Sujud does not mean physical prostration

As mentioned in chapter three, in the Reading the word sujud means to consent or to agree to something. The religionists have consistently said that in many verses of the Reading this word does not mean a physical act of prostration, but they try to make it an exception when the word is used to refer to human beings. They realise it is ridiculous to say the sun, the moon, the stars, and the trees prostrate themselves to God when the Reading uses the same word sujud.

Qor-laqol-insan a’lama-hul bayan ash-shamsu wal-qomaror bil-husban wal-najmu wal-sajaru yasjudan was-sama’a ro-fa’aha wa-watho’a mi-zan. (55:3-7)

He created the human. He teaches him clearly. The sun and the moon with calculated movements, and the stars and the trees are all consenting (yasjudan) and the skies, which He raised with a just balance. (55:3-7)

God created human beings and He teaches them clearly that the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky are on their own consent (yasjudan). This word is derived from the root word sajada, which means to give consent or to agree to something or to admit something is true. Perhaps the religionists and their Arabic scholars may want to describe how the sun and the moon prostrate to God before they insist that everyone should prostrate physically to the Lord of the Universe. The Reading clearly shows that everything in the heavens and the earth sujud and aslama or they consented themselves peacefully (aslama from the root Salam) by God. The word Islam is also derived from the same root Salam. Thus if everything that God created in the heavens and the earth are in a state of peacefulness or Islam, can the religionists also tell us how the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, and all of the animal kingdom become Muslims? Did they have to declare, “We bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and we bear witness Muhammad is the messenger of Allah?”¹ Then why is it that such a declaration has become the first pillar of faith in so-called Islam?

The billions of stars in the sky, the grass on earth, the vegetables that we eat, the Bougainvillaea we plant around our houses, the trees in the forest all sujud to the One God. We do not witness any of them prostrating physically. Everything we see obeys its God-given command; and God says it performs its sujud to Him.

If we read the Reading critically, we discover the same word yas-judun used in reference to the state of being of humans. In 84:21 it says:

Waiza quri-a’ alaihim qur-anun la-yasjudun. (84:21)

And when the Qur’an is recited to them they do not give their consent. (84:21)

We have not seen any religionists or the Arabic experts prostrating themselves each time the Qur’an is recited to them, but at the same time they insist the word sujud means prostrate. Sujud here means only one thing: to acquiesce, to agree or consented to the decrees of the Reading. As matters stand today, every Muslim upon hearing the Qur’an being recited would have to prostrate himself immediately. Now we all know that it is not done. One wishes the religionists would be a little more consistent.

Everyone can see the verse does not command us to prostrate physically each time the Reading is recited to us rather, that we should give our consent or agree to the values of the consented decree or masajid (also derived from the same word sajada) every time we hear the message. We can also find the word refused “Abaa” the opposite meaning of the word sujud in the Quran.

“When we instructed the energies, “Give your consent to Adam”. All of them consented except iblis, he refused (Abaa). And he was arrogant, and thus he is among those who disbelieve”. (2:34)

The word Abaa means to disagree or refuse to admit something that is true. In the same verse we see Iblis disagreed with God’s instruction because he was arrongant, thus his action is described as those who do not believe.

Clearly the word sujud does not refer to any physical prostration. If what the religionists are saying about the physical prostration had any basis we would see Muslims prostrating themselves all over the place: in offices, inside their cars, shopping complexes or on the roadside each time they heard the Qur’an recited over the radio or television. This is patently ridiculous.

Here is another example from the Reading that clearly shows sujud does not mean physical prostration.

Wad-qulul ba-ban suj-jadan. (2:58)

And enter the gate consentingly (2:58)

When the Children of Israel are told to enter the gates of a city the word su-jadan was a command for them to agree to enter the palce in humbleness. It does not mean they should enter the gate in a prostrating position (unless the religionists can demonstrate to us how this is done). The Children of Israel knew the word su-jadan did not mean that they should enter the gate crawling on their bellies.

The history of Joseph also demolishes the misrepresentation of the religionists that sujud is the act of physical prostration. Joseph told his father he saw eleven planets, the moon and the sun sujud to him in a dream which positively indicates these heavenly celestials did not physically prostrate to him.

Recall that Joseph said to his father, “O my father, I saw eleven planets and the sun and the moon give their consent (sa-jidin) to me.” (12:4)

The forms sujud, yas-judan, sujadan, sajid and masjid derive from the root sajada which means to consent, None of these words refers to the act of physical prostration.

The Lord of the Universe is not interested in our body movements. There is no need for us to demonstrate a state of holiness at a specific time. He says He is omnipresent and we cannot hide any secret from Him. He knows everything in the heavens and the earth. No three people can meet in secret without Him being the forth nor five without Him being the sixth neither less than that, nor more without Him being there all the time.

Therefore we are expected to do the right thing and work righteousness all the time throughout our life and always keep in mind that every movement, deeds, utterances, thoughts or whatever we conceal in our heart is known to Him, Then, on the day of resurrection He will inform us of everything that we have done. God has recorded everything and He is fully aware of every single one of us. That’s it!

You should realise that God stands between you and your heart and that you will be gathered before Him. (8:24)

Contrary to popular belief, Abraham did not start this aerobic class. The Reading tells us that he consented himself to the will of the Lord of Universe and led a righteous life as a monotheist serving the One God.

When his Lord said to him, “Be you at peace (aslim),” he said, “I am at peace for the Lord of the Universe (aslam-tu-li-rob-bil-‘alamin).“ (2:131)

Abraham did not demonstrate his peacefulness through physical body movements but through his love of his Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength by doing the good deeds and personal commitments in fulfilling his obligations.

Unfortunately, he became the prime target of wicked people who accused him of being the first man to worship a stone idol in Mecca through physical bowing and prostration.

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1 A phrase not found in this formula in the Qur’an and used by Arab religionists to trick people into their fold. What the phrase means, of course, is that the person pronouncing commits to accept (under the guise of the Prophet Muhammad’s teaching) whatever the ruling caste dictates.