Muslim Greetings: A Critical Analysis of Salafi Scholars' Views on Kneeling and Bending Etiquette in Islam

This paper delves into the discourse surrounding traditional Islamic greetings, specifically focusing on the viewpoints of Salafi scholars regarding the practices of kneeling and bending as manners of greeting in Islam. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of primary sources, classical texts, and contemporary scholarly works, this study critically examines the arguments and interpretations presented by Salafiyyah scholars. It investigates the theological, cultural, and historical contexts shaping their perspectives on the appropriateness and religious significance of these greetings. Furthermore, the paper explores the implications of these viewpoints within the broader Islamic community and discusses potential avenues for inter-sectarian dialogue and understanding. By engaging with diverse scholarly viewpoints and contextualizing them within broader Islamic teachings, this analysis contributes to a nuanced understanding of greeting etiquettes in Islam and facilitates constructive discourse within the global Muslim community.


INTRODUCTION
Greetings are universal across cultures, esteemed as a common feature regardless of religious affiliation.Each society has its unique forms and styles of greetings, reflecting its cultural norms and values.In Islam, greeting manners are prescribed and upheld as standards for interaction.These encompass both verbal expressions of taslīm and various bodily acts such as handshaking, hugging, and kissing, tailored to individual preferences and circumstances.However, controversies arise among Islamic scholars regarding certain greetings like bending, kneeling, and bowing, which are customary in specific regions, notably African societies.These practices prompt debates concerning their compatibility with Islamic principles.
In the discourse on acceptable manners of greeting in Islam, several Nigerian scholars, including Shaykh Muhammad Ali Jabata, Abdur-Razaq Alaro, Abdur-Razaq Ejigbo, Abdul-Fatah Sarumi, and Abdul-Ghaniy Jumat, prominent figures peculiar case to the country.The inductive and deductive approaches were adopted to gather in-depth knowledge from various materials consulted for this paper.

Greetings and Respect in Islam
The significance of greeting in Islam is paramount, with Qur'an 24:61 commanding believers to express salutations upon meeting, while Qur'an 4:86 obligates responding to greetings.Islamic teachings outline various rules governing greetings, including the Prophet's guidance on prioritizing elders, those sitting, and larger groups in greetings.Even during significant events like the Prophet's nocturnal journey, he emphasized the importance of greeting at each stage (Rahemtulla, 2017).
Islamic greetings and their etiquettes embody decorum, respect, honor, and mutual love.While the general formula of taslīm is universal, other greetings vary based on time, place, and individual status.For instance, Islam recommends saying "Yarhamuk Allahu" when someone sneezes.
Controversies arise not from greetings themselves but from accompanying bodily acts, particularly bending and kneeling, common in African cultures.These practices predate Islam's introduction to the region and are seen through the lens of Sharicah by scholars.Polemics often revolve around whether these customs align with Islamic principles.
Proponents of bending and kneeling as greetings argue that neither the Qur'an nor authentic hadith prohibit such practices.They contend that these gestures demonstrate respect and humility, essential tenets of Islam, especially when greeting elders or authorities.They cite Qur'anic verses that emphasize humility, such as chapter 17, verse 24, instructing children to lower their wings in respect to their parents, and verses directing the Prophet to show humility to his followers.Although the Prophet may not bend or bow to his followers as the leaders, humility is embedded in the teaching.The scholars in this category also adjudged bending and kneeling as in tandem with the ḥadīth of the Prophet, which says: revealed to me that (Muslims) should behave to one another so that no one feels despised (Muslim, No.2865).The above quotation is an excerpt from an extensive report from the Prophet, covering three issues: respect and humility inclusive, one of the pro-bending scholars relied upon in their submissions.The tradition is equally in line with the culture of the people across various societies regardless of their religious inclination.
According to Duranti (2001), this is because greeting is not cultural, religious and universal.

