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 |15.2. Prophetic Ḥadīth Prohibiting Prostration to Creation
The Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly prohibited bowing or prostrating to any being other than Allāh. In the following Ḥadīth, a Companion noticed how people would prostrate to their ruler, then suggested that the Messenger of Allāh deserved it even more:
فانطلقت إلى الحيرة فرأيت الناس يسجدون لأميرهم. قلت: رسول الله أحق أن يسجد له، فأتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكرت ذلك له. فقال: لو كنت آمر أحداً أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت المرأة أن تسجد لزوجها.
“I went to al-Ḥīrah and saw people prostrating to their governor. I said, ‘Allāh’s Messenger has more right to be prostrated to.’ So I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and mentioned that to him. He replied, ‘If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband.’
📔 (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī; Sunan Abī Dāwūd; Ibn Mājah)This narration closes the door on prostration to any human being—no matter how exalted—since even the most intimate of human relationships does not permit such an act.
Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) left no ambiguity concerning the impermissibility of prostrating to created beings. In fact, several authentic Ḥadīth explicitly forbid this practice, reinforcing the Islamic principle that sujūd (prostration) must be directed exclusively to Allāh. Below are key examples and explanations:
a) The Ḥadīth of Qays ibn Saʿd
Among the most renowned narrations is that of Qays ibn Saʿd (may Allāh be pleased with him). He witnessed non-Muslims prostrating to their ruler and believed that, if such an act were permissible, the Prophet (peace be upon him) deserved it more. However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) categorically rejected the notion:
فانطلقت إلى الحيرة فرأيت الناس يسجدون لأميرهم. قلت: رسول الله أحق أن يسجد له، فأتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكرت ذلك له. فقال: لو كنت آمر أحداً أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت المرأة أن تسجد لزوجها.
“I went to al-Ḥīrah and saw people prostrating to their governor. I said, ‘Allāh’s Messenger has more right to be prostrated to.’ So I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and mentioned that to him. He replied, ‘If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded the wife to prostrate to her husband.’
📔 (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī; Sunan Abī Dāwūd; Ibn Mājah)Through this statement, the Prophet (peace be upon him):
- Emphasized his supreme rank among humans, yet still deemed prostration to him or anyone else impermissible.
- Foreclosed any argument that might allow sujūd to a revered human being, confirming that such an act is exclusively for Allāh.
b) The Ḥadīth of Muʿādh ibn Jabal
There is another report involving Muʿādh ibn Jabal (may Allāh be pleased with him) who, upon returning from a journey, attempted to prostrate to the Prophet (peace be upon him) because he had seen people in other lands prostrating to their dignitaries. The Prophet (peace be upon him) rebuked him, forbidding any Muslim from performing such an act:
“Muʿādh came back from Shām and prostrated to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, ‘What is this, O Muʿādh?’ Muʿādh said, ‘I went to Shām and saw them prostrating to their priests and governors. I wanted to do the same for you.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do not do this. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands.’”
📔 (This narration appears in similar wording in various Ḥadīth collections such as Sunan al-Bayhaqī, and it corroborates the Qays ibn Saʿd narration.)Again, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not only rejecting the prostration toward himself—the most virtuous of creation—but also making it clear that no man, no matter how esteemed, can be prostrated to.
c) Rationale and Wisdom
- Protection of Tawḥīd: By prohibiting prostration to creation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) safeguarded the purity of worship in Islam. Since sujūd is among the most profound acts of servitude (ʿibādah), directing it to any finite being could open the door to shirk (polytheism).
- Uniformity of Worship: These prophetic injunctions ensure that all believers, regardless of rank or status, stand on an equal footing as servants of Allāh. No human possesses divine attributes that would legitimize such reverence.
- Final Abrogation of Past Customs: Some earlier communities used bowing or prostration as a form of greeting or respect. With the advent of Islam, these practices were abrogated to preserve absolute devotion to Allāh. As the final Messenger, Muḥammad (peace be upon him) clarified that sujūd could no longer be directed to anyone but the Creator.
d) Scholarly Consensus
Classical and contemporary scholars unanimously uphold that sujūd to anyone besides Allāh is forbidden:
- Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 852 AH), in his commentary Fatḥ al-Bārī, underscores that the Prophet’s refusal to accept prostration confirms the act’s exclusive reservation for Allāh.
- Al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH), in Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, explains that any gesture resembling worship or total veneration (like prostration) cannot be directed to creation under Islamic law.
Hence, these Ḥadīth collectively illustrate the Prophet’s unyielding stance against sujūd to creation. He consistently directed his followers to relegate this honored act to Allāh alone, thereby affirming the central Islamic creed of tawḥīd.