a-f-l

Description

The Arabic root أفل (a-f-l) carries the core meaning of disappearing, setting, or vanishing from sight, particularly used for celestial bodies that descend below the horizon. In the Quran, it appears most notably in Surah Al-An'am (6:76-78) where Prophet Ibrahim observes the setting of a star, the moon, and the sun, using their transient nature as evidence that they cannot be divine since true divinity requires permanence and constancy. This root emphasizes the impermanence and created nature of heavenly bodies, contrasting them with Allah's eternal and unchanging nature.