Rationally, prostration is for Allah alone, not for the surface on which one prostrates. The object beneath the forehead is merely a medium, not an object of worship. Just as prostrating on a carpet does not mean worshipping the carpet, prostrating on earth does not mean worshipping earth.
The Qur’an states:
> “From it (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you.” (Qur’an 20:55)
Human beings were created from earth, and prostration upon it represents the highest level of humility. The Qur’an never forbids prostration on natural ground.
From Sunni sources:
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī records that the Prophet ﷺ prostrated on bare earth, soil, and straw mats.
Sunan al-Bayhaqī reports that companions would carry pebbles to prostrate on when the ground was hot. Thus, the turbah is simply pure earth, fully consistent with the Prophetic Sunnah.
