Fatwa ID: 08644
Answered by: Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
I have been to Hajj back in 2018 with my wife and mother.
As per calculation, we were supposed to stay in Makkah for 14 days before departing to Mina so I told my mother and wife that we should read qasar.
During Hajj many were offering full and I was telling that it was qasr as it is 14 days for us in Makkah but they said they checked with mufti before coming, which I didn’t do.
This led to self doubt on myself and thoughts were started coming since day 3 if I guided my mother wrong. I asked her to read then couple of full Salah on day 4 and 5 of Hajj. On Day 5 after last rami, I couldn’t hold myself back and as soon as I reached hotel in Makkah, I fell on my mother feet and started crying telling her I didn’t guide correctly. Later I clarified in evening with mufti and he said what you offered was correct.
After studying more about Islam, I came to know that it is not allowed to be in prostration position for whatever reason. I was at my mother feet flat and she was sitting on bed with feet on ground. I enquired with couple of mufti and they mentioned it is not shirk but major sin and repentance is enough.
- Can you please share your view on this?
- I try to forget this but because of my OCD issues , these thoughts come often.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Prayer Rulings Based on Duration of Stay During Travel
If a person travels and intends to stay at a destination for less than 15 days and nights, they are considered a traveler for the entire duration of their stay and should shorten their prayers. However, if they intend to stay for 15 days or more, they are regarded as a resident and must perform their prayers in full.
He remains in the state of travel until he intends to stay in a town or village for fifteen days or more, as stated in Al-Hidayah.[1]
If he intends to stay for less than fifteen days, he shortens his prayers, as stated in Al-Hidayah.[2]
Prostrating to Other Than Allah (SWT)
If a person prostrates to anyone other than Allah (SWT) with the intention of worship or reverence (Taʿẓīm), this constitutes an act of Shirk and takes them out of the fold of Islam. If the prostration is done for another reason (such as greeting) without the intention of worship or reverence, it is a major sin but does not take one out of the fold of Islam. It would be considered a major sin and requires sincere repentance (Tawbah). Assuming this was done in a moment of emotional breakdown without any intention of worship or reverence, it would then fall into the latter category and require Tawbah.
If someone prostrates to anyone other than God Almighty, he is committing disbelief, contrary to what is required of him to stand.[3]
In “Al-Kafi”: Shams al-A’immah al-Sarakhsi said: Prostrating to anyone other than God out of reverence is disbelief.[4]
Similarly, one who prostrates to it as a form of greeting would not be considered an unbeliever, but would still be a sinner, committing a major sin. In Al-Zahiriyyah, it is stated that prostration is considered an act of disbelief in any form. Shams al-A’immah al-Sarakhsi said, “Prostrating to anyone other than God Almighty out of reverence is disbelief.” In Al-Ikhtiyar, it is preferable for someone who is forced to prostrate to a king not to do so, as this is disbelief. Even if he prostrates before the ruler out of greeting, he does not become a disbeliever.[5]
Al-Sadr al-Shahid stated that this prostration does not constitute disbelief if one prostrates, because he intends it as a greeting rather than an act of worship (1) (2).
Shams al-A’immah al-Sarakhsi mentioned an issue in the chapter “What Comes to the Mind of the Forced, Other Than What He Was Forced To Do” and said: The issue indicates that prostrating to someone other than God Almighty out of reverence is disbelief (3).[6]
References:
[1] وَلَا يَزَالُ عَلَى حُكْمِ السَّفَرِ حَتَّى يَنْوِيَ الْإِقَامَةَ فِي بَلْدَةٍ أَوْ قَرْيَةٍ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا أَوْ أَكْثَرَ، كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyyah, vol. 1, pg. 139, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[2] وَإِنْ نَوَى الْإِقَامَةَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا قَصَرَ، هَكَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyyah, vol. 1, pg. 139, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
[3] لَوْ سَجَدَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَكْفُرُ بِخِلَافِ الْقِيَامِ.
(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 1, pg. 445, Darul Fikr Beirut)
[4] وفي ” الكافي “: قال شمس الأئمة السرخسي: السجود لغير الله في وجه التعظيم كفر.
(Al-Bināyah Sharh Hidāyah, vol. 12, pg. 200, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)
[5] وَفِي التَّنْوِيرِ وَتَقْبِيلُ يَدِ نَفْسِهِ مَكْرُوهٌ كَتَقْبِيلِ الْأَرْضِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالسَّلَاطِينِ فَإِنَّهُ مَكْرُوهٌ وَالْفَاعِلُ وَالرَّاضِي آثِمَانِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يُشْبِهُ عِبَادَةَ الْوَثَنِ هَذَا عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّحِيَّةِ فَلَوْ كَانَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْعِبَادَةِ يَكْفُرُ وَكَذَا مَنْ سَجَدَ لَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّحِيَّةِ لَا يَكْفُرُ وَلَكِنْ يَصِيرُ آثِمًا مُرْتَكِبًا لِلْكَبِيرَةِ.
وَفِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ أَنَّهُ يَكْفُرُ بِالسَّجْدَةِ مُطْلَقًا وَقَالَ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ السَّرَخْسِيُّ السُّجُودُ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّعْظِيمِ كُفْرٌ.
وَفِي الِاخْتِيَارِ وَمَنْ أُكْرِهَ عَلَى أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِلْمَلِكِ أَفْضَلُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَسْجُدُ لِأَنَّهُ كُفْرٌ وَلَوْ سَجَدَ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ عَلَى وَجْهِ التَّحِيَّةِ لَا يَصِيرُ كَافِرًا.
(Majma’ Al-Anhur Fī Sharh Multaqā Al-Abhur, vol. 2, pg. 542, Dār At-Tabā’ah Al-’Āmirah)
[6] وأمّا ما ينقلون من تقبيل الأرض بين العلماء حرام لا إشكال فيه والفاعل والراضي به آثم؛ لأنه يشبه عبادة الوثن، وذَكَر الصّدر الشهيد أنّه لا يكفر بهذا السجود لو سجد؛ لأنّه يريد به التحيَّة دون العبادة (١) (٢).
وذكر شمس الأئمة السّرخسي في باب (ما يخطر على بال الْمُكْرَه غير ما أُكْرِهَ عليه) مسألةً، وقال: المسألة تدلّ على أنّ السجود لغير الله تعالى على وجه التعظيم كفر (٣).
(Al-Nihāyah Fī Sharh Al-Hidāyah, vol. 23, pg. 108, Markaz Ad-Dirāsāt Al-Islāmiyyah)
Only Allah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
