Egyptian players express their gratitude to God
Dubai’s Grand Mufti has rejected prostrations during football matches, saying that they were contrary to Islamic law.
The Islamic prostration to offer thanks to God became visible during the football matches played by Saudi Arabia during the World Cup in 1994 when players came together after scoring a goal and kneeled to offer thanks to God in a gesture emulating the prayer rituals performed in mosques.
Prostrations on the grass have since then gained in intensity and reached their zenith with the Egyptian football team during the African Cup finals broadcast last month to millions of Arab and Muslim homes.
Egyptian players and media said that the major reason for their team winning the African Cup was the team’s prompt expression of gratitude to God whenever they scored a goal.
However, Dr Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Haddad this week told Saudi newspaper Al Eqtisadiya that players needed to meet strict conditions to perform the prostration of thanks and these include purity of the body, the coverage of their private parts and kneeling towards Makkah. continue reading…
