ҳ̸Ҳ̸ҳ The Essence of Prostration ҳ̸Ҳ̸ҳ

Introduction

"In the name of God, the Beneficent and most Merciful"

Asalam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

As Muslims we know that the act of 'prostration' is the most beautiful and truly profound of moments during our prayers and supplications through the day. By prostrating before Allah swt and lowering our heads in sheer awe of his magnificent grandeur, we automatically acknowledge the fact that there is nothing throughout the depths and bounds of the entire universe - not even our pride, dignity and egos - that is worthy of worship and submission, except the Almighty Himself.

However, in my interactions with most Muslim brothers and sisters over the years, I have come to the realization that most of us take the greatness of the act of 'prostration' in a literal manner, when it comes to the 'connection' it channels between us and Allah swt.

We know from the immaculate legislation of the glorious Qur'an and the sublime nobility of the Prophetic sayings ( saws ) that :

" The servant is never closer to God, Exalted is He, than when he is prostrating himself in worship." [ Sahih Muslim ]

"Prostrate yourself and draw near" [ The Holy Qur'an 96:19]

Overview

Now, most Muslim brothers and sisters are of the view that these references from the Qur'an and Hadith are literal injunctions which means that a slave is only 'close' to the Almighty at the point, juncture, moment and time of one's forehead touching the ground in prostration.

This is further justified by them through the Prophetic Hadith: " The servant is nearest to God, Great and Glorious is He, when he prostrates himself in prayer, so that is the time to make many supplications." [ Sahih Muslim ]

I would like to point out that this is an error in the thought process that flickers through our minds, because even though to some it may seem like an insignificant aspect of our conceptual disposition, nonetheless this is an issue that needs to be addressed in order to avoid any bigger folly when it comes to Allah swt.

First of all, we need to remember that Allah swt is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Wise - The Omniscient and The All-Encompassing.

He is beyond the realms of time and space; constraints that keep us bound within the physical cocoon of the universe and our very existences. Hence, any action we implement, any word we utter or any behavior we indulge unto - whether it be in prayer / remembrance of Allah swt, social conduct or even under the cloak of privacy - none of it goes undetected by the Almighty.

Rationale`

Allah swt does 'not' need a physical initiative of our bodily movement such as the act of 'prostration' for Him to have 'us' draw closer to him; since Allah swt is above and beyond all needs to begin with. However, we do 'need' that physical initiative in order to commit an act that has a plethora of psychological, emotional, social and even cultural effects on our minds, bodies, hearts and souls.

Why?

It's simple: The human being's inclinations and passions in this world are defined by his ego; an ego that forms the basis of his social functioning, mortal orchestration and individual esteem, thereby indirectly or directly ( without one's knowledge at times ) manipulating one's outlook on the purpose of life and the reality of God in the process.

Every crime, pursuit of material desires, social injustice, defiance of moral principles, obliteration of ethical parameters, fire of vengeance and countless other human realities in one way or another eventually have to do with our inability to resist the magnetic pull of our egos.

Throughout the annals of human history, Kings have ruled Kingdoms, Empires have annexed other nations, Civilizations have risen and fallen and the greatest of warriors or military generals have either killed or been killed themselves, yet the incessant truth that resonates through all these realities is the ugly face of the human being's nature of egoistic fallacy!

The cycle is simple:

The Human Being >> The Ego >> The Nafs >> The Crime / Sin >> Pride >> Inhumanity

From the above chain reaction in the cycle of the human mind, we can see that God has created us as Human Beings, yet it is the Ego that paves the way towards us embracing the lower inclinations of our Nafs, which in turn forwards us to committing subsequent crimes / sins, thus shackling ourselves in the self imprisonment of Pride; ultimately reducing us to the lowest of lows: Inhumanity

Conclusion

My dear brothers and sisters, Allah swt didn't intend us to be "Inhuman", for we are the greatest of all His creations throughout all existence; which is why following God's divine legislation and adhering to His sacred rules of life, is what ultimately preserves us within the folds of Humanity and doesn't entangle us unto the claws of Inhumanity.

Hence from the topic's perspective, Allah swt being the All-Seeing and All-Hearing - does not find us 'close' to Him only when we prostrate ( This is the literal understanding that some of us advocate ); infact our act of 'prostration' is a symbolic testament to us leaving behind our ego, whilst humbling ourselves infront of our Creator by proclaiming His greatness as the only thing worthy of embracing, not our pride.

All the Prophets (May peace be unto all of them ) prayed / supplicated to the Almighty in this manner since the beginning of time throughout the pages of human existence.

The act of 'prostration' is not the sole means to access the warmth, proximity and serene resplendence of the Almighty; He never intended it to be as such. The fundamental purpose behind His eternal wisdom in this regard, is to enable ourselves to 'humble' us before Him in sheer humility and recognition of His thunderous might. Thus, enabling the Kings and Peasants, Rich and Poor, Old and Young, Powerful and Weak - people from all spectrums of life and a wide array of social standings - to infuse their emotional wavelengths, mental frequencies and physical pitch, to that of the Creator of the heavens and the earth, without the innate 'barriers' and natural human constraints of ego and pride blockading such a profoundly intrinsic connection.

"And indeed We have created man, and We know whatever thoughts his inner self develops, and We are closer to him than (his) jugular vein" [ The Holy Qur'an 50:16]

It is clear from this verse that Allah swt's everlasting knowledge and unseizing closeness to us is a perpetual state of being; one that does not need the faculties of human interaction or the facilities of physical rituals to give meaning and worth - for He is nearer to us just as He is to a seabed under the deepest of oceans, just as He is to the outer circumference of the farthest of galaxies, just as He is to a crawling ant that moves on a rock with a crumb of bread, just as He is to the air gushing past under the wings of a bird in flight; Glory be to Him!

The essence of 'prostration' in relation to our affinity with the Lord of the Mighty Throne, is not something that is defined by the centimeters or millimeters of distance between our foreheads and the ground, but infact by human ability to strip himself off the contaminants of pride and ego; whilst humbling ourselves into devotion to the 'source' of all that exists.

'The Source' is : Allah swt; Lord of the mighty throne!

In conclusion, implying that the metric systems of measurement bounding the human physical realm such as the parameters of distance as conceptualized in worldly terms; is what determines our nearness to Allah swt - is infact ( Nauzubillah ) brazenly 'undermining' the All Powerful presence of the Almighty; who encompasses and rules the dominions of time and space with all His exulted magnificence in the first place!

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds!

Ma'Salam!