and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, and many people.” Then He says:

“But many have deserved punishment.”

This distinction makes clear that He did not mean by prostration merely their pointing to His lordship, as some groups claim. All created things share in pointing to Him in this way: all people do so, yet He has distinguished between them. It follows that this prostration is a further expression of the kind peculiar to the believer, distinguishing him from the disbeliever who has deserved punishment.

Nevertheless, He, glorified be He, has placed benefits for His servants in these heavenly bodies and subjected them to their service, as He Most High says:

“He has subjected the sun and the moon to your service, both constant in their courses, and has subjected the night and the day to your service.”

He also says:

“And the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command.”

And He says:

“He has subjected to your service whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth—all from Him.”

Among their evident benefits are the heat and cold, night and day, ripening of fruits, and creation of animals, plants, and minerals that He, glorified be He, brings about through the sun. Likewise, through these heavenly bodies He brings about moistening and drying for people, along with other observable effects. Similarly, He has given fire the properties of illumination and burning, and water those of purification and providing drink. These and similar things are among His blessings that He mentions in His Book, as He Most High says:

“And We send down purifying water from the sky, so that through it We may bring life to a dead land and give drink to the many livestock and people We have created.”

Allah has stated in several places that He gives life to some of His creatures through others, as He Most High says:

“So that through it We may bring life to a dead land.”

And as He says:

“It is He who sends the winds as bearers of glad tidings ahead of His mercy, until, when they have borne heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land, send down water there, and through it bring forth