The Reality of the 'Namaste' Symbol and its Relation to the Pagan Doctrine of Pantheism

The use of a specific emoji (🙏) known in Eastern cultures as Namaste has spread among people; in reality, it is not merely a gesture of respect, but a religious greeting specific to Hindus and Buddhists carrying grave creedal implications.

In Hindu texts and scriptures, this greeting literally means: "I bow to the divine in you"; where the pagan Hindu belief is based on the idea of the indwelling of the deity in everything—exalted is Allah far above such claims.

The Significance of the Symbol and its Relation to Pantheism

This sign does not aim to show social appreciation as much as it affirms the doctrine of Pantheism (Wahdat al-Wujud); the practitioner of this greeting intends to say: (The deity within me greets the deity within you). Therefore, the hands are joined and united in this manner as a symbolic reference to the union of the divine and the human, and the unity of existence and the existent.

the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you

Thus, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to be cautious and to warn against these symbols that carry within them polytheistic origins and paganisms that clash with the doctrine of pure Monotheism (Tawhid), and to avoid imitating the followers of pagan religions in their rituals and creedal expressions.