Controversies Around Manners of Greeting in Nigeria
Over time, disputes over greeting customs have surfaced within families and communities across Nigeria, sparking upheavals and tensions (Achi, 2021;Olowo, 2021).Instances have been reported where refusal to bend while greeting has led to significant consequences, even affecting marital arrangements.In one case, a groom's refusal to bend while greeting the bride's parents nearly halted a marriage ceremony until the intervention of an Islamic scholar.Similarly, disagreements over bending as a sign of respect have arisen, with parents and scholars insisting on adherence to traditional customs.
In recent years, incidents of children refusing to bend while greeting their parents have become more common, leading to societal labels and tensions.In certain cultural settings, such as palaces, where prostration or bending is customary when greeting the king, refusals have resulted in serious repercussions, including banishment.These conflicts highlight varying interpretations and expectations surrounding greeting gestures.
The refusal to bend or kneel during greetings is perceived differently by individuals.Some view it as a display of arrogance, while others see it as a departure from Quranic and hadith teachings on prostration.Such disputes have fueled animosity and strained relationships among different segments of society, including between teachers and students, parents and children, and within extended families.
This reluctance to bend during greetings is increasingly normalized in Nigerian society, with individuals fearing social stigma or judgment for adhering to traditional customs.These tensions and conflicts are not unique to Nigeria and may be observed in other societies, both within and beyond Africa.

Salafiyyah Scholars and Qur'ānic Discourse on Bowing and Prostration
Prominent among the Salafiyyah scholars in the discussion about manners of greetings are Ibn Bāz, Ibn Al-C Uthaymīn, and Al-Bānī, among others.The Nigerian Salafiyyun are noted for frequently referencing these scholars as the source of inspiration for their position on bending and kneeling while greeting.Their arguments stemmed from two primary Qur'an expressions-rukū c (genuflection or bowing) and sujūd (prostration).There are many places where the Qur'ān references both (rukū c and sujūd) as the exclusive rights of Allah, which must be accorded to Him in worship.In this context, Salafiyyah scholars forbid, according to either of them, to fellow creatures while greeting, expressing pleasantries, or as a mark of honour and respect from a younger person to an elderly individual.Al-C Uthaymin (2009) submits that what is due to Allah must not be accorded to any creature, or else one becomes an infidel.
Out of different places that the word sujūd occurs in the Qur'ān, there are five verses that form the kernel of Salafiyyah scholars' discourse on the subject matter.The above verse accounts for what transpired between Allah, Adam, and the angels.They (angels) were ordered by Allah to prostrate to Adam, having failed to match him intellectually, as a mark of honour and respect, which they all did, except Iblīs.
Another reference is what transpired between Prophet Yūsuf, his father and his brothers.Al-Qur'an says:

And he raised his parents high on the throne (of dignity), and they fell in prostration...(Q12:100)
This scenario occurred when the members of Yusuf's family came to Egypt and met him in a very high position of authority in the country.The father and everyone at that scene prostrated to Yūsuf as a mark of his royal greeting.
It is pertinent to point out that Mufāsirūn (exegetes) like Al-Qurṭubī (1964) and Ibn Kathīr have compiled different shades of interpretation on these verses in their various works.The bone of contention is whether those prostrations accorded to Adam and Yūsuf in their respective cases are gestures of worship or marks of respect and honour (Ibn Kathīr, 1999).After an array of explanations, it is concluded that those Sujūd are merely for greeting and respect alone without involving worship.Al-Qurṭubī (1964)  Exegetes are unanimous that the prostration, in whatever manner, is meant for greeting and not for worship.This is the submission of Al-Qurṭubī, having examined various narrations and submissions of different scholars, and it seems to be the proper perspective of the entire scenario.This, therefore, presupposes that Sajdah can be for worship or respect.
The Salafiyyah scholars equally argued in the light of another Qur'anic verse to drive home their point of making bending and bowing as a forbidden act in Islam.The verse reads: ...

