🔥 Examination: Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light

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15.5. Biblical Narratives: Invalid for Establishing New Rituals in Islam

The speaker references biblical episodes where individuals “fell on their faces” before angels or prophets. These acts may have conveyed respect or awe, but do not apply as legal precedents in Islam. Qur’ānic law supersedes earlier scriptures, and the final Prophet (peace be upon him) definitively outlawed prostration to created beings.

Accordingly, older customs or narratives cannot override the explicit Islamic ruling that sujūd is only for Allāh.

Some of Abdullāh Hāshim Abā al-Ṣādiq’s arguments rest on episodes from the Old or New Testament, where individuals appeared to “fall on their faces” or bow before prophets, angels, or holy figures. He then suggests these accounts justify prostration to a Messenger or Imām in the Islamic context. However, this approach neglects several foundational principles of Islamic theology and jurisprudence:

a) The Qur’ān Abrogates Previous Scriptures

Muslims believe the Qur’ān is the final revelation sent by Allāh, superseding earlier scriptures like the Torah and the Gospel. Hence, any custom or practice from older dispensations must align with the Qur’ān and the Sunnah—or it is not considered binding for Muslims.

Accordingly, even if biblical figures prostrated in certain contexts, Muslims do not adopt such behaviors unless expressly validated by the final sharīʿah delivered by Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him).

b) Distinction Between Respect and Worship

In many biblical passages, “falling on one’s face” or bowing might denote respect or greeting, not necessarily worship. However, in Islam:

1. Acts of Worship Must Have Divine Sanction
   If an action appears as worship—such as sujūd—it requires explicit permission in Islamic sources (Qur’ān and authentic ?adīth).
2. Prohibition of Shirk (Association)
   Islam’s strict monotheism bars any practice—new or old—that could diminish the unique right of Allāh to be worshiped.

c) Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the Ultimate Guide

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly forbade prostration to anyone besides Allāh. Even if the Old Testament or New Testament recounts a revered person receiving acts akin to prostration, such practices do not override the final instructions from the final Messenger.

Thus, the Prophet’s clear prohibition—evidenced in multiple authentic ?adīth—takes precedence over any custom from previous nations.

d) Scholarly Consensus on Nullified Rituals

• Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwāʿ clarifies that many past traditions were rendered obsolete by the sharīʿah of Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him).
• Imām al-Shāfiʿī (d. 204 AH) wrote in al-Risālah that scriptural proofs must be derived from the Qur’ān and Sunnah, and that no legal judgments can hinge solely on earlier scriptures—especially if they conflict with established Islamic law.

e) Conclusion

No matter what the Old or New Testament records about bowing or prostrating in earlier communities, Muslims cannot institute a new ritual or continue an old practice unless it is explicitly endorsed by the Qur’ān or authenticated Sunnah. The final legislation of Islam has already clarified that sujūd (prostration) is reserved for Allāh alone.

By grounding ritual actions in the teachings of the last Messenger and the revealed Book—the Qur’ān—believers maintain the purity of tawḥīd. Thus, invoking biblical precedents to justify prostration before humans misapplies abrogated practices that the Islamic dispensation no longer accepts.