Is It Only Humans Who Prostrate Before Allah?
هل البشر فقط هم الذين يسجدون لله تعالى؟
No. Everything in this Universe prostrates to Allah the Almighty: the trees, animals, birds, mountains, and angels.
(Have they not considered how the shadows of everything Allah has created incline to the right and the left ˹as the sun moves˺, totally submitting to Allah in all humility? And to Allah ˹alone˺ bows down ˹in submission˺ whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, as do the angels, who are not too proud ˹to do so˺.) [An-Nahl 16:48-49]
(Do you not see that to Allah bow down ˹in submission˺ all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and ˹all˺ living beings, as well as many humans.) [Al-Hajj 22:18]
كلا. كل شيء في الكون يسجد لله تعالى. الشجر، الدواب، الطيور، الجبال، والملائكة.
(أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَالُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾ وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ) [النحل 16: 48-49]
(أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ) [الحج 22: 18]
1. The Sun, the Moon and the Stars | والشمس والقمر والنجوم
Do you not see that to Allah bow down all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and all living beings, as well as many humans (22:18). Ibn Kathir explains that everything prostrates to His greatness, willingly or unwillingly, each with the prostration proper to it; the sun, the moon and the stars are named specifically because they were worshipped besides Allah, so He made clear that they prostrate to their Creator and are subjected to Him. See which surah has two places where it is sunnah to prostrate.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ (سورة الحج: 18)
قال تعالى: (ألم تر أن الله يسجد له من في السماوات ومن في الأرض والشمس والقمر والنجوم والجبال والشجر والدواب وكثير من الناس) (الحج 22: 18)، قال ابن كثير: فإنه يسجد لعظمته كل شيء طوعا وكرها، وسجود كل شيء مما يختص به ... وقوله: (والشمس والقمر والنجوم): إنما ذكر هذه على التنصيص؛ لأنها قد عُبدت من دون الله، فبين أنها تسجد لخالقها، وأنها مربوبة مسخرة.
2. The Sun Prostrates Beneath the Throne | فإنها تذهب حتى تسجد تحت العرش
Abu Dharr said: the Prophet asked me at sunset, Do you know where the sun goes? I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: It goes until it prostrates beneath the Throne and asks permission, and permission is given to it; and a time will come when it prostrates and it is not accepted from it, and it asks permission and is not given it, and it is told: Go back the way you came, and it rises from the west (Sahih al-Bukhari 3199).
عن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأبي ذر حين غربت الشمس: "تدري أين تذهب؟" قلت: الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: "فإنها تذهب حتى تسجد تحت العرش، فتستأذن فيؤذن لها، ويوشك أن تسجد فلا يقبل منها، وتستأذن فلا يؤذن لها، يقال لها: ارجعي من حيث جئت، فتطلع من مغربها" (صحيح البخاري 3199).
3. The Prostration of Shadows | يتفيأ ظلاله عن اليمين والشمائل سجدا لله
Have they not considered how the shadows of everything Allah has created incline to the right and the left, totally submitting to Allah in all humility? (16:48). Ibn Kathir explains that everything that has a shadow, its shadow turning to the right and the left, morning and evening, prostrates to Allah by its shadow; Mujahid said: when the sun passes its height, everything prostrates to Allah. That is Ibn Kathir’s explanation. Allah also says: To Allah bow down all those in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows, morning and evening (13:15).
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَالُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ (سورة النحل: 48)
قال تعالى: (أولم يروا إلى ما خلق الله من شيء يتفيأ ظلاله عن اليمين والشمائل سجدا لله وهم داخرون) (النحل 16: 48)، قال ابن كثير: فأخبر أن كل ما له ظل يتفيأ ذات اليمين وذات الشمال، أي: بكرة وعشيا، فإنه ساجد بظله لله تعالى، قال مجاهد: إذا زالت الشمس سجد كل شيء لله عز وجل. انتهى كلام ابن كثير. وقال تعالى: (ولله يسجد من في السماوات والأرض طوعا وكرها وظلالهم بالغدو والآصال) (الرعد 13: 15).
4. The Angels Are Not Too Proud | والملائكة وهم لا يستكبرون
And to Allah alone bows down whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, as do the angels, who are not too proud to do so (16:49); They fear their Lord above them, and do whatever they are commanded (16:50). Ibn Kathir explains: the angels prostrate to Allah, not too proud to worship Him. How all creatures glorify Allah is explained in whether birds and other living creatures praise Allah.
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ (سورة النحل: 49)
قال تعالى: (ولله يسجد ما في السماوات وما في الأرض من دابة والملائكة وهم لا يستكبرون) (النحل 16: 49)، وقال تعالى: (يخافون ربهم من فوقهم ويفعلون ما يؤمرون) (النحل 16: 50)، قال ابن كثير: (والملائكة وهم لا يستكبرون) أي: تسجد لله، أي: غير مستكبرين عن عبادته.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Is it only humans who prostrate to Allah?
No. Everything in the universe prostrates to Allah: the trees, animals, birds, mountains and angels.
How does the sun prostrate?
The Prophet said that it goes until it prostrates beneath the Throne and asks permission to rise (Sahih al-Bukhari 3199).
How do shadows prostrate?
The shadows of everything Allah has created incline to the right and the left, totally submitting to Allah in all humility (16:48).
Why does Allah say many humans and not all?
Because the prostration meant here is the willing prostration of worship: Ibn Kathir explains that many people prostrate to Allah willingly, by choice, in worship, while many others refused and were too proud, and so are deserving of punishment (22:18).