SURAH AL-AN AAM (AYA 71 to 80)

SECTION 9

Submission to ALLAH—Abraham’s arguments

             Submission to ALLAH brings peace---Abraham’s reasoning for the Unity of ALLAH.

قُلْ أَنَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى ائْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {6:71}

[Q6:71] Qul anad'oo min doonil laahi maa laa yanfa'unaa wa laa yadurrunaa wa nuraddu 'alaaa a'qaabina ba'da iz hadaanal laahu kallazis tahwat hush Shayaateenu fil ardi hairaana lahooo ashaabuny yad'oo nahooo ilal huda' tinaa; qul inna hudal laahi huwal hudaa wa umirnaa linuslima li Rabbil 'aalameen;- 

[Q6:71] Say: Shall we call on that besides ALLAH (SWT), which does not benefit us nor harm us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after ALLAH (SWT) has guided us, like him whom the Shaitans have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the right way, (saying): Come to us. Say: Surely the guidance of ALLAH (SWT), that is the (true) guidance, and we are commanded that we should submit to the Lord of the worlds.
[Q6:71] Katakanlah: Patutkah kita menyeru serta menyembah yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT), sesuatu yang tidak dapat memberi manfaat kepada kita dan tidak dapat mendatangkan mudarat kepada kita dan (patutkah) kita dikembalikan undur ke belakang (menjadi kafir musyrik) setelah kita diberi hidayat petunjuk oleh ALLAH (SwT) (dengan agama Islam), seperti orang yang telah disesatkan oleh Syaitan-syaitan di bumi (di tempat yang lengang) dalam keadaan bingung, sedang dia pula mempunyai sahabat-sahabat yang mengajaknya ke jalan yang lurus (dengan berkata kepadanya): Marilah bersama-sama kami. Katakanlah: Sesungguhnya petunjuk ALLAH (SwT) itulah sebenar-benar petunjuk dan kita diperintahkan supaya berserah diri kepada Tuhan yang memelihara dan mentadbirkan sekalian alam. 

IF, AFTER RECEIVING GUIDANCE FROM THE SELF-SUBSISTING ETERNAL LORD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE (with every increase of knowledge we see in what true and perfect proportions all creation is held together), WE TURN TO LIFELESS IDOLS, IT WOULD INDEED SHOW THAT WE WERE MADE INTO FOOLS, wandering to a precipice; THEREFORE, we must accept the only true guidance, the guidance of ALLAH (SWT), and only His law, FOR WE SHALL HAVE TO ANSWER HIS QUESTIONING ON THE DAY OF RECKONING WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS FOR THE LAST DAY AND HIS JUDGEMENT WILL, WITH PERFECT JUSTICE, ESTABLISH THE DOMINION OF RIGHT AND REALITY.

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(6:71) Ask them (0 Muharnmad!): "Shall we invoke, apart from Allah, something that can neither benefit nor harm us, and thus be turned back on our heels after Allah has guided us? Like the one whom the evil ones have lured into bewilderment in the earth, even though he has friends who call him to true guidance saying: "Come to us." Say: "Surely Allah's guidance is the only true guidance, and we have been commanded to submit ourselves to the Lord of the entire universe,

[NOTE: THE ORIGINAL TEXT HAD SPLIT VERSE 73 INTO TWO, AND THEREFORE, THIS COMMENTARY APPLIED TO VERSES 71 THROUGH VERSE 74. SUBSEQUENT REFERENCES TO VERSE NUMBERS IN THE REMAINING COMMENTARIES IN THIS CHAPTER MAY BE ONE OFF.]

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ {6:72}

[Q6:72] Wa an aqeemus Salaata wattaqooh; wa Huwal lazeee ilaihi tuhsharoon. 
[Q6:72] And that you should keep up prayer and be careful of (your duty to) Him; and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered.

[Q6:72] Dan (diperintahkan): Hendaklah kamu mengerjakan sembahyang dan bertakwa kepadaNya dan Dialah Tuhan yang kepadaNya kamu akan dihimpunkan (pada hari akhirat kelak).  

