The Qur’an establishes prayer as an act of devotion expressed through recognizable bodily states.
Rather than presenting a detailed procedural description, the text repeatedly names standing and prostration as visible forms of humility before Allah.

The following verses present these states as described directly in the Qur’an.

1. Standing and Prostrating During the Night

Arabic

﴿أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا﴾
Sūrah Az-Zumar (39:9)

English translation (Pickthall)

…prostrating and standing…

Textual indication

This verse explicitly mentions:

• Standing
• Prostrating
• occurring during the night

Thus, prayer is shown through alternating physical positions in worship.

Arabic

﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا﴾
Sūrah Al-Furqān (25:64)

English translation (Pickthall)

And those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing.

Textual indication

The verse again combines:

• Prostration
• Standing
• within night worship

This repetition confirms the same two principa

Arabic

﴿تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا﴾
Sūrah Al-Fatḥ (48:29)

English translation (Pickthall)

Thou seest them bowing and falling prostrate, seeking bounty from Allah and His good pleasure.

Textual indication

This verse describes believers through:

• ركعًا
• سجدًا

as visible states of devotion,
associated with seeking the favor and pleasure of Allah.

2. The Visible Trace of Prostration

Arabic

﴿سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ﴾
Sūrah Al-Fatḥ (48:29)

English translation (Pickthall)

The mark of them is on their faces from the trace of prostration.

Textual indication

This verse connects prostration with:

• a visible trace
• located on the face
• resulting from repeated sujūd

The text therefore presents prostration as a direct bodily act of humility,
recognized through its effect on the face.

3. The Expression “Those Who Bow and Prostrate”

Arabic

﴿وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ﴾
Sūrah Al-Baqarah (2:125)

English translation (Pickthall)

Those who bow and those who prostrate.

Textual indication

This expression joins:

• الرُّكَّع
• السُّجُود

within a single description of worship in the Sacred House.

Across the Qur’anic passages:

• Standing and prostration are clearly described.
• Prostration is linked to a visible trace on the face.
• The paired wording “الرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ” appears as a connected naming of devotional states.

The Qur’an presents these states through terminology and repetition,
without detailing their anatomical form.

Arabic

﴿تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا﴾
Sūrah Al-Fatḥ (48:29)

English translation (Pickthall)

Thou seest them bowing and falling prostrate, seeking bounty from Allah and His good pleasure.

Textual indication

This verse describes believers through:

• ركعًا
• سجدًا

as visible states of devotion,
associated with seeking the favor and pleasure of Allah.

4. Falling into the State Described as “Rākiʿan”

Arabic

﴿وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعٗا وَأَنَابَ۩﴾
Sūrah Ṣād (38:24)

English translation (Pickthall)

And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented.

Textual indication

This verse introduces the expression:

﴿وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا﴾

which describes:

• a movement of the body expressed by the verb “خَرَّ” (to fall)
• occurring into a state named “راكعًا”
• followed by turning back to Allah (وَأَنَابَ)

Within the context of this article, the passage is cited for the physical wording that appears in the Qur’anic text, alongside other verses that mention:

• standing
• prostration
• and the paired expression “الرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ”

Thus, the Qur’anic descriptions of devotion include:

• ساجدًا
• قائمًا
• رُكَّعًا / راكعًا

presented through named bodily states connected to humility before Allah.

5. Falling in Prostration Upon Hearing the Revelation

Arabic

﴿أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنۡ حَمَلۡنَا مَعَ نُوحٖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنۡ هَدَيۡنَا وَٱجۡتَبَيۡنَآۚ إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ خَرُّواْ سُجَّدٗا وَبُكِيّٗا۩﴾
Sūrah Maryam (19:58)

English translation (Pickthall)

These are they unto whom Allah hath shown favor of the prophets of the seed of Adam, and of those whom We carried with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, prostrate and weeping.

Textual indication

This verse describes:

• falling into prostration (خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا)
• occurring upon hearing the revealed verses
• accompanied by weeping

Thus, prostration appears as a direct bodily response to revelation.

6. Falling in Prostration When Reminded of the Signs

Arabic

﴿إِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهَا خَرُّواْ سُجَّدٗا وَسَبَّحُواْ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ۩﴾
Sūrah As-Sajdah (32:15)

English translation (Pickthall)

Only those believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord, and they are not scornful.

Textual indication

This verse links prostration to:

• being reminded of the divine signs
• falling in sujūd
• glorifying the Lord
• absence of arrogance

Here again, sujūd is presented as a visible act of humility connected to faith.

Conclusion

From these verses, the Qur’an highlights visible states of humility in prayer:

• Standing (قيام)
• Prostration (سجود)
• Bowing and prostration (ركعًا سجدًا)
• the linked expression “الرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ”
• and the trace of prostration on the face

Prayer is thus described as devotion expressed through bodily humility,
made known directly by the language of revelation itself.

 أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدٗا وَقَآئِمٗا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمۡشُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ هَوۡنٗا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلۡجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلَٰمٗا (63)
 وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمۡ سُجَّدٗا وَقِيَٰمٗا 

مُّحَمَّدٞ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ تَرَىٰهُمۡ رُكَّعٗا سُجَّدٗا يَبۡتَغُونَ فَضۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٗاۖ سِيمَاهُمۡ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنۡ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِۚ وَمَثَلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡإِنجِيلِ كَزَرۡعٍ أَخۡرَجَ شَطۡـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسۡتَغۡلَظَ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعۡجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلۡكُفَّارَۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِنۡهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٗ وَأَجۡرًا عَظِيمَۢا (29)

سِيمَاهُمۡ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنۡ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِۚ

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ ءَادَمَ وَمِمَّنۡ حَمَلۡنَا مَعَ نُوحٖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ وَمِمَّنۡ هَدَيۡنَا وَٱجۡتَبَيۡنَآۚ إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ خَرُّواْۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ وَبُكِيّٗا۩

 إِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهَا خَرُّواْۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ وَسَبَّحُواْ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ۩ 

 تَرَىٰهُمۡ رُكَّعٗا سُجَّدٗا 

وَإِذۡ جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡبَيۡتَ مَثَابَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمۡنٗا وَٱتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلّٗىۖ وَعَهِدۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيۡتِيَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلۡعَٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ

 وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّۤ رَاكِعٗاۤ وَأَنَابَ۩