Short answer
Yes. Sajdah (prostration) is for Allah alone. Prostrating to a person, a grave, a shrine or an image as worship is shirk, and prostrating to greet or honour someone is haram even without the intention of worship. The four schools agree.
A prostration of worship to anyone but Allah is disbelief (kufr). A prostration of greeting or respect was allowed in earlier laws but is forbidden in the Sharia of Muhammad ﷺ: it is haram and a major sin. Kissing the ground before someone or bowing down low to them is also forbidden.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Prostration is the most humble act in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said a servant is closest to his Lord while in sajdah. That is why Islam keeps it for Allah alone, and the four schools agree that it may not be given to any created being.
Earlier prophets' laws allowed a prostration of honour. The angels prostrated to Adam at Allah's command, and Yusuf's family bowed down before him. In the final Sharia this was ended. When companions wanted to prostrate to the Prophet ﷺ, he refused, saying that if he were to command anyone to prostrate to another person, he would have commanded a wife to prostrate to her husband. In other words, it is not allowed for anyone.
- Worship: prostrating to an idol, a saint, a grave or a person as worship is shirk.
- Greeting or respect: prostrating to a teacher, a parent, a ruler or a shrine is haram, even if you do not intend worship.
- Bowing: bending down to people as low as ruku is forbidden; a nod or a handshake is fine.
- Graves: do not prostrate at graves or pray towards them; visit them to make du'a for the dead.
Prostrations made to Allah include the sajdahs of the prayer, the prostration of recitation, the prostration of forgetfulness and the prostration of thanks. For the belief behind this, read tawheed, shirk and kufr.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Fussilat 41:37
وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِ ٱلَّيْلُ وَٱلنَّهَارُ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ ۚ لَا تَسْجُدُوا۟ لِلشَّمْسِ وَلَا لِلْقَمَرِ وَٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٣٧﴾
And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship.
Prostration is due only to Allah, not to any created thing.
Sahih Muslim 482
Sahih... أقرب ما يكون العبد من ربه وهو ساجد ...
"The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating."
Sajdah is the height of worship, owed to Allah alone.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1159
Graded hasan sahih... لو كنت آمرا أحدا أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت المرأة أن تسجد لزوجها ...
"If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded a wife to prostrate to her husband."
Prostration to a human being is not allowed, even to show respect.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wal-Ibaha, section on greetings. Prostration of worship to other than Allah is kufr, and prostration or kissing the ground in greeting is haram.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya. Prostrating or bowing to people in greeting is forbidden.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.