Allah, exalted be He, has only likened the children of Adam to animals when He intends censure. Listen to His words:

“And recite to them the story of the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast them off; so Satan pursued him and he became one of the deviant. Had We willed, We could have raised him by means of them, but he clung to the earth and followed his own desire. His likeness, therefore, is that of a dog: if you chase it away it pants, and if you leave it, it still pants” (al-Aʿraf 7:175–176).

He also says:

“The example of those who were charged with the Torah and then failed to carry it is like that of a donkey carrying volumes. How wretched is the example of a people who reject the signs of Allah” (al-Jumuʿah 62:5).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The one who retracts his gift is like a dog that vomits and then returns to its vomit,” and he also said, “Whoever speaks on Friday while the imam is delivering the sermon is like a donkey carrying books.”

You can see, then, that likening human beings to animals is used only in contexts of blame. For this reason the worshipper is forbidden to kneel as a camel does—placing the hands down first. Instead, he should lower his knees first, unless he has an excuse, such as great age that makes bringing the knees down first difficult, illness, an injury to the knees, and the like.

Furthermore, prostration must be performed on seven body parts: the forehead—together with the nose—the two palms, the two knees, and the toes of the feet. These are the seven upon which we have been commanded to prostrate—