‫لََّ‬ ‫ُوا‬ ‫ُد‬ ‫ْج‬ ‫َس‬ ‫ت‬
…Prostrate neither for the sun nor for the moon, but for Allah, Who created them, if it is Him you are worshiping.(Q 41:37) With the provision of this verse, therefore, prostration to other than Allah, the Salafiyyah scholars argued, is prohibited, and doing it can eject one from the fold of Islam (Fatāwā' l-Lajnatu' d-Dā'imah, 2000).
Another verse of the Qur'ān that attracts the attention of the Salafiyyah scholars vis-à-vis bowing is: ... ‫وا‬ ُ ‫ُل‬ ‫ْخ‬ ‫اد‬ َ ‫و‬ َّ ‫َابَ‬ ‫ب‬ ْ ‫ال‬ ‫ًا‬ ‫د‬ ‫ُج‬ ‫س‬ ... َّ …Enter through the door in prostration… (Q 2:58, 4:154, 7:161) Salafiyyah scholars submit in the light of the argument of Ibn Qayyim (2006), Aṭ-Ṭabarī (2010), and Ibn Mazur (1999), among others, that the implication of this verse where Allah orders the Israelites to enter through the door in prostration is that there is no difference between bowing, bending, and prostration.They argue that the verse must not be taken in its ordinary sense because one cannot enter through a door in prostration but by bowing or bending.Ibn c Abbās (1998) in his Tafsīr mentions genuflection (rukū c ), otherwise called bowing in conventional language.He writes: Abu Ja C far said: Prostration means bending to someone who is honoured or respected with it.Therefore, every act of honorific bending to anything is prostration.The above submissions from those scholars including that of Ibn c Abbās seem to have been in opposition to the Prophetic explanation of the verse as recorded by Al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ.While giving the corresponding ḥadīth to the verse above, he reports: ‫ِه‬ ‫َاه‬ ‫ْت‬ ‫س‬ َ ‫أ‬ On the authority of Himām bin Munabbih, who heard Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him saying that the Messenger of Allah, may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him, said, "It was said to the children of Israel: Enter the gate in prostration and seek forgiveness, we shall forgive you, your faults.'But they changed (Allah's order) and entered, crawling on their buttocks … No.3403) The basic inference from this ḥadīth is that the children of Israel defied the instructions of Allah, who ordered them to enter through the door in prostration but crawled while entering, giving flimsy excuses.In consequence, their efforts were rendered null and void, and Allah punished them, as could be inferred from the next verse.The question now is that if prostration, as defined by those scholars, is bending or bowing, how come Allah rejects it from them?Let it be remembered that one cannot crawl while standing.Also, the explanation of Al-C Uthaymin (2009) in his Tafsir is relevant because he is of the view that the Israelites are to prostrate after entry through the gate to express their gratitude to Allah and not that they should enter a prostrating position.He explains further that prostration, as directed in verse (s), is a status that does not go with entering but indicates what should be done afterwards.
Salafiyyah scholars equally argue in the light of another verse of the Qur'an where Allah says: "And the places of worship are for Allah, so invoke not anyone along with Allah."(Q72:18) In the light of this verse, Ibn Kathir (1999) and Al-Qurtubi (1964) reference Sa c id Ibn Musayyab and Sa c id Ibn Jubayr as submitting that the Masājid therein refers to the parts of the body used for worship, all of which must not be used in worshipping other than Allah.This is premised on a tradition of the Prophet, which specifies the body parts that should be involved in prostration.It reads: Alc Abbās bin Abdul-Muṭṭalib, who heard the Messenger of Allah, may the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him, saying: When a servant prostrates, seven parts of his body are involved.These are the face, the two palms, the two kneels, and the two feet.(Muslim,No.491)The submission of Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Musayyab, as quoted by Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, must be put into proper perspectives.This is necessary because there exists in this explanation a misconception, as the verse has nothing to do with manners of greeting or body limbs (Al-Misri, 2019).The submission sounds illogical.It is like prohibiting the same mouth that one uses to pronounce takbīr in Ṣalāt, which is the worship of Allah, from mundane usages like praising or saying taslim to fellow men while greeting.
Al-Misri further contends that Quranic verse interpretations vary among scholars, with some suggesting it refers to mosques or the Kaaba itself.According to Al-Qurtubi's Tafsir, Ibn Jubayr offers two interpretations of the verse, with the latter being considered most appropriate, suggesting it was revealed in response to a request from the Jinn to the Prophet.Additionally, Al-Qatada explains the verse's purpose as safeguarding the sanctity of mosques from sacrilegious activities, particularly those conducted by Jews and Christians who commercialized their places of worship.This interpretation, echoed by Ibn Kathir, aligns with the general consensus among various Tafasir scholars.
However, it's noted that the interpretation put forth by Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi from Ibn Jubayr is rare and not widely accepted among earlier scholars, thus lacking substantial support in this discourse.
Furthermore, there appears to be common ground between the views of scholars like Al-Qurtubi and those of the Salafiyyah scholars.Al-Qurtubi distinguishes between prostration as an act of worship and prostration as a form of greeting, suggesting that the latter does not entail the same religious significance.While Al-Qurtubi does not endorse prostration to entities other than Allah, his categorization implies that intention plays a crucial role.It is widely accepted among scholars that intention is integral to every Muslim action.
In essence, while interpretations may vary, scholars generally agree that the practice of bending or prostration should be guided by sincere intention, underscoring the importance of intentionality in Islamic practices.
Also, greeting, as practiced in the cases of and Yusuf, as mentioned above, according to Ibn Kathir, has  This was indeed allowed in their laws.If they greet the elder, they prostrate to him, and it remained the same from Adam down to C Isā, peace be upon him.However, it became a forbidden act in this religion (Islam).Therefore, prostration is taken as an exclusive right of Allah, the most praised and exalted.
From the above excerpt, therefore, Ibn Kathīr opines that the practice has been abrogated by Allah, who makes it His exclusive right.They (Mufāssirūn), accordingly, submitted that prostration and bending as manners of greeting had been replaced and limited to the pronouncement of taslīm alone (Al-Qurtubi).This may not be appropriate because both actions are different, though they correlate highly.Taslīm is the word of mouth while kneeling and bending are actions of the limb, and they are in the same category as hugging, handshaking, and kissing, among others, which the Prophet practised throughout his life.Details are in the next subhead.

