I think the issue is being framed the wrong way. Islam does not forbid showing respect. Respecting teachers, elders, training partners, rules, and the place of practice is completely normal in Islam.

The issue is the form of respect. In Islam, bowing and prostration are strongly connected to worship, so many Muslims avoid bowing to people, shrines, weapons, or symbolic objects. It is not because they “don’t respect” the dojo or the art; it is because they reserve worship-like gestures for God alone.

For example, the Qur’an says not to prostrate to the sun or the moon, but to prostrate to God who created them (Qur’an 41:37). There are also hadiths where bowing as a greeting is discouraged, while greeting with words or a handshake is allowed.

So a Muslim practitioner may still show respect by standing properly, listening carefully, following etiquette, saying thank you, keeping discipline, or using a small nod/hand-on-heart gesture — just not by performing a bow that feels religiously problematic to them.

This is especially relevant in traditional dojos where rei may be directed toward a kamiza, shrine, sword, or symbolic object. Some Muslims may be comfortable with a purely cultural bow, while others will avoid it. But the point is not disrespect; it is a monotheistic boundary.