Is it allowed to prostrate before anyone or anything other than Allah?

Question: The Almighty Allah states in Surah Yusuf, Verse No. 100:

And he raised his parents upon the throne and they fell down in prostration before him and he said: O my father! This is the significance of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true:

 It was because Yusuf (a.s.) had seen in his first dream that, the Sun and the Moon, and eleven stars are prostrating in front of him.

We read in history that when Commander of the faithful Ali (a.s.) was going towards Siffeen people of a group, who were standing at the roadside, according to the system for the Sassanid kings fell down in prostration as soon as they saw Hazrat. Commander of the faithful saw this spectacle and felt too much of anguish and said: “What kind of unpleasant sin are you committing. Go and do your work, because I am also a creation of Allah, just like you.”

Is this historical fact, not contrary to the above-mentioned Verse?

Answer: Prostration by way of worship is specifically only for the Almighty Allah and is not permitted for any and other than Him. As is related by Imam Sadiq and Hazrat Imam Hadi (a.s.), in tafseer of this Verse, Hazrat Yusuf’s (a.s.) father and mother and brothers had prostrated in front of Allah by way of thanking Him. And as the writer of Majmaul Bayan has said:

In Arabic words, personal pronoun of ‘Lahu’ is not towards Hazrat Yusuf (a.s.), but it revolves towards Allah. Meaning they prostrated in front of Allah.

As far as the prostration of Angels towards Hazrat Adam (a.s.) is concerned, it has the same meaning i.e. prostration was actually for Allah and Hazrat Adam’s (a.s.) position was that of Kiblah.

In view of this narration in the mentioned verse, there is no dispute in the historical meaning as related by Imam Ali (a.s.).

What is meant by Tauba-e-Nasooha?

Question: The holy Verse:

Yaa ayyuhal latheena aamanoo tooboo iallaahi tawbatan nasooha

“O you who believe! Turn to Allah a sincere turning.” [Surah Tahreem 66:8]

There is a difference regarding this verse, explain its meaning with clarity.

Answer: In the dictionary the meaning of ‘Nasaha’ is to “be clean-pure”. On that basis by ‘Tauba Nasooh’ is meant to that Tauba which is clean, that is pure from sin. And for such pure Tauba it is necessary that man should not return to that sin again. Many traditions narrated by Imams (a.s.) also confirm and support this fact. For example according to a tradition, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) was asked that what is meant by this Quranic verse. Imam (a.s.) said:

The servant of Allah repents on his sin and does not return to the same again.[1]

In another tradition from Imam Hadi (a.s.) it is related that he replied:

“Tauba-e-Nasooh” is this that while repenting for forgiveness man’s apparent (outward behavior) should be

 exactly to his inner feelings (inner self).[2]

Many other traditions are narrated on the subject and all of them support that “Tauba-e-Nasooh” means pure repentance in which there is no going to the sin again. And in which the man’s apparent self and the inner-self should be the same. His actions should conform to his intentions.

Is this Verse contrary to the issue of “abiding forever”?

Question: Our belief is that those who enter paradise do not go out from there and remain there forever. And many Verses explicitly prove this. But by Verse No. 108 of Surah Hud it seems that it is possible that one day they may go out of Paradise.

“And as to those who are made happy. They shall be in the garden abiding in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord please, a gift which shall never be cut off.”

Exception:

As it evidently seems that it is possible that one day Allah may wish to drive them out of this center of blessings, whereas other verses prove that they will never go out of paradise. In this situation what is the meaning of this verse?

Answer: It is true that the Almighty Allah has promised a permanent stay in paradise in many verses to virtuous people and He will never go against this promise as He Himself says:

“Whatever Allah has promised, He will never go against that.” [Surah Rum 30:6]

But it is possible that some may think that after this categorical promise the reins of power go away from Allah and then He does not have that power that He may drive them out of paradise and He may seize His grace from them. In the scholarly and conversational term this categorical judgment puts limit to the Power of Allah. And it diminishes the vastness of strength of Allah. That is the reason that with these words Allah stresses on this fact that though He has promised them a permanent stay in paradise and He will never go against His promise; nevertheless this does not diminish His Power in anyway whatsoever and He still has the Power and control on all the existing things and can do anything whatever He wants and His Power and control over everything is intact and permanent.

Also the same sentence is revealed in the first Verse (regarding the people of Hell and in which they were promised a permanent chastisement). And the reason for that is also same, which is related in reference to the first verse.

The sentence, which has come in the end of the verse, is from the evident and clear Quran, which is corroborating the Tafseer as mentioned above. This sentence makes it clear that this gift of Allah is going to remain intact and established forever and is never going to part.

Footnotes:

[1] Usoole Kafi
[2] Ma-aniul-Akhbar