Fatwa ID: 04616

Answered by: Mufti Javed ibn Nazir Kachhalia

Question

If a husband does a sajda to his wife and his wife tells him to stop as sajda is only for Allah and the husband says to the wife you are my God, do this couple need to do their nikah again?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

Prostration is for Allah alone, and the law of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the most perfect and most complete of laws, according to which it is not permissible to prostrate to anyone or anything other than Allah, either by way of greeting or by way of worship.

As for worship, it cannot be devoted to any except Allah alone, according to all laws and teachings, but in the past prostration was used as a greeting and by way of honoring people, as the parents and brothers of Yoosuf did, and as the angels did to Adam.

This was by way of greeting and showing respect, not by way of worship. But according to the law of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has forbidden that and has made prostration for Allah alone, may He be glorified and exalted; it is not permissible to prostrate to anyone else, either the Prophets or others, to the extent that Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade anyone to prostrate to him and stated that prostration is for Allah alone, may He be glorified and exalted. 

Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa said: When Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal came from Syria, he prostrated to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said, “What is this, O Mu‘aadh?” He said, I went to Syria and saw them prostrating to their archbishops and patriarchs, and I wanted to do that for you. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Do not do that. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no woman can fulfill her duty towards Allah until she fulfills her duty towards her husband. If he asks her (for intimacy) even if she is on her camel saddle, she should not refuse.”(Sunan Ibn Maajah)

From the above, we come to know that prostrating is only for Allah.

In regards to the issue of the husband saying to the wife “You are My God”. This kind of statement is Shirk and one should abstain from it.

Therefore, if that statement has been said even for a joke a person will need to renew his Deen and Religion and at the same time renew the Marriage and Nikah.

“To make fun of any act or thing of Deen will invalid the person’s religion. He or She will need to repent and ask Allah for forgiveness, renew the Imaan (by doing the Shahadah) and will need to renew the Nikah again with the spouse”. (Aapke Masa’ail aur unke Hal, Vol 1, Pg 50, Maktabah Ludhyanwi)

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Mufti Javed ibn Nazir Kachhalia

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah 

Darul Ifta Birmingham