Mujahid said: “Their prostration is the shifting of their shadows.” Abu al-Aliyah said: “There is no star, sun, or moon in the sky except that, when it sets, it falls in prostration. It does not depart until it is given permission, then it takes the course to the right until it returns to its place of rising.”

It was also said that their prostration means their obedience, for there is no inanimate thing except that it is obedient to Allah, humble before Him, and glorifying Him, as Allah, exalted is He, relates concerning the heavens and the earth: “They both said, ‘We come willingly.’” (Fussilat: 11) And He says in describing the stones: “And indeed, among them are those which fall down for fear of Allah.” (al-Baqarah: 74) Allah, exalted is He, also says: “There is not a thing except that it glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.” (al-Isra: 44) This is a sound view, consistent with the position of the people of the Sunnah.

His words: “And many among mankind”—that is, all these things glorify Allah, exalted is He, as do “many among mankind,” meaning the Muslims. “Yet upon many the punishment has become inevitable”: they are the disbelievers, because of their disbelief and their abandonment of prostration. Yet, despite their disbelief, their shadows prostrate to Allah, exalted is He. The conjunction in His words, “Yet upon many the punishment has become inevitable,” introduces a new clause.

“Whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour”: that is, whomever Allah humiliates, no one can honour. “Indeed, Allah does whatever He wills”: that is, He honours and humiliates; thus, felicity and wretchedness are by His will and volition.

“These are two adversaries who have disputed concerning their Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them, and scalding water will be poured over their heads. (19)”

His words, exalted is He: “These are two adversaries who have disputed concerning their Lord”—that is, they argued concerning His religion and command. The word translated “adversaries” is a noun akin to a verbal noun; hence He says, “they have disputed,” using the plural form, as in His words: “Has there come to you the account of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall into the sanctuary?” (Sad: 21) They differed concerning these two adversaries:

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il informed us; Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim informed us; Hushaym informed us; Abu Hashim informed us, from Abu Mijlaz, from Qays ibn Abbad, who said: I heard Abu Dharr solemnly swear that this verse—“These are two adversaries who have disputed concerning their Lord”—was revealed concerning those who came forth on the day of Badr: Hamzah, Ali, Ubaydah ibn al-Harith, Utbah and Shaybah, the two sons of Abu Rabi'ah, and al-Walid ibn Utbah. (1)