hatim - radiya Allahu anhu - was a companion of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who had been a Christian before he accepted Islam. He said regarding the prostrating and bowing down to greet by way of showing respect, كانَتْ تَحِيَّةَ من كان قَبلَكُم، فَأعطَاكُمُ اللهُ السَّلامَ مَكَانَهَا"It was the greeting of those before you, and then Allah gave you the salams in its place." (Tafseer Ibn Abee Hatim 11995 - and it's chain is authentic). 'Adiyy bin Hatim - radiya Allahu anhu - was certainly not saying that from his own personal opinion.Qatadah bin Di'amah - may Allah shower blessings on him - was a student of the companions, he said regarding bowing and kneeling down to greet,كانت تَحِيَّةَ مَن كان قَبْلَكُم، كان بها يُحَيِّي بَعضُهم بَعضًا، فأعْطَى اللهُ هذه الأمَّةَ السَّلامَ، تَحِيةَ أَهلِ الجَّنَّةِ، كَرَامَةً مِن اللهِ تبارَك وتعالى عَجَّلَها لَهم، ونِعمَةً مِنهُ "It was the way of greeting among those who came before you; they would do that to greet themselves, but Allah gave the greetings of salam to this Ummah, the greetings of the people of Paradise, as honour from Allah the Blessed and Exalted and favour from Him. He hastened it for them." (Collected by at-Tabariy in his Tafseer with an authentic chain). See: Tafseer Ash-Shawkaaniy. 4. How about respect and honour for elders in Islam?It is worthy of note that the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) repeatedly ordered the young to respect the elderly. He - sallallahu alayhi wasallam - warned that the young who wouldn't respect the older ones has strayed from his noble line of conduct. The books of Sunnah relate that the young should first extend the greetings of salam to the elderly; undoubtedly by way of showing respect and due honour for age and even status. Our mindset while relating with elders and our choice of words must show no less than esteem for the elderly. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)'s saying:كَبِّر الكُبرَ(Exalt the elders) is well-known, and a part of respect for Allah is respect for an old Muslim. So as Muslims, we must respect our elders and honour them with the sincere intention of earning beautiful rewards from Allah in this world and hereafter.(ولَا طاعةَ لمَخلُوقٍ في مَعصِيَةِ الخَالق)5. How do we address complaints from parents and relatives about people's greeting others without bending and prostrating?Firstly, it's necessary to mention that our situation is as Al-Imam al-Qurtubiy worrisomely described about 800 years ago, "This bending and squeezing up oneself (while greeting) which has been lifted off us has become a custom in Egypt and in other non-Muslim communities. Likewise their standing (to greet) one another so much that for some of them, if standing up was not done (as he approached), he detests it as if he is not shown any regards or that he lacks any esteem. Similarly, when they meet themselves, they bow down (to greet) themselves as a continous custom and an established inherited practice especially when meeting rulers and heads. They deviated from the Prophet’s lines of conduct and turned away from it." (Tafseer al-Qurtubiy 9/201)Hence, the "religious teachers" have the duty to explain the religion to the elderly and the young who both have the duty to recognise Allah's limits and not violate them.That violations of an injunction of the Shari'ah is widespread should not push the the teachers to begin to bend the rules to sooth the same people they're employed to teach and guide upon the religion. Allah the Mighty says, قل لا يستوي الخبيث والطيب ولو أعجبك كثرة الخبيث، فاتق
Nice one