Tafsir of Surah Al-Hajj - Verse 18

Everything prostrates to Allah

Allah tells us that He alone, with no partner or associate, is deserving of worship. Everything prostrates to His might, willingly or unwillingly, and everything prostrates in a manner that befits its nature, as Allah says:

أَوَ لَمْيَرَوْاْ إِلَىخَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَـلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالْشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ وَهُمْ

(Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allah, and they are lowly) 16:48. And Allah says here:

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth prostrate themselves to Him) means, the angels in the regions of the heavens, and all the living creatures, men, Jinn, animals and birds.

وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ

(and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise) 17:44.

وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ

(and the sun, and the moon, and the stars,) These are mentioned by name, because they are worshipped instead of Allah, so Allah explains that they too prostrate to their Creator and that they are subjected to Him.

لاَ تَسْجُدُواْ لِلشَّمْسِ وَلاَ لِلْقَمَرِ وَاسْجُدُواْ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى خَلَقَهُنَّ

(Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them) 41:37. In the Two Sahihs it was recorded that Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me,

«أَتَدْرِي أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ هَذِهِ الشَّمْسُ؟»

(Do you know where this sun goes) I said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said,

«فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ فَتَسْجُدُ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ، ثُمَّ تَسْتَأْمِرُ فَيُوشِكُ أَنْ يُقَالَ لَهَا: ارْجِعِي مِنْ حَيْثُ جِئْت»

(It goes (sets) and prostrates beneath the Throne, then it awaits the command. Soon it will be told, "Go back the way whence you came.")" Ibn `Abbas said, "A man came and said, `O Messenger of Allah, I saw myself in a dream last night, as if I was praying behind a tree. I prostrated, and the tree prostrated when I did, and I heard it saying, "O Allah, write down a reward for me for that, and remove a sin from me for that, store it with You for me and accept it from me as You accepted from Your servant Dawud."' Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited an Ayah mentioning a prostration, then he prostrated, and I heard him saying the same words that the man had told him the tree said." This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih.

وَالدَّوَآبِّ

(Ad-Dawabb) means all the animals. It was reported in a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade using the backs of animals as platforms for speaking, for, perhaps the one who was being ridden was better and remembered Allah more than the one who was riding.

وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ

(and many of mankind) means, they prostrate willingly, submitting themselves to Allah of their own free will.

وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ

(But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified.) means, those who refuse prostration, are stubborn and arrogant.

وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ

(And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honor him. Verily, Allah does what He wills.) It was recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِذَا قَرَأَ ابْنُ آدَمَ السَّجْدَةَ اعْتَزَلَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَبْكِي، يَقُولُ: يَا وَيْلَهُ أُمِرَ ابْنُ آدَمَ بِالسُّجُودِ فَسَجَدَ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَأُمِرْتُ بِالسُّجُودِ فَأَبَيْتُ فَلِيَ النَّار»

(When the son of Adam recites the Ayat containing the prostration, the Shaytan withdraws weeping and says, "Ah! Woe (to me)! the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so Paradise is his; I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so I am doomed to Hell.") This was recorded by Muslim. In his book Al-Marasil, Abu Dawud recorded that Khalid bin Ma`dan, may Allah have mercy upon him, reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«فُضِّلَتْ سُورَةُ الْحَجِّ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْقُرْآنِ بِسَجْدَتَيْن»

(Surat Al-Hajj has been favored over the rest of the Qur'an with two prostrations.") Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Isma`ili recorded from Abu Al-Jahm that `Umar did the two prostrations of Surat Al-Hajj when he was in Al-Jabiyah, and he said, "This Surah has been favored with two prostrations."

