فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِى رَبِّى لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ 77
Translations
And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."
Transliteration
Falamma raa'a al-qamara baazighan qala hatha rabbi, falamma afalá qala la'in lam yahdini rabbi la-akoonanna mina al-qawmi al-daalleen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Prophet Ibrahim's spiritual journey of seeking the truth, where he observed the moon rising and initially thought it might be his Lord, but when it set, he realized it could not be worthy of worship. Ibn Kathir explains this as Ibrahim's intellectual investigation to guide his people away from idolatry by demonstrating the logical inadequacy of worshipping celestial bodies. The ayah shows Ibrahim's sincere seeking of divine guidance and his explicit dependence on Allah to not leave him among the misguided.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Ibrahim (Abraham) in Surah Al-An'am, a Meccan surah revealed during the early Islamic period when the Prophet Muhammad faced polytheistic practices. The passage illustrates Ibrahim's methodical refutation of idolatry and his personal spiritual quest, serving as a model for the Meccan believers confronting pagan traditions. This narrative continues across multiple ayahs (6:75-79) showing his progressive realization of Allah's oneness.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly narrates this incident, the hadith 'The best of you are those who study the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari) relates to understanding Ibrahim's example of seeking knowledge and truth. Additionally, hadiths about Ibrahim's station as a patriarch emphasize his role as 'khalil' (intimate friend) of Allah due to his unwavering faith and sincere seeking.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to intellectually examine their faith and not blindly follow inherited beliefs, while simultaneously recognizing that true guidance comes only from Allah. It encourages sincere supplication and demonstrates that seeking divine guidance with humility is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمُ ۘ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize it as they recognize their [own] sons. Those who will lose themselves [in the Hereafter] do not believe.
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَ جَنَّـٰتٍ مَّعْرُوشَـٰتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَـٰتٍ وَٱلنَّخْلَ وَٱلزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُۥ وَٱلزَّيْتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَـٰبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهٍ ۚ كُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَءَاتُوا۟ حَقَّهُۥ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakāh] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.
وَمَا تَأْتِيهِم مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ مِّنْ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they turn away therefrom.
وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may warn the Mother of Cities [i.e., Makkah] and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are maintaining their prayers.