My hearing, sight, brain, intellect, and nerves have humbled themselves before You.” Muslim narrated this in his Sahīh. The Prophet thus described himself as humbly submissive while bowing, because one who bows is still and humble.

This is also how the verse was explained. The well-known commentary called Tafsīr al-Wālibī contains a report from Alī ibn Abī Talhah, from Ibn Abbās—may Allah be pleased with them both. The compilers of tafsīr works, including Abū Bakr ibn al-Mundhir, Muhammad ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī, and others, transmitted it through Abū Sālih Abd Allāh ibn Sālih, from Muāwiyah ibn Abī Sālih, from Alī ibn Abī Talhah, from Ibn Abbās. Regarding the words of Allah Most High, “those who are humbly submissive in their prayer” [al-Mu’minūn: 2], he said: “Fearful and still.”

They also narrated in tafsīr works transmitted with chains, such as the Tafsīr of Ibn al-Mundhir and others, through Sufyān al-Thawrī, from Mansūr, from Mujāhid, that he said regarding “humbly submissive”: “It means stillness during prayer.” The same explanation was given by al-Zuhrī.

Through Hishām, from Mughīrah, from Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaī, it is related that he said: “Humble submission is in the heart.” He also explained it as meaning: “They are still.” Al-Dahhāk said: “Humble submission is reverent fear of Allah.” It is also related from al-Hasan that it means: “Fearful.”

Ibn al-Mundhir narrated through Abū Abd al-Rahmān al-Maqburī: al-Masūdī narrated to us; Abū Sinān narrated to us that, regarding this verse, “those who are humbly submissive in their prayer” [al-Mu’minūn: 2], he said: “Humble submission is in the heart; it is to treat one’s fellow Muslim gently and not to [look around] during prayer.”

The Tafsīr of Ibn al-Mundhir also contains the report found in the Tafsīr of Ishāq ibn Rāhawayh, through Rūh: Saīd narrated to us, from Qatādah, regarding Allah’s words: “Those who are humbly submissive in their prayer” [al-Mu’minūn: 2].