Salafiyyah Scholars and the Ḥadīth Discourse on Bending or Kneeling to Greet
Generally, there are many traditions of the Prophet on manners of greeting and many verses of the Qur'ān, some of which have been explained above.
This paper adopts a structured approach, employing a pyramid selection method to focus on hadiths central to discussions on kneeling and bending as forms of greeting.Two specific traditions, according to Salafiyyah scholars, are pivotal in embracing needs to be mentioned in the corroborating reports, based on which I had classed the tradition as strong.I therefore removed, as it will be seen in the new edition in Shā' Allah… praise be to Allah.Later, I discovered that it was a weak narration, and I felt comfortable that I had taken it out, thanks to Allah.In particular, I found that Ibn al-Tīhān al-Anṣarī embraced the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), according to the ḥadīth that speaks of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) coming out to the house of Ibn al-Tīhān (may Allah be pleased with him), which is narrated in al-Shamā 'il al-Muḥammadiyyah…(Al-Munajid, n.d) Apart from this text, Al-Bānī continues by pointing out various traditions, which point to how the Prophet embraced some companions like Ja c far upon his return from Abyssinia and how the companions used to embrace each other.He narrates a report from Aṭ-Ṭabaranī, which reads: The Prophet's companions, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, when meeting with each other, used to shake hands, and when returning from a journey, they used to hug or embrace one another 200).Having sunk the Imām at-Tirmdhi's tradition into the mud, Al-Bānī appears to be more comfortable with this tradition; he made it the basis of his position and a yardstick to negate the celebrated tradition of At-Tirmdhi.He brought out many traditions that equally allow kissing of some categories of people and the manners thereof (Al-Bānī ).
Other references often cited by the pro-bending scholars but rejected by the Salafiyyah scholars are the two instances where Umar, the second Khalīfah, is recorded to have knelt to appease and venerate the Prophet.The two lengthy traditions are reported by both Bukhārī and Muslims and many scholars of ḥadīth, including Al-Bānī, who classified them as authentic (Al-Bānī).
The narrations above concerning Umar's posture in two distinct situations with the Prophet shed light on his act of kneeling to pacify and venerate the Prophet, particularly when the Prophet was irritated.Notably, Imam Muslim categorized the first narration under the subheading "The Chapter of Veneration of the Prophet."In both instances, Umar knelt in reverence and to calm the Prophet, and the Prophet did not object to his posture.
Interestingly, neither Ibn Baz nor Al-Uthaymeen referenced these traditions in their respective legal opinions on bending during greetings.Only Jabata discusses them, interpreting Umar's actions as permissible outside the context of greeting.According to Jabata, Umar's kneeling was specific to the Prophet and aimed at pacifying him, suggesting that bending during greetings, being an act of worship, remains impermissible.However, this viewpoint presents a contradiction within Salafiyyah doctrine, which categorizes bending during greetings as an act of shirk (associating partners with Allah).If bending during greeting is deemed shirk, the Prophet would not have permitted it, nor would he have accepted it from Umar.Ibn Taymiyyah's stance, as outlined in his Majmu' al-Fatawa, is pertinent to this discussion.He declares bending to kings and scholars during greeting as impermissible, except under duress where refusal could result in severe consequences.Ibn Taymiyyah likens this situation to that of haram and necessity, asserting that necessities dictate exceptions.This perspective clarifies that while bending under duress may be permissible, it does not equate bending with shirk or kufr (disbelief), as nothing legitimizes shirk or kufr in Islam.

