What is the assessment of the book: *Bada'i' al-Zuhur*? And the ruling on prostrating to other than Allah as a greeting
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Question:
The first message in this episode is from listener Muhammad Sa'id Mahmud from the Iraqi Republic, who is of Egyptian nationality. Our brother began his message by saying: "To the honorable professors, our scholars, and our esteemed teachers on the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb*: Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. After that, I read in a book called *Bada'i' al-Zuhur fi Waqi' al-Duhur* [The Best of Flowers in the Events of the Ages]: When the Prophet of Allah, Ya'qub [Jacob], entered Egypt, the soldiers marched before him until he reached the palace of his son Yusuf [Joseph], who was the minister and the ruler of Egypt at that time. When he entered the palace, Yusuf raised his father and his maternal aunt onto his throne and ordered the soldiers to prostrate to them, and that was the custom of the people of Egypt in greeting."
Is the prostration of greeting permissible in such situations? I ask you, may Allah preserve you and increase you in His knowledge and benefit us and the Muslims through you, to explain this. Amen.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It should be known that this book, *Bada'i' al-Zuhur*, is not one of the approved books. Rather, it is a night-time woodcutter [a metaphor for someone who gathers worthless things], mentioning the worthless and the valuable, the true and the false, so it is not relied upon. The reports about the Children of Israel are old reports, and they are not relied upon except for what is established from Allah or from His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Qur'an explicitly states that Yusuf (peace be upon him) raised his parents on the throne, and they were his father and his mother, not his maternal aunt, but his father and his mother; because Allah said: [Yusuf:100].
And the prostration at that time was permissible for honor and greeting, not for worship. Just as the angels prostrated to Adam out of honor and magnification, not worship, this prostration is not from the category of worship but from the category of greeting and honor. It was permissible in the law of those before us, but in the law of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), it is prohibited. For this reason, it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1159Hasan (Darussalam).
And he clarified that prostration is for Allah , so one does not prostrate except to Allah alone . And He said at the end of Surat al-Najm: [al-Najm:62], and He said in Surat al-'Alaq: [al-'Alaq:19]. So prostration is for Allah alone, and the law of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most complete and perfect of the laws, so it is not permissible in it to prostrate to other than Allah, neither as a greeting nor as worship. As for worship, it is not valid except for Allah alone in all laws; because Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [al-Isra:23], and He said, Exalted is He: [al-Dhariyat:56].
So worship is the right of Allah alone in every time and place. But prostration in the past was used as a greeting and honor, as the parents of Yusuf and his brothers did, and as the angels did to Adam. This is from the category of greeting and honor, not from the category of worship. But in the law of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah prohibited that, and made prostration for Allah alone , and it is not permissible to prostrate to anyone, not to the prophets nor to others. Even Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited anyone from prostrating to him, and he informed that prostration is for Allah alone . So it is known by this that all types of worship are for Allah alone , and the greatest of them is prostration, for it is humility and breaking before Allah , so it is among the best of worships. It is not to be directed to other than Him from among people, not to the prophets, not to the jinn, not to humans, nor to others. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
The first message in this episode is from listener Muhammad Sa'id Mahmud from the Iraqi Republic, who is of Egyptian nationality. Our brother began his message by saying: "To the honorable professors, our scholars, and our esteemed teachers on the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb*: Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. After that, I read in a book called *Bada'i' al-Zuhur fi Waqi' al-Duhur* [The Best of Flowers in the Events of the Ages]: When the Prophet of Allah, Ya'qub [Jacob], entered Egypt, the soldiers marched before him until he reached the palace of his son Yusuf [Joseph], who was the minister and the ruler of Egypt at that time. When he entered the palace, Yusuf raised his father and his maternal aunt onto his throne and ordered the soldiers to prostrate to them, and that was the custom of the people of Egypt in greeting."
Is the prostration of greeting permissible in such situations? I ask you, may Allah preserve you and increase you in His knowledge and benefit us and the Muslims through you, to explain this. Amen.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
It should be known that this book, *Bada'i' al-Zuhur*, is not one of the approved books. Rather, it is a night-time woodcutter [a metaphor for someone who gathers worthless things], mentioning the worthless and the valuable, the true and the false, so it is not relied upon. The reports about the Children of Israel are old reports, and they are not relied upon except for what is established from Allah or from His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Qur'an explicitly states that Yusuf (peace be upon him) raised his parents on the throne, and they were his father and his mother, not his maternal aunt, but his father and his mother; because Allah said:
And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration.
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًاAnd the prostration at that time was permissible for honor and greeting, not for worship. Just as the angels prostrated to Adam out of honor and magnification, not worship, this prostration is not from the category of worship but from the category of greeting and honor. It was permissible in the law of those before us, but in the law of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), it is prohibited. For this reason, it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
If I were to order anyone to prostrate to anyone, then I would order the wife to prostrate to her husband
لو كنت آمرًا أحدًا أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت المرأة أن تسجد لزوجها لعظم حقه عليهاAnd he clarified that prostration is for Allah , so one does not prostrate except to Allah alone . And He said at the end of Surat al-Najm:
So prostrate to Allah and worship [Him].
فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُواAnd prostrate and draw near
وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْAnd your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُAnd I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِSo worship is the right of Allah alone in every time and place. But prostration in the past was used as a greeting and honor, as the parents of Yusuf and his brothers did, and as the angels did to Adam. This is from the category of greeting and honor, not from the category of worship. But in the law of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah prohibited that, and made prostration for Allah alone , and it is not permissible to prostrate to anyone, not to the prophets nor to others. Even Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited anyone from prostrating to him, and he informed that prostration is for Allah alone . So it is known by this that all types of worship are for Allah alone , and the greatest of them is prostration, for it is humility and breaking before Allah , so it is among the best of worships. It is not to be directed to other than Him from among people, not to the prophets, not to the jinn, not to humans, nor to others. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.