Why can’t we bow down to Sayedna(T.U.S.)

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.

It is proved from the Holy Quran that after Allah created Adam,  he told all the angels and the jinns to bow down to Adam.   Everybody bowed down in prostration (sajdah) to Adam,  except Iblis,  who was amongst the jinns,  and was thus cursed.    This is obviously knowledge of the unseen,  and Allah has revealed this knowledge  Himself in the Holy Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Al-Hir verse 26-43:

26. We created man from sounding clay, From mud moulded into shape;

27. And the Jinn race, We had Created before, from the fire Of a scorching wind.

28. Behold! Thy Lord said To the angels: “I am about To create man, from sounding clay From mud moulded into shape;

29. “When I have fashioned him (In due proportion) and breathed Into him of My spirit, Fall ye down in obeisance Unto him.”

30. So the angels prostrated themselves, All of them together:

31. Not so Iblis: he refused to be Among those who prostrated themselves.

32. Allah said: “O Iblis! What is your reason For not being among those who prostrated themselves?

33. (Iblis) said: “I am not one To prostrate myself to man, Whom Thou didst create From sounding clay, from mud  Moulded into shape.”

34.(Allah) said: “Then get thee out From here” for thou art Rejected, accursed

35. .And the Curse shall be On thee till the Day of Judgement.” 

36.(Iblis) said: “ O my Lord!  Give me then respite Till the Day The (dead) are raised.” 

37.(Allah) said: “Respite Is granted thee-

38.Till the Day Of the Time Appointed.”

39.(Iblis) said: “O my Lord! Because Thou hast put me In the wrong, I will Make (wrong) fair-seeming To them on the earth, And I will put them All in the wrong-

40.. Except Thy servants among them, Sincere and purified (By Thy Grace)

41.(Allah) said: “ This (Way Of My sincere servants) is Indeed a Way that leads Straight to Me.”

42.."For over My servants No authority shalt thou Have, except such as Put themselves in the wrong And follow thee".

43. And verily, Hell Is the promised abode For them all!

To understand this concept of the angels and the jinns bowing down to Allah’s ‘khalifa’ (vicegerant)  on earth,  let me relate an example.   When the central government appoints a chief minister to a state,  all the army officials, police officers, civil beaurocracy, etc. come to the chief minister and give their salutation.   But when an arrest order from the central governments  comes,  these very army or police officers go and  arrest the chief minister.   Thus when Allah ordered them to bow down,  they all bowed down,  and when Allah commands the angels to destroy a habitation,  the same angels follow Allah’s command.  When Allah orders them to take out the soul of so and so man,  the same angels go and do as ordered.  Thus, to bow down to man was a direct command from Allah,  and all the angels and jinns,  except Iblis,  bowed down,  following the order of their Lord and Creator. 

In the deen of Islam,  Allah commanded us muslims to bow down to Allah and no one else.   Religion and all rites of religion are exclusively Allah’s rights,  and when we bow down to anybody else,  we are giving the rights due to Allah to somebody else.   This is a clear form of ‘shirk’,  which is the absolute biggest sin in Islam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39  Surah Zumur verse 2: So worship Allah Alone,  making your religion His exclusively.   Beware!  Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah.

We are commanded by Allah in the Holy Quran,  that the act of prostration or sajdah is the exclusive right of our Creator,  and no one else.   None of the noble companions of the Holy Prophet (saws) ever bowed down in prostration to him!   So how could we possibly bow down to another man,  when Allah is the Creator of this leader, and of us,  and everything else that exists.   We are commanded in the Holy Quran to bow down only to the Creator.

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  Allah,  Who Created them,  if you really are indeed His worshippers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verse 15:For it is Allah Alone before whom everything in the heavens and the earth do ‘sajdah’ willingly or un-willingly.   Even the shadows of all things do ‘sajdah’ to Allah in the morning and evening!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 48-50:And don’t they observe anything created by Allah: how it casts its shadow right and left,  doing its ‘sajdah’ to Allah Alone?  Thus do all things express their humility to Allah.   All the animate creation in the heavens and the earth and all the angels do ‘sajdah’ in adoration to Allah Alone.   They do not show any arrogance at all, and fear their Lord,  Who is above them,  and do whatever they are bidden by Allah.

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.

There are several other aayahs in the Holy Quran,  whereby Allah exhorts the believers to do ‘sajdah’ to Allah alone,  as this is His Right Alone,  and no one elses’!   

Now the question is why can’t we bow down to Syedna or any other human being or grave or an idol or whatever?

1. Allah never commanded us to do ‘sajdah’ to any human being in the Holy Quran.   He commands that we do ‘sajdah’ to Him Alone,  and worship Him Alone.    That is why we cannot do ‘sajdah’ to Syedna.

2. The noble companions of the Prophet (saws),  never, ever did the act of ‘sajdah’ to him.   Then who is Syedna,  that is commanding us that, ‘sajdo tane waajib che!’?

