ISLAM IS THE TRUE RELIGION; THE RELIGION OF ALL PROPHETS AS PROVED BY THE CONTINUITY OF PRAYER TRADITIONS
Islam, meaning “submission to the Will of God”, is a continuation of the religion of the Almighty from Adam Alayhis Salaam (Adam) to Isa Alayhis Salaam (Jesus). It is the religion of all of the prophets including Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all), to name a few.
This religion, unlike all others, is not named after a people (e.g. Judaism), a place (e.g. Hinduism), or an individual (e.g. Buddhism, Christianity), because it is not a religion for only one people or one place but a universal religion for all of mankind who are one in that they are descended from one ancestor Adam Alayhis Salaam and his wife Hawa Alayhis Salaam (Eve).
Muslims pray standing, bowing, kneeling, and prostrating in worship continuing past traditions. Christians and Jews often convert to Islam because they find images of Muslims in prayer to be peaceful or even awe-inspiring. But others who refuse to believe complain that the Muslim method of prayer is unnatural and odd.
Muslims pray as they were taught by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Last Prophet and the only prophet sent to all of humanity. His words, his actions, and the events of which he approved or disapproved have all been preserved in numerous volumes, called Ahadith which are practices approved by the Qur’an Majeed. Muhammad Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam was sent as a guide and interpreter of the Qur’an Majeed for all of mankind that came after him.
From the Ahadith Muslims learn how to live, love, work, raise children, eat, give charity, greet each other, pray, etc. After having received the command from Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta-ala, Muslims follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the way they pray.
Removing of shoes:
“When he came to the Fire, a voice was uttered: O Moses! I am thy Lord, therefore put off thy shoes, for thou art in the sacred valley of Tuwa” (Holy Qur’an 20:11-12)
The Ablution:
“O you believe! When you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles.” (Holy Quran 5:7)
If Christians and Jews study the examples listed below (in alphabetical order) from their Scriptures, which although corrupted have within them some truth, they will find that all prophets (peace be upon them all) prayed as Muslims do.
Human beings chosen by Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta-ala, Prophets, brought His message and they are the best of human beings. And it is necessary to follow their lead. And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; And bow down your heads with those who bow down. Holy Qur’an 2:45
Islam (submission to God) is a way of life in all respects. As such, it does not divorce the physical act of submission from the submission of the heart. Submission takes place in all realms of life.
Here is proof that all Prophets and their followers behaved in the same way when they prayed:
1. Acts 21:26: “Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple…”
2. Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and dared not look. 7:33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
3. Deuteronomy 5:6-9: I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 7 Thou shalt have none other gods before Me. 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them nor serve them…
The very fact that God is instructing people not to “bow down” to idols, means that bowing is a valid form of worship.
4. Deuteronomy 9:24-25: Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you. 25 Thus I fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, as I fell down the first; because the Lord had said He would destroy you.
5. Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
6. Exodus 40:31-32: “And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereafter when they went into the tent of the congregation they washed as the Lord commanded Moses.”
7. Genesis 17:1-4 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God
talked with him, saying, 4 As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
8. Joshua 7:6-7 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought these people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we
had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
9. Matthew 26:36-39: Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be very sorrowful and heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou Wilt.
10. Numbers 16:20-22 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with
the all of the congregation?
11. Numbers 20:6: And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
12. Psalm 95:6: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Note that both bowing and kneeling are mentioned in Psalm 95:6, the very order in which Muslims perform them.
13. Revelations 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our
God forever and ever. Amen.
Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and Abraham (peace be upon them all) worshipped the One True God through prostration and bowing. The angels did the same. And in Matthew 26:39 Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) also puts his face to the ground in humility before God.
