سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 18
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawâbb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allah. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allâh disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allâh does what He wills.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Do not
تَرَ
tara
you see
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(to) Allah
يَسْجُدُ
yasjudu
prostrates
لَهُۥ
lahu
to Him
مَن
man
whoever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَمَن
waman
and whoever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَٱلشَّمْسُ
wal-shamsu
and the sun
وَٱلْقَمَرُ
wal-qamaru
and the moon
وَٱلنُّجُومُ
wal-nujūmu
and the stars
وَٱلْجِبَالُ
wal-jibālu
and the mountains
وَٱلشَّجَرُ
wal-shajaru
and the trees
وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ
wal-dawābu
and the moving creatures
وَكَثِيرٌۭ
wakathīrun
and many
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ
l-nāsi
the people
وَكَثِيرٌ
wakathīrun
But many
حَقَّ
ḥaqqa
(is) justly due
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
on him
ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ
l-ʿadhābu
the punishment
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يُهِنِ
yuhini
Allah humiliates
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah humiliates
فَمَا
famā
then not
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
مِن
min
any
مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ
muk'rimin
bestower of honor
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَفْعَلُ
yafʿalu
does
مَا
mā
what
يَشَآءُ ۩
yashāu
He wills
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
18. 1. Some commentators have taken this prostration to mean that all these things are subject to the command of Allah, and none has the power to disobey His command. According to them, this is not a prostration of obedience and worship. However, some commentators have taken it literally rather than metaphorically, that every creature, in its own way, prostrates before Allah. For example, (من فی السموات) refers to the angels, and (ومن فی الارض) refers to all kinds of animals, humans, jinn, cattle, birds, and other things. All of these, in their own way, perform prostration and glorification (وَاِنْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ اِلَّايُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهٖ) 17. Al-Isra:44) Surah Bani Isra'il. The sun, moon, and stars are mentioned specifically because the polytheists used to worship them. Allah has stated that you prostrate to them, but they themselves prostrate to Allah and are under His authority, so do not prostrate to them, but prostrate to the One who is their Creator (Ha Mim Sajdah 37). In an authentic hadith, Hazrat Abu Dharr ؓ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me, "Do you know where the sun goes?" I said, "Allah and His Messenger ﷺ know best." He said, "The sun goes and prostrates under the Throne, then it is commanded to rise again. A time will come when it will be told, 'Return back,' meaning go back to where you came from." (Sahih Bukhari) Similarly, the incident of a companion is mentioned in a hadith, that he saw a tree prostrating with him in a dream (Tirmidhi). The prostration of mountains and trees also includes the turning or bowing of their shadows to the right and left, as indicated in Surah Ar-Ra'd and An-Nahl 47, 48.
18. 2. This is the prostration of obedience and worship, which a large number of humans perform and thus become deserving of Allah's pleasure.
18. 3. These are those who, by refusing the prostration of obedience, choose disbelief; otherwise, in the creational commands, i.e., the prostration of submission,, even they have no power to refuse.
18. 4. The result of choosing disbelief is humiliation, disgrace, and the eternal punishment of the Hereafter, from which no one can save the disbelievers or grant them honor.
18. 2. This is the prostration of obedience and worship, which a large number of humans perform and thus become deserving of Allah's pleasure.
18. 3. These are those who, by refusing the prostration of obedience, choose disbelief; otherwise, in the creational commands, i.e., the prostration of submission,, even they have no power to refuse.
18. 4. The result of choosing disbelief is humiliation, disgrace, and the eternal punishment of the Hereafter, from which no one can save the disbelievers or grant them honor.
