prostration in Koran and previous scriptures as verse 48-29 says
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Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him are hard against the unbelievers merciful one to another. You see them bowing, prostrating, seeking blessing, bounty and good pleasure (of God). Their mark is on their faces, the trace of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel as a seed that puts forth its shoot, and strengthens it, and it grows strong and rises straight upon its stalk, pleasing the sowers, that through them it may enrage the unbelievers. God has promised those of them who believe and do deeds of righteousness forgiveness and a mighty wage(4829)
Genesis 171-4 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Deuteronomy 56-9 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 7 Thou shalt have none other gods before Me. 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them nor serve them...
Psalm 956 O come, let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Revelations 711-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Joshua 76-7 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
Numbers 1620-22 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with the all of the congregation?
Numbers 206 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
Matthew 2636-39 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gesthemane, and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be very sorrowful and heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou Wilt.
Then the man bowed down and worshipped the Lord. (Genesis, 2426)
...So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chronicles, 2930)
and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord?(Genesis, 244
.... Then the people bowed down and worshipped...did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. (Exodus, 1227-2
and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped. (Exodus, 431)
and bowed down...three times, with his face to the ground. (1 Samuel, 2041)
Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah, 86)
Abram bowed with his face touching the ground...(Genesis, 173)
When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. (Genesis, 2452)
Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped. (Exodus, 34
When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. (Numbers, 164)
the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened. (Numbers, 244)
Then Joshua bowed to the ground in reverence...(Joshua, 514)
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord?He is God! The Lord?He is God!"(1 Kings, 1839)
when I bow down in the temple...may the Lord forgive your servant for this. (2 Kings, 51
they bowed low and fell prostrate before the Lord. (1 Chronicles, 2920)
they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord...(2 Chronicles, 73)
... the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshipped... ordered... to praise the Lord. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chronicles, 2929-30)
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said ?Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.? (Job, 120-21)
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The root "s-j-d" denotes homage/reverence; associated with the physical act of prostration. It carries the same connotation in arabic, aramaic & hebrew.
Often associated with "worship," but it's usage is not restriced to it. Hence, in the quraan, used in the narratives of adam & joseph.
ma'a salaam.
God bless all.
al'hamd li Allaah Rabb al'aalameen
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A few more relevant references
From the old testament
Isaiah; 44,15 A man uses it to make a fire; he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
From the quraan
2724 I found her and her people prostrating to the sun, apart from God; Satan has decked out fair their deeds to them and he has barred them from the way, and therefore they are not guided,
2725 so that they prostrate not themselves to God, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth; and He knows what you conceal and what you publish.
In his book, arthur jeffery, a professor of semitic languages, notes that the word used in old aramaic implies "prostration of reverence".
But ur thread has now set me a-thinking. Thanks for bringing this up.
ma'a salaam.
God bless all.
al'hamd li Allaah Rabb al'aalameen
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Peace be upon you,
To bow and prostrate means to be humble and devoted. There are many who do it physically but get no benefit...the reason is because it is not the blindness of the eye, but the heart. I am in no way against a physical prostration is a symbolic gesture of devotion, but that is not the ESSENCE of this concept.
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399 Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad) Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.
3215 Only those believe in Our signs who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and proclaim the praise of their Lord, not waxing proud.
& humility is to be maintained at all times.
ma'a salaam.
God bless all.
al'hamd li Allaah Rabb al'aalameen
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A few more relevant references
From the old testament
From the quraan
In his book, arthur jeffery, a professor of semitic languages, notes that the word used in old aramaic implies "prostration of reverence".But ur thread has now set me a-thinking. Thanks for bringing this up.
ma'a salaam.
God bless all.
al'hamd li Allaah Rabb al'aalameen
Prostration does not mean physical only. You could communicate with God and not do so physically such as zikr or reflections. But my intention was to interpret verse 48-29. People generally pray the way they are accustomed to pray. A person from a Muslim background might feel comfortable touching his head to the ground but he would not feel comfortable lying on his stomach spreading his legs. A person from a Budhist background would find that normal as this is how the society around him sometimes pray. Christians kneel and cross their hands. Others stay standing like the Koran said about Zakariya. The Arab people probably prayed the way the Jews and semitic cultures do, bowing and prostrating with the face sometimes to the ground. Often people pray the way they bow to Kings so they do the same when they pray to God.
Its when you don't bow or prostrate physical becuae you find that degrating to your persona where the problem comes. Then you might find yourself in the same league with satan and even worse since satan refused to do that do Adam when he was created by God.
I see this as a cultural issue more than anything else. People should pray the way they feel comfortable. Its only a big deal with Sunni/Shia background Koranist because our religious understanding is so dogmatic and ritualistic due to the sectarian influence. We are used to protocols that must be done precisely and and done timely with no deviations allowed. Salat is after all a communication medium between a human and his creator and all animals and all matter do that but in their own way. The Koran tells us that god communicates with mountains and planetary objects as well as trees and animals. Trees in the Koran do zikr and so do animals.
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bigmo-Prostration does not mean physical only. You could communicate with God and not do so physically such as zikr or reflections.
thegod-The root "s-j-d" denotes homage/reverence;
Homage/reverence need not be physical. (However, it can be accompanied by a physical gesture)
thegod-associated with the physical act of prostration.
The arabic word for physical prostration comes from s-j-d. (Therefore a claim that physical prostration cannot be implied would be a fallacy)
I hope it is clear now.
-Its when you don't bow or prostrate physical becuae you find that degrating to your persona where the problem comes. Then you might find yourself in the same league with satan and even worse since satan refused to do that do Adam when he was created by God.
This is what I tried to convery through 399 & 3215.
Thanks for the commentary.
ma'a salaam.
God bless all.
al'hamd li Allaah Rabb al'aalameen
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Peace be upon you,
To bow and prostrate means to be humble and devoted. There are many who do it physically but get no benefit...the reason is because it is not the blindness of the eye, but the heart. I am in no way against a physical prostration is a symbolic gesture of devotion, but that is not the ESSENCE of this concept.
True since in the Quran Zakariya prayed standing.
