Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Belief in authentic hadiths that contain matters such as the sun setting beneath the Throne and prostrating is necessary, and it is not necessary to understand their modality (kayfiyyah), while the sun always remains beneath the Throne and there is not a single moment in which it is not submissive before its Lord, as the statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: {اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یَسْجُدُ لَہُ مَنْ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُوْمُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَکَثِیْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ} … “Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth—the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, and many among mankind?” (Surah al-Hajj: 18)

Abu al-‘Aliyah rahimahullah said: Every star, sun, and moon that is in the sky prostrates to Allah, the Exalted, at the time of setting, then it is granted permission to proceed further. While it is also known that the sun always remains in the celestial sphere, thus it constantly glorifies (tasbih) in the celestial sphere and is always prostrating, and every night it seeks permission, just as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said. It prostrates in the manner appropriate for it and expresses humility and submission before Allah, the Exalted.

It should be kept in mind that at every moment, the sun is setting for some region and rising for another region, so at every instant it is expressing humility before Allah, the Exalted, and seeking permission to proceed.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah, in his treatise “Qunūt al-Ashyā’ Kulluha lillāh,” mentioned this hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu and said: Thus, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam informed in this hadith that after setting, the sun prostrates and seeks permission. Then he presented the aforementioned statement of Abu al-‘Aliyah.