Contemporary Fatwā on Bending and Bowing as Manners of Greeting
After synthesizing and analyzing multiple viewpoints, contemporary Salafiyyah scholars, particularly led by Al-Uthaymeen and the members of the Permanent Committee of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), maintain a firm stance against bending during greetings, unequivocally declaring it as haram, as stated in the Fatwas of the Permanent Committee in 2000.However, Al-Uthaymeen classifies it as makruh (detestable) in his 2009 classification.Nevertheless, he strongly denounces prostration to any being other than Allah as haram, equating it with shirk (associating partners with Allah).This underscores the careful consideration and awareness evident in his legal opinions on various occasions.For instance, while he deems bowing or bending as makruh when questioned about them, he vehemently declares prostration and bowing as haram and acts of shirk.
Scholars in the Permanent Committee of the KSA strictly adjudicate on the act of offering rukuc and sujud to beings other than Allah, citing the hadith of Tirmidhi.Consequently, they classify it as haram and condemn it as an act of shirk, without distinguishing between bending, bowing, and prostration.Neither camp considers intention (niyyah) as the criterion for differentiating between greeting and worship regarding bowing or bending.Additionally, both camps align with the submission of Ibn Kathir, as earlier cited, asserting that prostration as a form of greeting, permissible in earlier communities, has been abrogated with the revelation of the Quran.
After examining various evidence and references from Salafiyyah scholars regarding kneeling and bending as forms of greeting, it is evident that there are numerous misinterpretations, misunderstandings, and overgeneralizations in their submissions.This paper's findings highlight the need for careful consideration and nuanced understanding when interpreting religious practices and rulings.
Firstly, the definition of prostration (sujūd) has been clearly outlined by the Prophet in his renowned hadith, indicating that it involves specific body parts.Any deviation from this prescribed form renders the prostration invalid as an act of worship.Therefore, inḥinā' (bending) cannot be equated to prostration, as evident from the case of the Children of Israel in the Quran and the corresponding hadith of the Prophet.Allah's rejection of their actions, which they sought to substitute with prostration, reinforces this understanding (Mohamed, 2011).
Secondly, instances of prostration in the cases of Adam and Yusuf, as elucidated by various commentators, including those not referenced in this paper, are interpreted as greetings rather than acts of worship.It is widely accepted that these prostrations were not intended as worship but as respectful greetings.The differentiation made by these commentators between greeting and worship, based on intention, remains relevant as intention is integral to human actions.
Thirdly, the narrative involving Muadh ibn Jabal, whether to Sham or Yemen, frequently cited by some scholars, lacks substantiation in the Sirah (biography) and primary Islamic sources.Even if it did occur, it should be confined to prostration, as discussed earlier in this paper, and is irrelevant to the topic of bending during greeting (Zakharine, 2013;Flüchter, 2016).Fourthly, critical flaws have been identified in the central tradition that would have settled the controversy surrounding bending and bowing as a manner of greeting.Al-Bani has raised objections not only to the chain of narrators but also to the text of this hadith.Additionally, it is reported that Al-Bukhari deemed it as Munkar (unacceptable).These discrepancies undermine any reliance on this tradition to justify an act that may be deemed as disbelief (Kufr) (Winter & Hasan, 2016).
Fifthly, the cases of Umar remain unexplained and unchallenged by prominent Salafiyyah scholars like Ibn Baz and Al-Uthaymeen.The explanation provided by Jabata in these instances does not withstand scrutiny.It lacks logical coherence to serve as a basis for condemning and rejecting bending and kneeling as forms of greeting and veneration in Islam.Every action of a Muslim is considered worship, and there is no double standard in Islam (Katz, 2013).

CONCLUSION
As discussed above, a cursory glance at the positions of the Salafiyyah scholars reveals that their submissions are shrouded in confusion and doubts and are based on wrong and faulty premises.This is because much of the critical evidence they relied upon, based on which they condemn and reject bending and kneeling, among others, as manners of greeting, could not stand in the face of scrutiny.The verses are grossly misconstrued; the most relied upon ḥadīth is weak, while the supporting ones are unfounded.They overgeneralized and gave judgments out of error.If the act indeed constitutes kufr or Shirk, it would have been clearly stated either in the Qur'ān or an authentic ḥadīth of the Prophet or both, like other acts of kufr and Shirk which the two sources leave no one in the wilderness about them.The submission of Alc Uthaymin reveals his confusion about it because an action cannot be both ḥarām and makrūh.Therefore, the Salafiyyah scholars should reconsider their position on declaring bending as ḥarām or Shirk for the absence of express provisions from the primary sources of Islam.It should rather be regarded as makruh if they all doubt its permissibility.