Sujud on chin?
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As salamu alaikum
There are two verses with the word "للأذقان" in combination with prostration.
Al-Isrāʾ 17:107
قُلۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوۡ لَا تُؤۡمِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ يَخِرُّونَۤ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِۤ سُجَّدࣰاۤ
"Say, 'Believe in it or do not believe.' Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their chins in prostration."Al-Isrāʾ 17:109
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِ يَبۡكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمۡ خُشُوعࣰا۩
"And they fall upon their chins in prostration, weeping, and it increases them in humility."So, how we know, that this word is clear or ambiguous? We look if the word "أذقان" is used in the quran in other Ayat.
Yā-Sīn 36:8
إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا فِيٓ أَعۡنَٰقِهِمۡ أَغۡلَٰلࣰا فَهِيَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَذۡقَانِ فَهُم مُّقۡمَحُونَ
"Indeed, We have placed shackles around their necks, reaching up to the chin, so they are forced to hold their heads high."Here we see that this Ayah describes the meaning of this word. So its clear and it means chin.
For me i understand that we must prostrate on our chins.
Sorry for my english, i am from germany.
Baraka Allahu feekum for your answers, if your agree or disagree.
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As salamu alaikum, Baraka Allahu feekum for your answers.
We would then need to examine the other words.
- "to fall down" يخرّون (yakhruʿūna): In another context in the Quran, this word is also used to describe a mountain "collapsing" or "tumbling down" (19:90). It definitely describes something falling to the ground, and the specifics are described afterwards.
- "prostrating, in reverence" سجّدا (sujjadan): This is a clear word that describes a reverent or humble posture when one is on the ground.
- "towards their chins" لِلأذقان (lil-adh-qān): The لِ (li) prefix means "to" or "towards", so they fall "towards their chins" (plural). A similar combination is found in:
Yūsuf 12:100 "And they fell to him in prostration" (wa-kharru lahu sujjadan). Here, the preposition لِ is used again, and it doesn't mean they fell "on" Yūsuf, but rather "to" or "towards" him in reverence. However, what I don't understand is that one should only prostrate to Allah.
So, perhaps لِلأذقان means bowing one's head towards the chin.
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I would agree somewhat with what you have said, except that adding "yakhiroon" means there was a physical drop (either to the knees - such as khara raki3an 38:24 خر راكعا - or to the face).
With regards to Joseph, I would say that they prostrated in his direction (له) but not necessarily to him.
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To me these verses are not about a physical technique of Sujud but the state of total surrender that overtakes those who truly grasp the message.
للأذقان (toward the chins) simply describes the movement of falling face-forward i.e. the collapse of pride when the truth hits the heart.The Quran is not giving a ritual instruction here rather showing how knowledge and humility bring a person to fall inwardly and outwardly before God’s word.
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I recommend reading:
https://mypercept.co.uk/articles/meaning-of-SuJuD-from-Quran.html -
Here, physical prostration is mentioned again, friends. In fact, even in the verse that mentions the prostration of the stars, there is still an emphasis on physical movement:
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I found this:
Fall "to the chins" in prostration ... It's the most humble type of prostration, where even your chin tucked in touching your upper chest, curled up in humility
If it said "on their chins" then yes that would be strange.
Their are prostrations of submission, repentance, reverence, inanimates, etc
Here it is about added humility "and they fall right to their chins weeping, and (He/it) increases them in humility"
Have you never seen a person praying and prostrating while really crying, shaking and balling their eyes out? They curl up into a ball in prostration almost into the foetal position.
Look at pictures of the foetal position, best description of it's humbled position is "chin tucked in" I think.
Anyway, that's what I believe the Qur'an is describing. This natural position of extreme humility and vulnerability.
