Prostration is an ancient form of worship which is practiced by almost all religions of the world, and also found in Orthodox traditions, in ancient Persian and Greek cultures where it was used to honor divine beings or political leaders. But in Abrahamic religions, prostration is a profound act of worship and submission to God ONLY. It can be traced back to ancient Jewish origins as documented in the Old Testament. It is a foundational practice in Islam (Sujud) and is also performed in Christianity, In contrast, in Hinduism and some other cultures, prostration can be a gesture of honor, seeking blessings, or acknowledging respect for elders.
Prostration is one of the essential act during the five daily prayers of the day of the Muslims and is repeated twice in each “rak‘ah” (cycle) of the salah. Prostration, thus, is an act of utter humility expressed by a believer to show one's respect and love for one's our Creator. It may be added here that the first ever prostration was performed by the angels who prostrated in front of the first ever man that was created, called (Prophet) Adam (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) as ordered by the Creator of the universe. All angels obeyed Allah and prostrated except Iblis / Shaitan / the Devil, who was then expelled form the court of Allah and was later expelled from Jannah (Paradise) and to finally sent to the world.
Owing to importance of prostration in Islam, a Sūrah titled The Prostration was revealed called Sūrah As-Sajdah (السجدة) “The Prostration” the 32nd Surah of the Qur'an with 30 āyāt / verses, 3 Rukus and one Sajdah, denoted with the symbol ۩, part of the Juzʼ 21. It takes its title from āyāt 15 where the believers are described as falling in prostration when Allah’s verses are recited.
We have already shared the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
Herein under we will only present a condensed overview of the entire Sūrah, for the scope of this post is to only to introduce the Sūrah and provide links to some of the selected verses from this Sūrah for selective reading / references. The following bird eye view includes the context, major themes and subjects and lessons that we can learn from this Sūrah, followed by references to some of the selected verses already published.
Context of Revelation
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the believed revelation, it is an earlier "Makkan / Meccan surah", which means it is believed revealed in Makkah / Mecca. Makkan sūrahs generally focus on: Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah).Risālah (Prophethood) and Ākhirah (Hereafter)
Central Theme
The Surah is visibly divided into two parts: The first half of the chapter covers some of Islam's theological concepts, including revelation, God, creation of human beings, resurrection and the judgment day. The second half discusses the contrast between those who "fall prostrate" before God and those who "turn away" from God's sign. The chapter then mentions the Children of Israel as an example of people who follow God's guidance through Moses.
Major Pointers (Structure of the Surah)
- a. Qur’an is from Allah (Verses 1–3)
- Starts with Alif Lām Mīm, affirming the Qur’an is revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
- Not a fabrication of the Prophet ﷺ.
- b. Creation and Resurrection (Verses 4–11)
- Allah created the heavens and the earth in six periods.
- Man was created from clay, then given a soul.
- Disbelievers’ denial of resurrection is addressed.
- c. Contrast: Believers vs. Disbelievers (Verses 12–22)
- On the Day of Judgment, disbelievers will wish to return and do good.
- Believers who prostrate to Allah will find eternal reward.
- Those who turn away will face punishment.
- d. History as a Sign (Verses 23–30)
- Reminder of the revelation to Mūsā (Moses).
- The Qur’an confirms previous scriptures.
- Past nations who denied their prophets were destroyed.
- A warning to Quraysh: their end could be the same.
Key Lessons
- Prostration as true submission: Real believers humble themselves when hearing Allah’s words (v. 15).
- Purpose of life: Allah created life and death to test us, not for play.
- Accountability: Resurrection is certain; denying it won’t change reality.
- Contrast of destinies: The righteous and wicked will never be equal.
- History teaches: Nations that denied the truth were destroyed—learn from them.
Relevance Today
- Against materialism: Reminds us life is not just work, wealth, and pleasure but a preparation for eternity.
- Against arrogance: Encourages humility before divine guidance—true honor is in prostration, not pride.
- In modern skepticism: Refutes denial of the Hereafter, which is common in secular worldviews.
- Personal spirituality: Encourages us to respond to the Qur’an emotionally and spiritually—not just intellectually.
- Societal lesson: Just as past civilizations fell for arrogance and disbelief, modern nations can face the same fate if they ignore justice, faith, and morality.
Summary:
Surah as-Sajdah affirms the divine origin of the Qur’an, the reality of resurrection, and the difference between sincere believers and arrogant rejecters. It calls us to humility, prostration, and readiness for accountability. Today, it challenges materialism, arrogance, and disbelief, teaching us to live with purpose, humility, and awareness of the Hereafter.
Now let us share herein some of the selected ayat / verses from this surah already shared:
- Unique Correlation between Surah As Sajda and Surah Al Insān (The Surahs Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited in Fajr prayer on Fridays)
- Verses 15-16: The Traits of True Believers
In time we will add more selected ayat / verses from this surah.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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