Have you not seen that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth prostrates to Allah, as do the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, and many of the people? — given that we do not see the sun, the moon, and the stars glorifying Him?

Sujood (prostration) has two meanings: a literal one, which is placing the forehead on the ground and is exclusive to obedient, intelligent beings, and a metaphorical one, which is glorification, submission, and obedience, and includes non-intelligent beings. Quranic verses use sujood in both its meanings, such as the sujood of choice and the sujood of subjugation. This universe, with everything in it, prostrates to God and glorifies Him with His praise, but humans do not comprehend the manner of this sujood and glorification with their senses. The contemplative believer understands the submission of everything to its Creator, and only those who associate partners with God deviate from this. The inability to comprehend the glorification of creatures is due to differences in languages or the veiling of hearts by "the coarseness of clay." Some scholars believe that if dhikr (remembrance of God) takes hold of a servant, it spreads through their parts and then throughout the entire universe, allowing them to comprehend the glorification of everything. The verses that speak of the universe's sujood are a heartfelt vision of knowledge, and they show that everything submits to God, willingly or unwillingly, and that the sun, moon, and stars prostrate to their Creator despite being worshipped besides God. Believers prostrate to God willingly, while those who do not prostrate willingly, namely the disbelievers, deserve punishment.