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wa-li-llāhi yasjudu man fī s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi ṭawʿan wa-karhan wa-ẓilāluhum bi-l-ghuduwwi wa-l-ʾāṣāli
To Allah prostrates whoever there is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and their shadows at sunrise and sunset.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Ar-Ra‘d – Verse 15
15. “And whoever is in the skies and on the earth prostrates for Allah willingly or unwillingly, and (so do) their shadows in the mornings and the evenings.”
In order to explain how the idol-worshippers have become separated from the mainstream of the world of existence and have been led stray one by one, this verse proclaims that all those who are in the heavens and on the earth willingly or reluctantly obey and submit themselves and prostrate before Allah every morning and evening. The verse says:
“And whoever is in the skies and on the earth prostrates for Allah willingly or unwillingly, and (so do) their shadows in the mornings and the evenings.”
What is the objective of prostration by the beings? In such cases, prostration signifies utmost modesty, humbleness, and submission. Nevertheless, the humility and prostration of some groups of creatures is done in the genetic form. That is, they are only submissive in face of the laws of the world of existence and creation. However, some others do have religious prostration in addition to the genetic prostration, which means that they prostrate before Allah willingly and with their own free will.
The Arabic expression: /tau‘an wa karhan/ (willingly and unwillingly) might point out to the fact that the believers willingly prostrate before Allah and exhibit their modesty, while the unbelievers, who are not ready to perform such a ritual, all the particles of their entity are submissive to Allah’s commandments in accordance with the laws of creation, whether they want it or not.
Explanations
Perhaps the objective in mind as regards the prostration of the shadows is their manner in which they are being cast on the floor, which implies that the entire universe is obedient to and prostrates before Allah, and that this mode of existential prostration of all beings is a continuous process. The Arabic term /’asal/ is the plural form of /’usul/, which itself is the plural of /’asil/, and is derived from /’asl/ which means ‘the end of the day’.