Note: The table is populated with data obtained from the Quran.corpus.com, and `a denotes the Arabic letter ayn.
Out of 13 instances of yarka`u and its derived forms, 5 instances of yarka`u meaning ‘to bow’ in the verb form I, and out of 64 instances of sajada and its derived forms, 35 instances of sajada meaning ‘to prostrate’ in the verb form I in the Quran, are reviewed below to better understand their meanings in different contexts:
Instances of yarka`u
5 instances of yarka`u meaning ‘to bow’ found in 4 verses of 4 surahs in the Quran are detailed out below to better understand the messages in the verses reflecting to both literal and underlying meanings in different contexts:
[2:43] And you shall establish the salat prayer and shall give the zakat and shall bow down (wa-ir’ka`uu) with those who bow down.
[3:43] “O Mary, you shall be obedient to your Lord, and shall prostrate and shall bow down (wa-ir’ka`ee) with those who bow down.”
[22:77] O you who have believed, you shall bow (ir’ka`uu), and shall prostrate, and shall worship your Lord, and shall do the good, that you may succeed.
[77:48] And when it has been said to them, “You shall bow (ir’ka`uu),” they do not bow.
Instances of sajada
35 instances of sajada meaning ‘to prostrate’ in 27 verses of 20 surahs in the Quran are detailed out below to better understand the messages in the verses reflecting to both literal and underlying meanings in different contexts:
[2:34] And when we said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam (us’juduu li’aadama),” then they had prostrated except Iblis (fa-sajaduu illaa ib’leesa); he had refused, and he had been arrogant and had been with the disbelievers.
[3:43] “O Mary, you shall be obedient to your Lord, and shall prostrate (wa-us’judee) and shall bow down with those who bow down.”
[3:113] They have not been the same; among a people of the scripture there is a community of righteous that recites God’s revelations in hours of the night, and they prostrate (wa-hum yas’juduuna).
[4:102] When you (prophet) have been with them, then you have established the salat prayer for them, that let stand a group from them with you and let them take their arms. Then when they have prostrated (fa-idhaa sajaduu), then let them be of their behind; and let come another group, they did not pray, then let them pray with you and let them take their precautions and their arms. Those who have disbelieved have wished if you neglect of your arms and your baggage, then they can assault upon you in a single attack, while there is no blame upon you if it has been a trouble with you from rain or you have been sick that you lay down your arms and you shall take your precautions. Indeed, God has prepared a shameful punishment for the disbelievers.
[7:11] And that certainly, we have created you, then we have shaped you, then we said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam (us’juduu li’aadama).” Then they had prostrated except Iblis (fa-sajaduu illaa ib’leesa); he was not among the prostrators.
[7:112] He (God) said, “What has prevented you that you do not prostrate (maa mana`aka allaa tasjuda) when I have commanded you?” He (Iblis) said, “I am better than him (Adam); You have created me from fire, and You have created him from clay.”
[7:206] Indeed, those who are with your Lord, they do not be arrogant from His worship. And they glorify Him and they prostrate to Him (wa-lahu yas’juduuna).
[13:15] And to God prostrates (wa-lillahi yas’judu) what is in the heavens and the earth in willingness and unwillingness, and their shadows in the mornings and the evenings.
[15:30] Then there had prostrated the angels, all of them (fa-sajada al-malaaikatu kulluhum) (except Iblis in 15:31).
[15:33] He (Iblis) said, “I am not that I will prostrate to a human (lam akun li’as’juda li’basharin) You have created him (Adam) from hardened clay of an altered black mud.”
[16:49] And to God prostrates (wa-lillahi yas’judu) whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth of any creature and the angels, and they do not be arrogant.
[17:61] And we said to the angels: “Prostrate to Adam (us’juduu li’aadama),” then they had prostrated except Iblis (fa-sajaduu illaa ib’leesa). He said: “Shall I prostrate to whom You have created from clay (a-as’judu liman khalaqta teenan)?”
[18:50] And when we said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam (us’juduu li’aadama),” then they had prostrated except Iblis (fa-sajaduu illaa ib’leesa). He had been with the jinn as he had rebelled against his Lord’s command. Will you then choose him and his descendants as protectors other than Me, while they are enemies to you? It has been miserable is the exchange for the wicked.
