Q74 :What is the Islamic view of bowing when we
greet someone?
A74 : Any action which is similar to an act of
worship is forbidden in Islam when it is offered to anyone other than
Allah. To bow one’s head or to do any similar gesture when one meets
another person is to do something akin to an act of worship. Therefore,
it is unacceptable from the Islamic point of view. As you realize,
bowing is part of our prayer. Even when you do not bow fully as you do
in prayer, to lower your head in order to greet someone falls in the
same category as doing something which is similar to worship, but you
are offering it to a human being. That cannot be sanctioned by Islam.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )