On prostration

[Aqdas]

I think alaHazrat also wrote a book on the subject of prostration of respect entitled az-Zubtatu'z Zakiya.

ay shauq e dil ye sajda gar unko rawā nahīN
aysa wo sajda kīje ke sar ko khabar na ho

O, the yearning heart! if he dislikes for us to bow-
then prostrate such, that head shall never come to know.

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The first meaning:
unko/he in the first verse, if it means RasulAllāh álayhi’s şalātu wa’s salām then the verse means:

RasulAllāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam prohibited a Sahabi from prostrating to him. He expressed his dislike. So, he doesn't like this form of adulation. that is physically bowing down to him. Notice that he didn't rule that such an action would be shirk. He said to the companion: 'If i allowed sajdah to anyone...' indicating that it was not shirk, but it is disliked or forbidden. Which is also proven from the Qur’ān where the angels prostrated to Sayyiduna Ādam álayhi’s salām and the Āl-Yáqūb did to Sayyiduna Yūsuf álayhima as-salām.

So the verse reads: 'He dislikes it out of sheer humility; a prostration is a show of respect; so we don't do it with our heads but we prostrate with our hearts.'

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The second meaning:
unko/they in the first verse means those who object to such an action. That is, scholars of exterior [ahl e zahir] – those whose scope is limited by the intellect (the head).

In this case the verse reads: 'The intellect, the scholars of the exterior dislike such an action. So we do such a prostration (respect, adulation) that the intellect (sar/head in the second verse) cannot perceive.'

notice the contrast of shawq-e-dil/heart to that in the second verse sar/head.​

 

[Aqdas]

in line with the above couplet, i believe it was mufti e azam mawlana mustafa rida khan 'alaihir rahmah who said:

sange dar e jaanaN par karta huN jabeeN saa'ee
sajda na samajh najdi dil deta huN nazrana

i think it has a similar meaning.

 

[Aqdas]

peshe nazar woh nau bahaar sajde ko dil hai be qaraar
rokiye sar ko rokiye haaN yahi imtihaan hai


​

 

[sherkhan]

Maulana Ghulam Yaseen (damat barkatahu), the Imam of Sunni Razvi Mosque, Jersey City (US), explained the third couplet very eloquently in one of his regular dars.

peshe nazar woh nau bahaar sajde ko dil hai be qaraar
rokiye sar ko rokiye haaN yahi imtihaan hai

The inspiration for the above couplet is apparently derived from the following Quranic Ayat and Hadith Sharif:


Surahe Al-Baqarah(2) Ayat 258 of 286

O Beloved (Prophet)! Had you not seen him who quarrelled with Ibrahim about his Lord because Allah gave him Kingdom? When Ibrahim said, my Lord is He who gives life and causes death, said he, 'I give life and cause death'. Ibrahim said, 'Well, Allah brings sun from East: bring it you from the West. 'Thereupon the infidels were confounded and Allah guides not the unjust people.


Here Prophet Ibrahim (alaihi-salam) has challenged Nimrud to raise the sun from the west. This explicitly implies that only Allah (Azza wa’jal) has the authority to raise the sun from the east or the west. Prostration is, therefore, due to one who has the authority to raise the sun from wherever He wishes.

Now compare this Quranic Ayat to the narration of the Hadith Sharif which relates the incident when Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) ‘commanded’ the sun to return after it had set.

The Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) fell asleep keeping his head on the lap of Ali (Radiallahu anhu). In the meantime, the time for the `Asr (late afternoon) prayer passed but `Ali (Radiallahu anhu) did not wake the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam). When the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) awoke, he asked Ali (Radiallahu anhu) if he had offered his prayer. Ali (Radiallahu anhu) replied in the negative. The Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) raised his hands and supplicated to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He):

"Allâhumma! innahû kâna fî Tâ`atiqa wa Tâ `ati rasûlika"

"O Allah! He was in your obedience and the obedience of Your Prophet."

As a result, the sun came back and `Ali (Radiallahu anhu) was able to perform his `Asr prayers.

Some muhadditheen have commented that the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) merely beckoned the sun with a gesture of the finger, without uttering any prayer specifically for the sun to turn back.


By the token of Prophet Ibrahim’s (alaihi-salam) argument, Nimrud could have proven his status as the God had he been able to raise the sun from the west. By the extension of the same argument, should one not prostrate before the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) who raised the sun from the west?

Ala’ Hazrat (azim-ul-barkat) raises the same argument for prostrating before the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam), but then he remembers another Hadith Sharif of the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam) where he expressly disliked any prostration to him.

peshe nazar woh nau bahaar sajde ko dil hai be qaraar
rokiye sar ko rokiye haaN yahi imtihaan hai

The “imtihaan” refers to the first meaning as explained by brother Aqdas.

May Allah (Azza wa-‘jal) grant Ala’Hazrat His infinite mercy for penning the most profound naaths ever written in the praise of the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa aalihi wa-sallam).