Answer: Some people believe that prostrating to the soil (or the torbat of Karbala of the martyr Imam Husain peace be with him) means that you are some how worshipping that, and it means “shirk”.
For the answer, I should say that between these two meanings of (alsojood lellah) and (alsojood alal ardh) are differences, and the problem is that you don’t see differences between them. For sure the meaning of the first is that prostrating is only for Allah, and the second is prostrate on the soil.
And in other words we prostrate on the soil to worship Allah. All the Muslims worldwide prostrate on something, while their prostrating is only for Allah. So till now we understand that prostrating on the soil, plants and… means worshipping Allah and doesn’t mean worshipping that certain thing.
God’s last Prophet Mohammad (peace be with him and his progeny) said: “The earth is the place to prostrate on and it is a place to get clean for me.”(1)
And also Allah tells us in the Qor’an:” To Allah prostrates whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at sunrise and sunset.” (2)
So prostrating to the soil is not something unusual and it actually shows the humility of mankind.
So now it’s good to point out to one of the hadith of our Imam Sadiq (peace be with him):
”Hesham bin Hakam asked Imam Sadiq: what is the correct thing, we have to prostrate on ?
Imam replied: prostrating is only correct on the soil and what grows on it (except the things we eat and the things we wear)
So I (Hesham) asked why?
He replied: prostrate is humility in front of Allah and so it is not good to prostrate to the things we eat and we wear because the people who worship the world (love the world a lot) are the slaves of food and clothes while the one who prostrates is only worshipping Allah so it is better to put our forehead on the soil and not on what the world worshippers love”.(3)
And prostrating to the soil is better because with the humility and lowliness towards Allah it is a better form.
So now there will be another question, why are Shia bounded to prostrating to soil or to some plants and doesn’t prostrate to anything else?
As the answer we should say that as the base of any worship should be originated from Islamic law, the conditions of its parts as well should be clear by prophet’s Sonnat (tradition) because messenger of God as mentioned in Quran is model and sample for all pious human beings.
Now we will bring some narration and evidences from tradition (Sonnat) of last Prophet Muhammad (peace be with him and his progeny). He always used to prostrate on soil or on some plants like palm’s bast mat exactly in the same manner that Shia believe.
Some of the scholars say that Prophet Muhammad (peace be with him and his progeny) knew the earth as a place to prostrate. He also says that the earth is a place for prostrating and for cleanliness to me.(4)
The word “Ja’al” which here has the meaning of legislation clearly shows that this subject is a Divine Decree for followers of Islam. So legitimation of prostration on soil and sand and other content of the ground will be proved.
🔷🔶2. A series of narration state that our prophet (peace be with him), was ordering Muslims to put their forehead over the soil while prostrating, as Um Salama (wife of prophet) narrates from prophet that he said:
“Put your forehead on soil for Allah.”(5)
Two points are clear from this statement: “put your forehead on soil”. First is that we should prostrate on soil and put our forehead on the soil while prostrating, and the other is that this is an order that should be followed.
🔷🔶3. Prophet’s behavior in this regard is another evidence for believers.
Wael-Ibn-Hajar narrates: “I saw that whenever prophet (peace be with him) would prostrate, he’d put his forehead and tip of his nose over the ground”(6)
Anas Ibn Malik and Ibn Abbas and some of prophet’s wives like Aisha, Um-Salama and a group of Narrators narrated that: “prophet was prostrating on “Khumra” which was a kind of mat woven from palm’s bast”(7)
Abu-Saeed who is one of prophet’s companions, narrates: “I entered while prophet (peace be with him) was prostrating on palm’s bast mat”(8)
These will be another evidence for Shi’a’s theory that prostrating to whatever grows from the ground except of foods and clothes is permissible.
🔷🔶4. The things that the followers of the Prophet’s way did, testify that we are doing the correct action.
