Revisiting the Worship and Prayers of Allah

The following articles and rebuttals,

If Jesus is God… was he praying to himself? https://www.answeringislam.net/Shamoun/q_jesus_praying.htm

Revisiting the Issue of Jesus Praying to and Worshiping God https://answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/jesus_praying.html

Examining Islam’s Teaching that Allah Prays and Worships https://answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/allah_worships.html

More proof that Allah prays like his creatures do https://www.answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/allah_worships_alike.html

The “Mystery” of PBUH Revealed The “Mystery” of PBUH https://www.answeringislam.net/Responses/Menj/pbuh.htm, Pt. 2 https://www.answeringislam.net/Responses/Menj/pbuh2.htm

Revisiting the Issue of Allah Praying and Worshiping like His Creation https://www.answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/allah_worships_alike.html

On going Exploits of Father Zakaria Botros: God does not “pray” https://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/01/the-ongoing-exploits-of-fr-zakaria-botros-god-does-not-pray

God’s Blessing and Peace be upon him http://inthenameofallah.org/God’s%20Blessing%20and%20Peace%20be%20upon%20him.html

Conclusively prove that Allah prays and worships much like a Muslim does. In this article we are going to provide some additional evidence to further show that Allah prays and worships just like his so called followers.

According to Islamic teaching, the greeting “Peace be upon you” (as-Salamu alaika/alaikum) or its equivalent is a dua (invocation), where one invokes Allah to bestow his peace and protection upon an individual. Note what the following Muslim websites say regarding this point:

DUA

When we say As-Salaamuilakum we are making Dua. Yes its a greeting but in essence your praying to the Allah saying YA SALAAM I ask you to make him (the one whom I am greeting) SAALIM (protected from everything that can harm him in his deen dunya and akhirah). (Contemplate Quran, “The meaning of the greeting Assalamualaikum”, Posted on 09/16/2014 https://contemplatequran.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/the-meaning-of-the-greeting-assalamualaikum/; italicized and underline emphasis ours)

And:

Answer:

“Assalamu alaikum” is the Islamic greeting which literally means “salam (peace) be upon you.”

There are various opinions about the meaning of “salam”

It is narrated in a hadith that “Salam” is one of the beautiful names of Allah meaning “peace, the source of peace and safety”. In this case, “assalamu alaikum” means “May the name of Allah be on you.”

According to the eminent Maliki scholar Qadi Iyad, “salam” means “protection” (muhafaza) and so “assalamu alaikum” means “ May Allah’s protection and care be with you.” He expresses that it is a dua in the meaning of “May Allah be with you”. (Ask a Question to Us, “What Does ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ Mean?” https://askaquestionto.us/question-answer/miscellaneous/what-does-assalamu-alaikum-mean; underline emphasis ours)

Again:

This is not only the greetings words that we say while meeting with someone, it is a Dua(prayer) as well, That has been blessed upon us from Allah Tabarak Wa Ta’alah. Now I’ll tell you important’s of Salam in the light of Hadees and Quran . (Deen-e-Islam For Whole Universe, “How Much Important Of Assalam O Alikum In a Muslim Life,” Saturday, September 10, 2011 http://deen-e-islams.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-much-important-of-assalam-o-alikum.html; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Here is another:

Islamically, dua means to make an informal prayer to Allah. A formal prayer is the Salaah, which has structured movements and sayings. But a dua is informal meaning there’s no absolute structure and nothing that absolutely must be said.

Dua means a person is calling upon Allah. 

Reasons For Making Dua

Muslims make dua for just about anything and everything. In fact, a lot of our daily speech is filled with duas.

For instance:

When we recite Surah Al-Fatihah, we’re making dua.

When we say “As-Salaamu Alaikum” and respond with “Wa Alaikum Salaam” we’re making dua.

When we make Istikhaarah for decisions, we’re making dua. (Islamic Learning Materials, “The Greatest Dua In The World,” Posted on September 6, 2012 by Abu Ibrahim http://islamiclearningmaterials.com/greatest-dua/; italicized and underline emphasis ours)

Finally:

Is it permissible to greet people using different wordings? In other words, not limiting the greeting to “as-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allah (Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah). For example, is it permissible to say, “Peace be upon you from a Lord Who is Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful”, or “In the name of the Almighty Lord I begin my words, and upon His noble Prophet I send my salaam”? The reason is that I came across this in a chat room and I am not sure about it…

Giving and returning the greeting is undoubtedly one of the acts of worship encouraged by the Prophet and enjoined by him, and the ruling on acts of worship is that it is not permissible to change the wording or the manner in which they are done from that which is narrated in the texts…

Allah prescribed the salaam for Adam and his descendants until the Hour begins. In fact the greeting of the believers will continue to be salaam even after they enter Paradise…

As that is the case, what we should do is not change the wording of this act of worship or add to it, because it is the Sunnah of the Prophets and Messengers, and it is the slogan of the believers of all nations…

The aim of the Muslim when saying that should be to offer supplication for those whom he is greeting, asking Allah, may He be exalted, the Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful Lord, to grant them peace and decree wellbeing for them. (Islam Question and Answer, 138666: Saying salaam in the wording mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah is better and more complete https://islamqa.info/en/138666; bold and underline emphasis ours)

The Quran itself concurs that this is a greeting which actually is an invocation or prayer for peace:

