“Only those believe in Our verses who, when reminded of them, fall down in prostration and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant.”
This denies faith in the verses to anyone who does not fall down in prostration when reminded of them. Anyone who hears them has been reminded of them. Likewise, in Surah al-Inshiqāq:
“What is the matter with them that they do not believe, and when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate?”
This censures those who do not prostrate when the Quran is recited to them, just as His words:
“What is the matter with them that they turn away from the reminder?”
“Why do you not believe in Allah when the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord?”
“What is the matter with these people that they can hardly understand any discourse?”
Likewise, in Surah al-Najm, His words:
“Do you then marvel at this discourse, and laugh rather than weep, while you amuse yourselves heedlessly? So prostrate to Allah and worship Him.”
This is an emphatic command following mention of the discourse—that is, the Quran—which indicates that hearing it is the occasion for the command to prostrate. However, just as the prostration commanded upon hearing the Quran is not confined to prostration in prayer, neither is it confined to the prostration of recitation. Anyone who assumes either has erred. Rather, it encompasses both, as the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained. The Sunnah interprets and clarifies the Quran and guides us to its meaning.
Prostration upon hearing a prostration verse is an independent prostration performed upon hearing that verse, whether it is recited together with other passages of the Quran or on its own. It is not a prostration performed upon the recitation of any Quranic passage whatsoever. It is thus prostration in response to a passage belonging to the Quran and, specifically, to the command to prostrate; the command therefore encompasses it. It also encompasses prostration in response to the Quran more generally, and does so even more emphatically. For He, glorified and exalted be He,