🔥 Examination: Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light

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15.1. Prostration (Sujūd) Is for Allāh Alone

Islamic teachings insist that sujūd is an exclusive act of worship due only to Allāh. Any attempt to direct this act toward a Prophet, Imām, or angel contradicts the explicit texts of the Qur'ān and authentic Ḥadīth.

These verses unequivocally command believers to direct all worship, including prostration, to Allāh alone. No one—besides Allāh—is to receive this form of ʿibādah.

Prostration—known in Arabic as sujūd—is among the highest forms of worship and humility that a servant offers to the Creator. Within the Islamic tradition, sujūd entails placing the forehead on the ground in an act of total submission, awe, and dependence. By its very nature, it signifies dedicating one’s heart and body entirely to Allāh. As such, Islamic teachings emphasize that sujūd belongs exclusively to Him.

A foundational proof in this regard is found in the Qur'ān:

This verse is unambiguous in instructing believers to direct their prostration to Allāh alone. Similarly, the Qur'ān warns repeatedly against associating partners with Allāh in any aspect of worship:

Because sujūd is emblematic of worship (ʿibādah), any attempt to divert it, even partially, toward another being—be it a prophet, an angel, or an esteemed leader—clashes with the essence of tawḥīd (pure monotheism).

a) The Prophet’s Prohibition of Prostrating to Creation

The Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) underscored that acts of prostration cannot be offered to anyone but Allāh. In an authentic narration, a Companion (Qays ibn Saʿd) witnessed people in Persia prostrating to their ruler and felt that if anyone deserved such reverence, it should be the Messenger of Allāh. Yet the Prophet firmly refused:

Not only did the Prophet (peace be upon him) refrain from permitting sujūd to himself, but he stated that if it were ever allowed for a human, a wife would prostrate to her husband—yet, even that is forbidden. This decisive statement eliminates any legitimacy of prostrating before a created being.

b) Scholarly Consensus on the Exclusivity of Sujūd

From the earliest generations—Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Successors (Tābiʿūn), to classical and contemporary scholars—there has been unanimous agreement (ʿijmāʿ) that sujūd must be directed solely to Allāh. For instance:

• Imām al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH), in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, emphasizes that bowing or prostration in worship (taʿabbud) to anyone other than Allāh is categorically impermissible.
• Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH), in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwāʿ, clarifies that while some earlier nations performed prostration as a greeting or cultural sign of respect, the final sharīʿah of Islam abrogated such practices, restricting sujūd to Allāh alone.

c) Wisdom Behind Reserving Prostration for Allāh

Islamic teachings reserve the most profound expression of submission for the One who created and sustains all things. By confining sujūd to Allāh, believers protect their faith from slipping into shirk (polytheism) or undue veneration of finite creatures. Prostration reflects the highest form of humility, and only Allāh is infinitely worthy of that level of reverence:

Ultimately, sujūd aligns the heart, mind, and body toward a single act of devotion, pointing to Allāh’s sole right to be worshiped. This purity of worship fosters sincerity (ikhlāṣ), humility, and the unity of believers under the banner of tawḥīd.