And when those who believe in Our revelations come unto thee, say: Peace be unto you! Your Lord hath prescribed for Himself mercy, that whoso of you doeth evil through ignorance and repenteth afterward thereof and doeth right, (for him) lo! He is Forgiving, Merciful. S. 6:54 Pickthall

And between them will be a barrier screen and on Al-A’raf (a wall with elevated places) will be men (whose good and evil deeds would be equal in scale), who would recognise all (of the Paradise and Hell people), by their marks (the dwellers of Paradise by their white faces and the dwellers of Hell by their black faces), they will call out to the dwellers of Paradise, “Salamun ‘Alaikum” (peace be on you), and at that time they (men on Al-A’raf) will not yet have entered it (Paradise), but they will hope to enter (it) with certainty. S. 7:46 Hilali-Khan

‘Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which they shall enter and (also) those who acted righteously from among their fathers, and their wives, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying): “Salamun ‘Alaikum (peace be upon you) for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!” S. 13:23-24 Hilali-Khan

Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state (i.e. pure from all evil, and worshipping none but Allah Alone) saying (to them): Salamun ‘Alaikum (peace be on you) enter you Paradise, because of (the good) which you used to do (in the world).” S. 16:32 Hilali-Khan

Abraham said: “Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious. S. 19:47 Y. Ali

Say (O Muhammad): Praise be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He hath chosen! Is Allah best, or (all) that ye ascribe as partners (unto Him)? S. 27:59 Pickthall

And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun ‘Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide therein.” S. 39:73 Hilali-Khan

Dua as the very essence of worship

Now according to the so-called authentic narrations attributed to Muhammad, dua is the very heart of worship:

3828. It was narrated from Nu‘man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed the supplication is the worship.” Then he recited: “And your Lord said: Invoke Me, I will respond to you.”^[1] (Sahih) (English Translation of Sunan Ibn Majah – Compiled by Imam Muhammad Bin Yazeed Ibn Majah Al-Qazwini, From Hadith No. 3657 to 4341, Ahadith edited and referenced by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair ‘Ali Za’i, translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab (Canada), final review by Abu Khaliyl (USA) [Darussalam Publications and Distributors, First Edition: June 2007], Volume 5, 34. The Chapter On Supplication, Chapter 1. The Virtue of Supplication, p. 95; underline emphasis ours)

^[1] Ghafir 40:60. (Ibid.)

And:

296. The excellence of supplication

297. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “Nothing is dearer to Allah than supplication.”

713. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “The noblest act of worship is supplication.”

714. An-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet said, “Supplication is worship.” Then he recited, “Call on Me and I will answer you.” (Bewley, Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari, XXX. Supplication http://bewley.virtualave.net/adab4.html#supplicate; underline emphasis ours)

This means that anyone making dua is actually performing an act of worship, and all acts of worship are to be directed to Allah alone according to the Quran:

And your Lord has said, “Invoke Me and I will respond to you. Surely the ones who wax too proud to do Me worship will soon enter Hell utterly abject.”… He is The Living One; there is no god except He. So invoke Him, making the religion His faithfully. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. S. 40:60, 65 Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali

“and that masajid (mosques) belong to Allah; so, do not invoke anyone along with Allah,” S. 72:18 Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Allah Prays Salam upon his creatures

Herein lies the problem for Muslims since the Quran portrays Allah as invoking peace upon specific individuals:

And Salamun (peace) be on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)! S. 19:15 Pickthall

Verily, the dwellers of the Paradise, that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds) and all that they ask for. (It will be said to them): Salamun (peace be on you), a Word from the Lord (Allah), Most Merciful. S. 36:55-58 Hilali-Khan

Salamun (peace) be upon Nuh (Noah) (from Us) among the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!” S. 37:79 Hilali-Khan

Salamun (peace) be upon Ibrahim (Abraham)!” S. 37:109 Hilali-Khan

Salamun (peace) be upon Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron)!” S. 37:120 Hilali-Khan

Salamun (peace) be upon Ilyasin (Elias)!” S. 37:130 Hilali-Khan

So turn (O Muhammad) away from them for a while, And watch and they shall see (the torment)! Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the Messengers! S. 37:178-181 Hilali-Khan

Since the greeting of Salam (“peace”) is an invocation, and therefore worship, this means that Allah is actually performing an act of worship whenever he greets someone with peace. But to whom? Who is Allah worshiping when he prays Salam upon a person? Is he worshiping himself or someone else?

Here is a break down of the above which highlights the problems that Muslims face.

1. The saying of Salam upon someone is an act of worship, a dua (invocation) to Allah to grant safety and peace to (an) individual(s).

2. Invocations and other acts of worship are to be directed to Allah alone.

3. Allah greets certain people with the greeting of Salam, which means that Allah is making dua, and is therefore engaged in worship.

4. This means that Allah is either invoking/worshiping himself, or someone other than himself.

5. If the former, then this implies that Allah is some kind of schizophrenic and/or narcissistic deity who loves to worship himself.

6. Yet if the latter is true, then this means that he is not the only god or the greatest of the gods, since there is a deity that is greater than him, one to whom the Muslim god has to answer and also worship.

We will let the Muslims sort out all of this mess.

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/revisiting-the-worship-and-prayers-of-allah/ 

IHS