In either case, his claim is false. Indeed, his statement amounts to claiming that the Quran is self-evidently false.

The tenth response: On the contrary, drawing near to Allah through prostration is real, as the texts indicate. For example, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating.” He thus stated that the servant draws near to his Lord and is closest to Him while prostrating. In another hadith, he said: “The closest the Lord is to His servant is in the latter part of the night.” This describes the Lord’s nearness to His servant, whereas the former describes the servant’s nearness to his Lord.

And the words of Allah Most High, “Prostrate and draw near” (19) [al-‘Alaq 19]