be said: “They do not pray.” But His words, “They fall down in prostration,” explicitly refer to prostration in its familiar sense, because it is coupled with the expression “fall down.”

As for this verse, its interpretation is disputed. Abū al-Faraj said:

“Concerning ‘And when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate,’ there are two views. The first is that they do not pray. This was stated by 'Atā' ibn al-Sā'ib. The second is that they neither submit to it nor humble themselves before it. This was stated by Ibn Jarīr and preferred by Judge Abū Ya'lā.

“He said: ‘Some have cited this verse as evidence that the prostration of recitation is obligatory, but it does not establish that. Rather, it means that they do not humble themselves. Do you not see that He connected prostration with the entire Quran, whereas prostration is prescribed only at particular passages within it?’”

I say: The first view is the one mentioned by many Quran commentators, who mention no other, such as al-Tha'labī and al-Baghawī. They also related it from Muqātil and al-Kalbī. It is the view transmitted from the Quran commentators among the early generations, and it is held by the general body of scholars.

As for the second view, I know of no one who has transmitted it from any of the early generations. Those who expressed it did so only because they considered that not everyone who hears something of the Quran is obliged to prostrate. They therefore sought to interpret the verse as referring to something obligatory in every circumstance. Thus they said: “They submit and humble themselves.” For this is enjoined