Surah 17:109
Show Full Scripture Context (17:107-109) — 3 Verses
قُلۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوۡ لَا تُؤۡمِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ يَخِرُّونَۤ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ
Say: ‘Believe in it, or do not believe. Surely those who were given the knowledge before it – when it is recited to them, they fall down on their chins in prostration,
وَيَقُولُونَ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفۡعُولٗا
and say, “Glory to our Lord! Surely our Lord’s promise has been fulfilled indeed.”
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِ يَبۡكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمۡ خُشُوعٗا۩
They fall down on their chins weeping, and it increases them in humility.’
Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad:
{Say} O Muhammad to these disbelievers concerning what you have brought to them of this Glorious Qur'an:
meaning, it is all the same whether you believe in it or not, for it is true in and of itself. It was revealed by Allah, Who mentioned it previously in the Books that He revealed to other Messengers. Hence He says:
meaning righteous people among the People of the Book, who adhered to their Books and appreciated them without distorting them.
{when it is recited to them} means, when this Qur'an is recited to them,
means, to Allah, in gratitude for the blessing He has bestowed on them by considering them fit to live until they met this Messenger to whom this Book was revealed. Hence they say:
{Glory be to our Lord!}, meaning, they extol and glorify their Lord for His perfect power and for not delaying the fulfillment of the promise which He made through His earlier Prophets, that He would send Muhammad. Hence they said:
"And they fall down on their chins (faces) weeping"
means, in submission to Allah, may He be glorified, and in expression of their belief and faith in His Book and His Messenger
{and it increases their humility.} means, it increases them in faith and submission. As Allah says:
{And they fall down} is a description rather than an action (i.e., this is a further description of their humility as referred to in Ayah 107; it does not imply that they prostrate twice).
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Page 102-104)