because it can only introduce a common noun made definite by alif and lām, such as “the man,” “the messenger,” or “the prophet,” not a proper name.

Thus, necessity led them to depart from their grammatical analogy in the case of this name. When they added the doubled mīm at its end instead of pluralizing the name, they also made it a substitute for the vocative particle, so they did not combine the two. And Allah knows best.

[Surah Āl ‘Imrān (3): verse 43]

“O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate, and bow with those who bow.” (43)

This is an instance of giving precedence on grounds of excellence: prostration is superior, and a servant is closest to his Lord while prostrating.

If it is asked: “But bowing precedes prostration by nature, in time, and in customary practice, since it is a movement from a higher to a lower position, and the higher naturally precedes the lower. Why, then, was bowing not mentioned first?”

The answer is:

Consider carefully the meaning of the verse. Allah says, “Bow with those who bow,” rather than, “Prostrate with those who prostrate.” Here, prostration stands for prayer, and what is meant is her prayer in her home, because a woman’s prayer in her home is better than her prayer with her people. He then tells her, “Bow with those who bow,” meaning: pray with those praying in Jerusalem. Here too, He does not mean bowing alone, to the exclusion of the other parts of prayer. Rather, bowing stands for prayer, just as you say, “I performed two rak‘ahs (units of prayer),” or “four rak‘ahs,” meaning the prayer, not merely bowing.

The verse thus encompasses two prayers: her prayer alone, expressed in terms of prostration because prostration is the servant’s most excellent state—and likewise, a woman’s prayer in her home is better for her—then her prayer in the mosque, expressed in terms of bowing because bowing is less excellent than prostration. Likewise, her prayer with others is less excellent than her prayer alone at home in her prayer chamber.