Commentary

In verse 17 it is stated that Allah will decide among the believers and non-believers of different faiths on the Day of Resurrection, because He knows everything. What that decision would be, has been related in the Qur'an at several places, namely that the good Muslims will enjoy a life of everlasting peace and comfort, while the infidels would be condemned to a life of eternal perdition. In the next verse, by using the word "Sajdah" (prostration), it has been declared that all created things, be they living things, minerals or plants, are in obedience and thus submit to the Supreme authority of Allah Ta’ ala, thereby mentioning two groups of humans in this respect of 'submission'. One, which obeys Allah and therefore is included amongst the creatures who 'prostrate' to Him, and the other one which is rebellious and refuses to bow before Him, meaning, refusing to submit to His Will. The word "Sajdah" (prostration) has been used here in the broader sense of 'submission' to the will of Allah and obeying His commands, because all created things act upon this submission in their own way. Human beings perform Sajdah by touching the ground with the forehead, while in the case of other created things their Sajdah constitutes their faithful performance of the functions assigned to them by Allah.

The truth about all created things obeying Allah

Genetically, the entire universe and all created things therein are under, the control and subject to the Will of their Creator by virtue of an inherently programmed guidance (guidance of Takwin) by Allah. The 'submission' in this sense is pre-determined, involuntary and instinctive. There is no created being which can escape this universal law of creation, be it a Muslim or a non-believer, a living thing or dead, mineral or plant. The smallest particle and the highest mountain cannot make the slightest movement without His Will. There is, however, another kind of submission to Allah, when a person offers homage to Him voluntarily and without constraint. This is what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. A believer is obedient and sincere in his submission to Allah, whereas a non-believer repudiates His existence. As this verse deals with the difference between a Muslim and a kafir (infidel), it is more likely that reference to 'Sajdah' (prostration) does not refer to pre-destined and instinctive obedience alone but covers the voluntary submission as well. Let it not be supposed that only human beings and Jinns who possess intelligence can offer voluntary and unconstrained submission, and animals, plants and minerals being devoid of reason cannot exercise voluntary and intentional obedience. Indeed it can be proved from the text of the Qur'an that every created thing has reason, intellect and intent, and the difference lies only in degree. Human beings and Jinns possess a perfect level of intelligence, which makes them liable to a strict adherence to the laws governing what is permissible and what is forbidden. As regards other creatures, Allah has given them intelligence according to their needs. Animals possess the highest degree of intelligence after humans, then come plants and last of all are the minerals. The intelligence among the animals can easily be perceived, and that possessed by plants can also be observed if one applies one's mind to the task. However, the intelligence given to the minerals is so little and concealed that it is not easily discernible, though Allah has said clearly that they not only possess intelligence but also have the capacity to decide things. The Qur'an says about the sky and the earth قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ (They said, "We come willingly."41:11) that is, when Allah commanded the sky and the earth that they must submit to His Will either by their free choice or by force, they both replied that they accepted His authority by their own voluntary choice. At another place the Qur'an says وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّـهِ , (and there are still others which fall down in fear of Allah. - 2:74) which means that there are rocks, which fall down in fear of Allah Ta’ ala. Similarly, there are numerous traditions which provide evidence of mountains conversing with one another, or other created things showing signs of intelligence. Therefore, the homage mentioned in this verse for which the word Sajdah (Prostration) has been used means the voluntary homage. The interpretation of this verse would, then, be that except for the human beings and Jinns all other created things voluntarily and willingly submit to the Divine Authority. It is only the human beings and Jinns who are divided into two factions, namely those who bow in submission to the Will of Allah, and those who deny His authority and refuse to submit to Him and are, therefore, despised. Allah knows best.

Just as there is a Law of God for human beings, so also is there a law for the rest of the universe. As far as the rest of the universe is concerned, it follows God’s law strictly and without any deviations. It follows divine laws unitedly and with perfect harmony. It is only man who creates differences; by adopting self-made interpretations of these laws, he deviates from the straight path. In the eyes of God, the worst culprits are those who create discord on the basis of religion; who want to live with conflicts in a universe which is free of conflicts. In a world where the lesson of harmony is being demonstrated everywhere on an extremely large scale, such people concern themselves with fomenting discord and disharmony. God’s universe is a demonstration of God’s will. Those who go against this practical example set by the universe created by God, prove themselves to be deserving of God’s punishment in this world itself. On the Day of Judgement the aforesaid verdict, which is being pronounced in practice at every moment against the culprits in this world of today, will require only verbal ratification.