Jaber Bin Abdollah Ansari says: “we were praying Zuhur prayers with the Prophet, when I took the pebbles and kept it in my hand to get cool so that I could put on it my forehead”.(9)
The Narrator also says: “if prostrating to the clothes that you wore was not a problem, then it was way easier than taking pebbles and keeping them in your hand”!.
Mohammad Ibn-e Sa’ad in his book “Tabaghat-ul Kubra” says: “Masrūq bin Ajda used to take a small stone while on a trip by ship so that he could prostrate on it when praying”.(10)
It is necessary to say that Masrūq bin Ajda was one of the Tabe’in (Follower of the companions) of prophet and accompanied (the best student of) Ibn-e Mas’ūd and also lived in the time of the author of “Tabaqat-Al Kubra”.
He has been counted as the first level of Kufans after prophet and was also a narrator of Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Imam Ali (peace be with him) and Ibn-e Mas’ūd. This statement clearly proves that the word of those others who assume carrying a piece of stone is “polytheism”, is baseless, as the followers (of prophet) were also doing the same.(11)
Nafe’e narrates that if Abdollāh ibn-e Omar was praying and he had put on the head-veil, he was made to remove it to put his forehead on the ground.(12)
Rasīn narrates that: Ali Ibn-e Abdollāh Ibn-e Abbas wrote to me: “send a piece of marble of Marva mountain so as to prostrate on that”.(13)
5. Narrators have narrated that the prophet prohibited those who were prostrating while the corner of their head-veils was between their forehead and ground.(14)
The Prophet saw a man that was prostrating over the corner of his turban. He pointed to him to take away his turban and pointed to his forehead.(15)
Till now we understand that the Prophet prostrated to the soil and it is obvious. And if anyone did something apart from it, the Prophet used to tell him/her to correct it.
🔷🔶6. Shia’s infallible leaders (Imams) that are non-separable from the Qor’ān (as per Saqalain Narration) and also since they are Ahlulbayt (household) of prophet; have pointed to this truth in their speech.
Imam Sajjad (peace be with him) says that: “prostrating to the soil is the order of Allah and prostrating to the mat (woven of palm’s Bast) is our Prophets tradition”.(16)
And in other place says: prostration is not permitted but on the ground and what comes from the earth except of clothes and edible items.
🔶🔶Conclusion:🔶🔶
Through all reasoning, it is obvious not only in narrations of prophet’s household but also the tradition (sonnat) of prophet and mannerisms of companions and followers are evidence of the necessity to prostrating on the ground and whatever extracted from it (except of edibles and clothing).
In addition, certainly prostration from the above mentioned things is permitted, but there is a doubt as to if we can prostrate over other things? So, per precaution (which is the way of salvation) prostrating should be done on those that are permitted.
At the end, remember that this discussion is a jurisprudence subject and there are some differences between Islamic sects, but it should not make worries as similar differences are too many among four Sunni groups like touching the nose tip to the prostration area is suggested as per “Maleki’s” but “Hambali’s” believe it voids the prostration.
References:
1. Sahih Bukhari Ketab-al Salat, Pg 91
2. Qura’n Surah-Al-raad 15
3. Behar-ul Anvwr Vol85 Pg 147 refers to Elal-al Sharaye
4. Sonan Beihaqi Vol.1Pg212- Sahih Bukhari Ketab-al Salat, Vol.1 Pg 91- Iqtiza al Sirat al mostaqim (Ibn Teymieh ) Pg 332
5. Kanz-ul Ommal,Vol7,Halab Sec. Pg465
6. Ahkam-ul Qor’an (Hathath Hanafi) Vol3 Pg209 Printed in Beirut
7. Sonan Beihaqi Vol.2Pg421
8. Sonan Beihaqi Vol.2Pg421
9. Sonan Beihaqi Vol.1Pg439
10. Tabaghat-ul-Kubra Vol6 Pg79
11. For more detail refer to book “Siratona” by Allameh Amini
Sayed Abazar Wahedi 
Nice clarification for those who misunderstand,slightly confused & curious to know more . Excellent post / share
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