(see commentary for verse 71)

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(6:72) and to establish Prayer, and to have fear of Him. It is to Him that all of you shall be gathered.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ الْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ ۚ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ {6:73}

[Q6:73] Wa an Huwal lazee khalaqas samaawaati wal arda bilhaqq; wa Yawma yaqoolu kun fa yakoon; Qawluhul haqq; wa lahul mulku Yawma yunfakhu fis Soor; 'Aalimul Ghaibi wash shahaadah; wa Huwal Hakeemul Khabeer. 

[Q6:73] And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and on the day He says: Be, it is. His word is the truth, and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
[Q6:73] Dan Dialah yang menciptakan langit dan bumi dengan (tujuan) yang benar dan (Dialah juga) pada masa (hendak menjadikan sesuatu) berfirman: Jadilah, lalu terjadilah ia. FirmanNya itu adalah benar dan bagiNyalah kuasa pemerintahan pada hari ditiupkan sangkakala. Dia yang mengetahui segala yang ghaib dan yang nyata dan Dialah Yang Maha Bijaksana, lagi Maha mendalam pengetahuanNya. 

(see commentary for verse 71)

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(6:73) And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in truth; *46 and the very day He will say: "Be!" (resurrection) there will be. His word is the Truth and His will be the dominion *47 on the day when the-Trumpet is blown. *48 He knows all that lies beyond the reach of human perception as well as all that is visible to man; *49 He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.'

*46. It has been asserted again and again in the Qur'an that God created the heavens and the earth 'in truth'. This covers a wide range of meanings:
First, that the heavens and the earth have not been created just for the fun of it. This existence is not a theatrical play. This world is not a child's toy with which to amuse oneself as long as one wishes before crushing it to bits and throwing it away. Creation is rather an act of great seriousness. A great objective motivates it, and a wise purpose underlies it. Hence, after the lapse of a certain stage it is necessary for the Creator to take full account of the work that has been done and to use those results as the basis for the next stage. This is stated at various places in the Qur'an in the following manner:
Our Lord, You did not create this in vain (Surah Al 'Imran 3:191).
And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever lies in between them playfully (Surah Al-Anbiya' 21:16).
And did you think that We created you out of play and that you will not be brought back to Us? (Surah al-Mu'minun 23:115). 
Second, it means that God has created this entire system of the universe on solid foundations of truth. The whole of the universe is based on justice, wisdom and truth. Hence, there is no scope in thesystem for falsehood to take root and prosper. The phenomenon of the prosperity of falsehood which we observe, is to be ascribed to the will of God, Who grants the followers of falsehood the opportunity, if they so wish, to expend their efforts in promoting unrighteousness, injustice and untruth. In the end, however, the earth wfll throw up all the seeds of untruth that have been sown, and in the final reckoning every follower of falsehood will see that the efforts he devoted to cultivating and watering this pernicious tree have all gone to waste.
Third, it means that God has founded the universe on the basis of right, and it is on the ground of being its Creator that He governs it. His command in the universe is supreme since He alone has the right to govern it, the universe being nothing but His creation. If anyone else's commands seem to be carried out in this world, this should not cause any misunderstanding. For in reality the will of no one prevails, and cannot prevail in the universe, for no one has any right to enforce his will. 
*47. This does not mean that the present dominion is not His. The purpose of this statement is rather to stress that when the veil which keeps things covered during the present phase of existence is lifted and the Truth becomes fully manifest, it will become quite clear that all those who seemed or were considered to possess power and authority are absolutely powerless, and that the true dominion belongs to the One True God Who created the universe. 
*48. In what manner the Trumpet will be blown is difficult for us to grasp.What we know through the Qur'an is that on the Day of Judgement the Trumpet will be blown on God's command, whereupon all will die. Then after an indefinite period of time - a period that is known to God alone - the second Trumpet will be blown, whereupon all people of all epochs will be resurrected and will find themselves on the Plane of the Congregation.
Thus, when the first Trumpet is blown the entire order of the universe will be disrupted, while on the blowing of the second Trumpet a fresh order will be established, in a new form and with a new set of laws governing it.
*49. Ghayb signifies all that is hidden from, and is beyond the ken of man's knowledge. Shahadah, as opposed to ghayb, signifies that which is manifest and thus can be known to man. 

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ آزَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا آلِهَةً ۖ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ {6:74}

[Q6:74] Wa iz qaala Ibraaheemu li abeehi Aazara a-tattakhizu asnaaman aalihatan inneee araaka wa qawmaka fee dalaalim mmubeen.

