Quran Universe
16:48

أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَيۡءٖ يَتَفَيَّؤُاْ ظِلَٰلُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدٗا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمۡ دَٰخِرُونَ

Awa lam yaraw ila ma khalaqa Allahu min shayin yatafayyao thilaluhu AAani alyameeni waalshshamaili sujjadan lillahi wahum dakhiroona

Have they not considered what things Allah has created? Their shadows incline to the right and to the left, prostrating to Allah, while they are humble.

Word by word
  1. أَوَلَمۡHave not
  2. يَرَوۡاْthey seen
  3. إِلَىٰ[towards]
  4. مَاwhat
  5. خَلَقَAllah has created
  6. ٱللَّهُAllah has created
  7. مِنfrom
  8. شَيۡءٖa thing
  9. يَتَفَيَّؤُاْIncline
  10. ظِلَٰلُهُۥtheir shadows
  11. عَنِto
  12. ٱلۡيَمِينِthe right
  13. وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِand to the left
  14. سُجَّدٗاprostrating
  15. لِّلَّهِto Allah
  16. وَهُمۡwhile they
  17. دَٰخِرُونَ(are) humble
An-Nahl · 16:48Makkah

Even shadows lean to the right and left in prostration.

Every created thing bows in its own way

The shadow's prayer
every objecttree, mountain, wall
casts
its shadowshifting morning, evening
is
prostratinghumble before Allah
What a shadow is
just light and anglenothing more
a sign of submissionall things bow to Him

Ibn Kathir says everything that has a shadow leaning right and left, morning and evening, is prostrating to Allah by its shadow. Mujahid said the prostration of the mountains is their shadows. Abu Ghalib Ash-Shaybani said the waves of the sea are its prayers.

Late afternoon, you walk past a lamppost and its shadow stretches long across the pavement. Your own shadow beside it. Both bowing without a word. The question is whether your heart is bowing too.

Shadows are just physics.

Even my shadow submits to Allah; my heart can too.

Try this

Notice your shadow once today and use it as a reminder to make one sajdah.

Related13:15
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows shift from right to left, prostrating to Allah while they are humble (48)And to Allah prostrate all that are in the heavens and all that are in the earth, the moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allah) with humility (49)They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded (50)

Everything prostrates to Allah

Allah informs us about His might, majesty and pride, meaning that all things submit themselves to Him and every created being - animate and inanimate, as well as the responsible - humans and Jinns, and the angels - all humble themselves before Him. He tells us that everything that has a shadow leaning to the right and the left, i.e., in the morning and the evening, is by its shadow, prostrating to Allah. Mujahid said, "When the sun passes its zenith, everything prostrates to Allah, may He be glorified." This was also said by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others.

وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ

(while they are humble) means, they are in a state of humility. Mujahid also said: "The prostration of every thing is its shadow", and he mentioned the mountains and said that their prostrations are their shadows. Abu Ghalib Ash-Shaybani said: "The waves of the sea are its prayers". It is as if reason is attributed to these inanimate objects when they are described as prostrating, so Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن دَابَّةٍ

(And to Allah prostrate all that are in the heavens and all that are in the earth, of the moving creatures) As Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

(And to Allah (alone) all who are in the heavens and the earth fall in prostration, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons.)(13:15)

وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(and the angels, and they are not proud.) means, they prostrate to Allah and are not too proud to worship Him.

يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ

(They fear their Lord above them) means, they prostrate out of fear of their Lord, may He be glorified.

وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

(and they do what they are commanded.) meaning they continually obey Allah, doing what He tells them to do and avoiding that which He forbids.