[20:116] And when we said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam (us’juduu li’aadama)”, then they had prostrated except Iblis (fa-sajaduu illaa ib’leesa), he had refused.
[22:18] Do you not see that God to Him prostrates (alam tara anna allaha yas’judu lahu) whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals, and many from the people? Many upon him has deserved the punishment. And whomever God humiliates, then for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, God does what He wills.
[22:77] O you who have believed, you shall bow, and shall prostrate (wa-us’juduu), and shall worship your Lord, and shall do the good, that you may succeed.
[25:60] When it has been told to them, “Prostrate to the Gracious (us’juduu lil’rahmaanu),” they (the disbelievers) said, “What is the Gracious? Should we prostrate to what you order us (a-nas’judu limaa tamurunaa)?” It has increased them in aversion.
[27:24] And I (the hoopoe) found her (Sheba) and her people to prostrate to the sun other than God (wa-jadttuhaa wa-qawmahaa yas’juduuna lil’shamsi min duuni allahi). The devil has adorned their works in their eyes, and has repulsed them from the path; so, they are not guided.
[27:25] That they (the people of Sheba) do not prostrate to God (allaa yas’juduu allahi), the One who manifests all the mysteries in the heavens and the earth, and the One who knows what you conceal and what you declare.
[38:73] So, the angels had prostrated all of them together (fa-sajada al-malaaikatu kulluhum aj’ma`uuna). (Except Iblis in 38:74)
[38:75] He (God) said, “O Iblis, what has prevented you that you should prostrate to whom I have created with My hands (an tasjuda limaa khalaqtu bi-yadayya)? Have you been arrogant or have you been with the exalted ones?”
[41:37] And of His signs are the night and the day as well as the sun and the moon. You do not prostrate to the sun, nor to the moon (laa-tas’juduu lil’shumsi wa-laa-lil’qamari) but you shall prostrate to God (wa-us’juduu allahi), the One who has created them if you have been to worship Him alone.
[53:62] Therefore, you shall prostrate to God (fa-us’juduu lillahi) and shall worship (Him)
[55:6] And the star and the tree both prostrate (wal-najmi wal-.shajaru yas’judaani).
[76:26] And of the night that you shall prostrate to Him (wa-mina al-layli fa-us’jud lahu), and shall glorify Him long at night.
[84:21] And when the Quran has been recited to them, they (those who have disbelieved to deny) do not prostrate (laa-yas’juduuuna).
[96:19] Nay, you do not obey him (whoever has denied and has turned away from God’s message); and you shall prostrate and shall draw nearer (wa-us’jud wa-iq’tarib) (to God).
Upon review of the messages of the above instances of yarka`u meaning ‘to bow’ we may pay attention to the following: We can only be obedient to God if we bow and prostrate to Him. Those who have believed in God shall bow down and prostrate to Him and shall worship Him, while they shall establish the salat prayer and shall give the zakat, but the deniers do not bow down when they have been told to bow down.
Upon review of the messages of the above instances of sajada meaning ‘to prostrate’ we may pay attention to the following: All the angels had prostrated to Adam to obey their Lord’s order except Iblis and he had been arrogant and had been with the disbelievers. We can only be obedient to God if we bow and prostrate to Him that we have believed in Him and have bowed down and prostrated to Him and have worshiped Him and have done the good to succeed. God had given the responsibility on the prophet to lead the salat prayer when he was present among the group of the believers. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth including the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals prostrate God, Those who are with their Lord, they do not be arrogant from worshiping of Him that they glorify Him and prostrate to Him. Those who disbelieve in God’s message are disobedient, and when the Quran is recited, those who deny do not prostrate.
God has made it a requirement for us to bow and prostrate to Him if we worship Him alone to bring us nearer to Him and to be obedient to Him we have to obey His command and believe in His message. And it is important for us to take into account both literal and underlying meanings of instances of yarka`u and sajada reflecting on whatever is in the heavens and the earth prostrate to Him, and even the sun, the moon are made His signs for us, we should not prostrate to them, but we should prostrate to the One who has created them. Iblis is an egregious example for us, who had been arrogant and became disbeliever for disobeying his Lord’s command, and in it there is a great lesson for us if we want to be worshiper of God as well as to be obedient to Him to succeed in the Hereafter.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (10/31/2025).