3. The Prophet (saws) never himself did ‘sajdah’ to any of his ancestors,  amongst them Prophet Abraham (s.a.),  Prophet Ismail (s.a.), or any other Prophet of Allah,  nor did he command his followers to do ‘sajdah’ to their graves.   Then why should we do ‘sajdah’,  which is an act of worship to the grave of  Syedna’s ancestors?

4. ‘Rukoo’ and ‘Sajdah’ are acts of worship as we do to Allah in the prayers.   Allah says innumerable times in the Holy Quran that all rites and acts of worship are for Allah Alone,  and nobody else,  if indeed we want to worship Him.   If one is to do so,  he would be committing ‘shirk’ (invoking others with Allah).   Allah has made Paradise Haraam for the people who commit ‘shirk’.   We are commanded to do ‘rukoo’ (tasleem) and ‘sajdah’ to these people,  which are the exclusive right of Allah Alone,  and thus are commanded to do ‘shirk’.  And the people who commit ‘shirk’ their confirmed destination is Hell Fire!!!

5.      Hindus do ‘sajdah’ to their idols!  And we are commanded to do ‘sajdah’ to graves of the Syedna’s ancestors.   What is the difference between the ‘shirk’ done by Hindus and us?    Absolutely none!!!

6. The Holy Quran has 15 places in it,  where we are commanded to do ‘sajdah’ when reciting the Quran.   All of these ‘sajdah’ aayahs are when Allah says He is our Lord and we are commaded to worship Him Alone and everything in Creation is doing ‘sajdah’ to Him,  therefore we are commanded to do ‘sajdah’ along with them in humility and worship to our Lord and Creator.    There are approximately 20 times the story of Adam and Iblis is related in the Quran,  but not once are we commanded to do ‘sajdah’ when the angels and jinns are commanded in the Quran to do ‘sajdah’.     This is not because Allah and His Messenger (saws) forgot to tell us to do ‘sajdah’,  but it is because we are not allowed to do ‘sajdah’ to anybody or anything else other than Allah Alone in Islam.

7.  There is absolutely no evidence from the Quran or the tradition of the Prophet (saws) that we have to do ‘sajdah’ to Syedna,  or anybody or anything else for that matter.   Allah Alone deserves our ‘sajdah’ and no one else in creation,  living or dead!   

And what does the act of ‘sajdah’ actually imply.   The Prophet (saws) said,  ‘sajdah’ is an act of humility,  submission and worship.   Who are we worshipping?  Allah or somebody who is himself created by Allah!  

One who does not do ‘sajdah’ to the Lord of the Worlds Alone,  will do ‘sajdah’ to everything!   The Prophet (saws) said: “I have come to take you out from the worship of idols and man,  and bring you to the worship of the One God Alone”.  

The Holy Quran is extremely clear in its guidance and teachings.   All acts and all rites of worship are for Allah Alone,  and nobody else deserves these rites or acts.   Anyone who does an act of worship to anyone else,  equivalent even to  the weight of a fly,  will be committing ‘shirk’ and they are promised Hell Fire by Allah in the Holy Quran.   The Quran is full of stories of the people who were destroyed by Allah,  and all of them,  without exception,  were destroyed because they  committed ‘shirk’ by taking their ancestors or holy and pious men amongst them,  and started invoking their graves and/or idols.    All the Prophets of Allah came to eradicate ‘shirk’ and bring the people to the worship and invocation of the One True God.   Unfortunately,  muslims today have fallen into the same trap of ‘shirk’!   They do acts of ‘sajdah’ to their leaders.   They do ‘sajdah’ on these leaders graves.   They do ‘sajdah’ on the graves of the ancestors of these leaders.   They invoke these people with their prayers.   They think these people can help them in this world,  and intercede for them in the hereafter!    All these are nothing but acts of ‘shirk’,  and Allah says extremely clearly in the Quran,  that who ever commits ‘shirk’ and dies in that state,  Allah will forbid him Paradise and Hell Fire will be his everlasting abode!

‘Shirk’ is a serious subject and is the only confirmed ingredient for Hell Fire!   Doing ‘sajdah’ to somebody is a definite act of ‘shirk’!   This subject is so serious,  thus I advise you not to take my word for it,  but read the Holy Quran in a language that you understand.   At least take Allah’s word for it!!   The central theme of the Quran is not the Prophet Mohamed (saws),  or Ali (r.a.) or the fields of Karbala … the central them of the Holy Quran revolves around the concept of One God,  which is the exact opposite and refutation of ‘shirk’.   Read the Holy Quran once,  and after reading it, if  you think the Quran leaves any space for doing ‘sajdah’ to anybody else other than Allah,  then follow your way.   

May Allah guide you and us all to read and understand the Holy Quran,  which are the very words of Allah Himself.   May Allah guide all of us to worship and invoke Him Alone,  and leave the worship and invocation of everything else besides Him.   May Allah make us understand the first concept of Islam:  There is no god,  except Allah Alone.  Thus He Alone deserves all our acts and rites of worship,  and no one else!!!

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 and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan