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
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۚ وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
Say, "Is it other than Allāh I should desire as a lord while He is the Lord of all things? And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُنَزِّلَ ءَايَةً وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And they say, "Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?" Say, "Indeed, Allāh is Able to send down a sign, but most of them do not know."
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّى بَعْضَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَعْضًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.