ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islamic Question & Answer Question 19 : Why Do the Shia Prostrate On Blocks of Earth (clay.)? ANSWER: There are certain people who wonder why prostrating over the block of clay or that extracted from the martyr's grave should be done, considering it to be a kind of polytheism.

In response to this question, one should remind them of the clear difference between prostration for Allah and the prostration on earth; the above question usually arises because of not regarding this difference. Certainly, 'Al-Sujood lillah' means the prostration for the sake of Allah whereas; 'Al-Sujood ala al-arz' means the prostration on earth.

In other words, when we prostrate on the earth, we are in actuality prostrating before the one and only Lord and doing it solely for His sake in the same manner as all the Muslims over the world are doing when they prostrate on something. The pilgrims who prostrate on the stones of Masjid Al-Haram have only one goal in mind, which is to prostrate before the Mighty God.

Thus it is quite clear that the prostration on sand, plants, .etc, does not mean adherence to the worship of these things, rather, the actual prostration and worship is done to God by submitting one self to the lowest level, which is the earth. It is also obvious that prostration on the martyr's grave-sand is regarded far from the prostration toward them rather, it is done solely for the sake of the Lord of the worlds.

In addition, the Holy Quran states: "And whosoever is in the heavens and the earth make obeisance to Allah only.." The holy Prophet also said: "The earth was made to be a prostrating place for me and a cause fpurification." Thus 'prostration before God' with 'prostration on the earth and sand' do not have the least contradiction because the prostration on earth and plant is a sign of the greatest kind of submission before the one and only God.

At this point, let us clarify this theory of the Shia's by looking at one of the traditions of the sixth Holy imam Sadiq (p) who says in regard to this that: Narrated from hisham Ibn Al-Hakam saying that I said to Abi-Abdillah (p): "Tell me of what is permissible to prostrate upon and what is not.