What Is The True Way To Pray?
This critique addresses the core assertions made by Abdullāh Hāshim Abā al-Ṣādiq, who claims to be the Mahdī and promotes prostration to an Imām or Messenger. His views conflict with the Qur'ān, Ḥadīth, and consensus of Islamic scholarship. Below are key points—organized in paragraphs—with explicit references from the Qur'ān, Sunnah, and scholarly works to refute his stance. (Youtube Video)
15.1. Prostration (Sujūd) Is for Allāh Alone | 15.2. Prophetic Ḥadīth Prohibiting Prostration to Creation | 15.3. Misinterpretation of Angels Prostrating to Adam | 15.4. Congregational Prayer Does Not Justify Prostration to the Imām | 15.5. Biblical Narratives: Invalid for Establishing New Rituals in Islam | 15.6. Claiming to Be the Mahd?: Criteria and Scholarly Consensus | 15.7. Summary of Refutation |15.3. Misinterpretation of Angels Prostrating to ?dam
Abdullāh Hāshim Abā al-Ṣādiq cites the event of angels prostrating to ?dam to justify humans prostrating before a Messenger or Imām. Islamic scholars clarify that this was a unique, one-time command from Allāh, intended to honor ?dam and demonstrate the angels’ obedience to the Creator. It does not establish a perpetual rule for humans prostrating to one another.
Imām Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH) in Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẕīm explains that the angels’ prostration was not ?ibādah (worship) to ?dam. Rather, it was direct compliance with Allāh’s order, highlighting ?dam’s special creation. In mainstream Islamic understanding, no human-beyond this singular case-can claim the right to be prostrated to.
Some individuals, including Abdullāh Hāshim Abā al-Ṣādiq, invoke the incident of the angels prostrating to ?dam as proof that one may lawfully prostrate to a Prophet or Imām. However, this interpretation overlooks the specific context and unique purpose behind that command. Below are key clarifications and scholarly explanations:
a) Qur’ānic Context
Allāh mentions the angels’ prostration to ?dam in several verses of the Qur’ān:
وإذ قلنا للملائكة اسجدوا لآدم. فسجدوا إلا إبليس...
“And [mention] when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before ?dam’; so they prostrated, except for Iblīs…”
📔 (Qur’ān 2:34){وإذ قال ربك للملائكة إني خالق بشرا من طين من حمأ أسود مسنون}. فإذا سويته ونفخت فيه من روحي فقعوا له ساجدين.
“And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I am going to create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud. And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.”
📔 (Qur’ān 15:28–29)In these passages, Allāh directly commands the angels to perform a unique prostration to ?dam. This was not an act of ?ibādah (worship) toward ?dam, but rather a test and demonstration of their obedience to Allāh. The critical point is that the angels’ prostration was carried out in compliance with Allāh’s explicit order, thereby affirming Allāh’s supreme authority and ?dam’s honor as the first human created by God.
b) Not a Precedent for Human-to-Human Prostration
- Singular Divine Command
- Because Allāh Himself instructed the angels to prostrate, this event does not constitute a universal law that humans can prostrate to one another.
- Instead, it highlights ?dam’s unique status in the creation narrative-never intended as an open invitation for future prostrations to Prophets, Imāms, or saints.
- Obedience to Allāh, Not Worship of ?dam
- The angels did not worship ?dam. Rather, their prostration manifested their complete submission to Allāh, showing that they would obey His commands without hesitation.
- This differs fundamentally from the claim that human beings may perform sujūd to a Messenger or Imām as part of ritual worship.
c) Classical Tafsīr (Exegesis) on the Incident
Imām Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH), in his Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẕīm, emphasizes that the angels’ prostration was:- Honorary: It aimed to honor ?dam’s God-given knowledge and status.
- A Command from Allāh: The sujūd was not out of reverence for ?dam independently, but rather a direct fulfillment of Allāh’s will.
Other major commentators, such as al-Ṭabarī (d. 310 AH) and al-Qurṭubī (d. 671 AH), similarly clarify that it was a symbolic gesture commanded by Allāh to exhibit obedience and respect for His new creation-one endowed with special knowledge and potential.
d) The Example of Iblīs
Iblīs (Satan) refused to obey Allāh’s command, claiming superiority over ?dam. His disobedience:
- Illustrates the Test: Allāh tested the angels-and Iblīs, who was in their company-to submit to His decree.
- Highlights that Prostration Was Out of Submission to Allāh: Had the prostration been an act of worship toward ?dam, it would conflict with the Islamic concept of tawḥīd. Instead, it was a singular event that confirmed the angels’ dedication to God’s commandments.
e) Conclusion: No Endorsement of Ongoing Human-to-Human Sujūd
- Qur’ānic Guidance: Subsequent Islamic teachings in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah consistently show that sujūd is an exclusive right of Allāh.
- Prophetic Clarifications: The Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly forbade Muslims from prostrating to him or any other human (as discussed in the Ḥadīth of Qays ibn Saʿd and Muʿādh ibn Jabal).
- Scholarly Consensus: Classical and contemporary scholars agree that the angels’ prostration to ?dam was a unique command that does not extend to or justify prostrating before any created being.
In summary, misusing the angels’ prostration to ?dam as a precedent for sujūd to a Prophet, Imām, or any other person distorts the clear evidence in the Qur’ān and contradicts the established Islamic ruling: all acts of worship-especially prostration-belong to Allāh alone.