WAIT… THE QUR’AN SAYS MOUNTAINS AND TREES PERFORM SUJUD. BUT HOW?

منشورات الموجز

Huda Tv

United Muslims World ·

محتوى ذكاء اصطناعي

 ·٤ س ·

WAIT… THE QUR’AN SAYS MOUNTAINS AND TREES PERFORM SUJUD. BUT HOW?

Assalamu Alaikum, my dear brothers and sisters.

Today, I don't want to tell you what conclusion you must reach.

I want you to open the Qur'an, look at the Arabic, and think about one fascinating question with me.

Because sometimes, one Qur'anic word can make us stop and rethink everything we thought we already understood.

Allah says:

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ

“Do you not see that to Allah performs sujud whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the creatures, and many of mankind…”

Qur’an 22:18

Now stop for a moment.

Look at that list.

The Sun.

The Moon.

The Stars.

The Mountains.

The Trees.

The creatures.

And human beings.

And the Qur’an uses the verb:

يَسْجُدُ — YASJUDU

From the Arabic root:

س ـ ج ـ د

S-J-D

The root سَجَدَ — sajada is associated in classical Arabic with meanings such as humbling oneself, submitting, lowering oneself, bending and prostrating.

And classical Arabic usage is especially interesting here.

The word can also be used in connection with a tree bending or inclining.

So we have to ask:

Is the Qur’an necessarily describing one identical physical movement every time it uses the concept of SUJUD?

Because think about it.

A human being can physically prostrate.

But...

How does a mountain do it?

How does a tree do it?

How does the sun do it?

How does a star do it?

And the Qur’an doesn't stop there.

LOOK AT QUR’AN 13:15

Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

“And to Allah performs sujud whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows…”

Qur’an 13:15

Now look carefully at the final part:

وَظِلَالُهُم

“AND THEIR SHADOWS.”

Think about that.

How does a shadow put its forehead on the ground?

A shadow has no physical body of its own.

Yet Allah connects their shadows with sujud.

So now the question becomes much deeper.

If sujud always meant one single human physical posture, how exactly are we supposed to understand the sujud of:

the sun,

the moon,

the stars,

the mountains,

the trees,

and shadows?

The Qur’an doesn't tell us that these things are pretending to perform human prayer.

It simply uses the language:

يَسْجُدُ

YASJUDU

They perform sujud.

SO WHAT DOES SUJUD ACTUALLY MEAN?

This is where we should slow down.

Instead of taking one English word and forcing it into every occurrence, let's examine the Arabic root and the Qur'an's own usage.

س ـ ج ـ د

S-J-D

سَجَدَ — SAJADA

سُجُود — SUJŪD

Classical Arabic lexicons include concepts such as:

humility, submission, lowering oneself, bending and prostration.

And classical Arabic usage even describes a tree as bending or inclining with language derived from this root.

This gives us an important distinction:

The outward form can differ while the underlying concept of submission remains.

A human being may express sujud through a physical prostration.

But creation may express its submission to Allah according to the way Allah created and governed it.

And this actually fits another Qur'anic statement.

Allah says:

“And there is not a thing except that it glorifies Him, but you do not understand their glorification.”

Qur’an 17:44

Think about that.

The Qur'an itself tells us that creation glorifies Allah in a way we do not necessarily comprehend.

So perhaps the question isn't:

“How can a mountain pray exactly like a human?”

Perhaps the better question is:

“WHAT DOES SUJUD MEAN WHEN THE QUR’AN APPLIES IT TO THE ENTIRE CREATION?”

That is a much more interesting question.

BUT LET'S BE HONEST WITH THE EVIDENCE

We should not make the opposite extreme claim:

“Sujud in the Qur'an can never mean physical prostration.”

That would also be an overstatement.

The Arabic word does include physical prostration among its meanings.

The point is something more precise:

The Qur’an uses SUJUD in contexts involving beings that cannot all perform the same human physical posture.

Therefore, the Qur'anic concept of sujud is clearly broader than simply imagining one identical physical movement in every occurrence.

That is why we need to examine:

the Arabic,

the root,

the context,

the Qur'an's other usages,

and the classical lexicons.

Not just one translated English word.

NOW ASK YOURSELF THIS

If the Qur'an says:

Mountains perform sujud.

Trees perform sujud.

The sun performs sujud.

The moon performs sujud.

Stars perform sujud.

And even their shadows are connected with sujud...

What exactly is the Qur'an teaching us about SUJUD?

Is it merely a physical posture?

Or is there a deeper Qur'anic concept of submission, humility and complete conformity to Allah's command, with different forms depending upon the creation?

I'm not asking you to blindly accept my interpretation.

I'm asking you to investigate it for yourself.

Open the Qur'an.

Read 22:18.

Read 13:15.

Read 17:44.

Look at the Arabic.

Look at the root س ج د.

Look at the classical dictionaries.

And then ask yourself:

“Have I understood the Qur'anic meaning of SUJUD—or have I simply inherited one definition?”

ONE MORE PRINCIPLE

Allah says:

“Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”

Qur’an 17:36

So please—

Don't accept my words simply because I wrote them.

Don't accept someone else's words simply because they sound confident.

Verify. Read. Think. Investigate.

Because the goal isn't to defend an idea.

The goal is to discover what the Qur'an actually says.

AND THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING…

There is another fascinating Qur'anic passage about mountains that takes this discussion even further.

If you want me to continue with Part 2, comment:

“PART 2”

But before you ask for the next part, please read this one carefully and check the Qur'anic references for yourself.

If you discover something different, share it respectfully.

Let's investigate the Qur'an together—not blindly follow anyone's interpretation.

Qur’an 22:18 • 13:15 • 17:36 • 17:44

Read it. Verify it. Think about it.