QUESTION:
As Salaamu Alaikum,
I have seen your response to bowing being prohibited in the mixed martial arts practices, however I wanted to inquire for those involved in it and now learning of this, if there would be any allowance of a nudge, bending of the head or a slight tilting forward in place of the full bow or if all of these would still be wrong?
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam,
As you have seen in our response, bending like that of bowing in ‘Ruku’ is totally prohibited, even though it is to greet someone or to show respect. However, to slightly tilt the head forward as you have asked, will not be prohibited but will be ‘Makrooh’ (reprehensible).
While writing on this, the Jurist experts have stated, ‘And it is Makrooh (reprehensible) to bend at the time of greeting someone’. (Al Fatawa Al Alamgiriyah vol. 5 pg. 369 Maktaba Rasheediya)
Therefore, if one bends in front of another to the extent that it is like bowing in ‘Ruku’, where he bends his head and back to show humility, respect or submission, then this is prohibited based on the narration of Anas bin Malik (R.A), in which he stated, ‘A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ), ‘O Messenger of Allah! When one of us meets his brother or friend, can he bow to him (to greet him)?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘No’. (Tirmidhi Hadith No. 2228)
While explaining the above Hadith, Mulla Ali Qaari (A.R) writes that the act of bowing means to bend the head and the back forward in humility and service. The Prophet (sa) prohibited this since it is within the meaning of bowing like that of ‘Ruku’, and it is like a prostration which is a worship to Allah. (Mirqat Al Mafateeh vol. 8 pg. 498 Faisal Pub. New Delhi 2006)
However, a slight tilt of the head forward without bending the back, and without it being a full bending of the head, will have a lighter ruling of being Makrooh (reprehensible) and not totally prohibited. In this, the dislike is less than that of the first type of bending which is prohibited.
This means that if one does the slight bending with the head in order to greet the teacher or another student in the situation you have asked about, then he/she will not be sinful. However, it will be best to avoid it, since it is deemed to be Makrooh according to the scholars. (Fatawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya vol. 7 pg. 450, 451 Zam Zam 2020)
And Allah Knows Best
Mufti Waseem Khan
7/10/2024