[Q6:74] And when Ibrahim said to his sire, Azar: Do you take idols for gods? Surely I see you and your people in manifest error.
[Q6:74] Dan (ingatlah) ketika Nabi Ibrahim berkata kepada bapanya Aazar: Patutkah ayah menjadikan berhala-berhala sebagai tuhan-tuhan? Sesungguhnya aku melihatmu dan kaummu dalam kesesatan yang nyata. 

It is a historical fact that in the days of Ibrahim the patriarch of the family was addressed as father. The christians address their priests as father, and in the same sense they refer to ALLAH (swt) as the father in heaven.

Ì  Many traditions say that the real father of Ibrahim died before his birth and he was brought up by Azar, his uncle, who was the patriarch of his family. It is also said that Azar, his uncle, married his mother after his father's death, therefore Azar was also his step-father.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD)'S CLAIM THAT IMPURITY OF IGNORANCE AND INFIDELITY NEVER TOUCHED ANY OF HIS ANCESTORS FROM ADAM TO ABDULLAH ALSO CONFIRMS THE ABOVENOTED FACT.

§  The word ab may mean an uncle or an ancestor as Ismail, the uncle of Yaqub, has been addressed as ab in verse 2:133 of al Baqarah.

§  According to Genesis 11:27 the name of Ibrahim's father was Terah. In the Talmud his name is Therach.

§  In verse 14:41 of Ibrahim, Ibrahim prays for his parents along with the other believers which shows that his father was a believer, OTHERWISE a prophet of ALLAH (SWT) could never have associated an infidel with believers and prayed to cover him with ALLAH (SWT)'s mercy. Azar was his uncle or the brother of his grandfather.

Ibrahim lived among the Chaldeans, who had great knowledge of the stars and heavenly bodies. The Babylonian religion was an admixture of animism and nature worship. The two powers most commonly chosen were the sun and the moon.

ALLAH (SWT) showed him the spiritual glories behind the magnificent powers and laws of the physical universe. When he saw the waning of the stars, the moon and the sun, he saw through the folly of idol-worship and the futility of worshipping distant beautiful things that shine, to which the ignorant ascribe a power which is not in them. They rise and set according to laws whose author is ALLAH (SWT).

ITS WORSHIP IS THEREFORE FUTILE. APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE. THAT IS NOT ALLAH (SWT). It is a folly to worship created things and beings when the author and the creator is there. ALL MUST TURN TO THE TRUE ALLAH (SWT), RENOUNCE ALL THESE FOLLIES, AND PROCLAIM ONE TRUE ALLAH (SWT).

Ibrahim was free from superstitious fears, for he had found the true ALLAH (SWT), without whose will nothing can happen. He admonished his people to come in the security of faith instead of wandering in the wilderness of fear by worshipping the "setting ones" creatures created by Him.

Ø  THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND DO NOT INTERMIX BELIEF WITH INIQUITY (ZULM) ARE THE RIGHTLY GUIDED. In view of this Qur’anic condition the position of those companions, who deserted the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in battlefields, now and then, doubted his integrity and judgement, becomes dubious.

THE SPIRITUAL EDUCATION OF IBRAHIM (GIVEN TO HIM BY ALLAH (SWT)) ENABLED HIM TO PREACH THE TRUTH AMONG HIS PEOPLE.

ZULM MEANS (ANY) EVIL OR TRANSGRESSION IN THOUGHT OR ACTION.

©  In their supplications, the prophets and the Imams have used the word zalim for themselves in order to describe their humble position before ALLAH (SWT) at the time of seeking His mercy (refer to Anbiya 21:87) BECAUSE all created beings, be they prophets or Imams, need His mercy at all times in their lives here and hereafter.

©  They have used it to avoid **vanity or **pride so that through utmost humility they could become thoroughly devoted to the service of ALLAH (SWT). Such a confession is a part of the tasbih (glorification of ALLAH (SWT)) they used to recite again and again, sitting, standing, walking or reclining.

The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said:

"We do not know Thee, O Lord, as Thou should be known, nor do we worship Thee as Thou should be worshipped."

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(6:74) And recall when Abraham said to his father, Azar: 'Do you take idols for gods? *50 I see you and your people in obvious error.'

*50. The incident relating to Abraham (peace be on him) is adduced in order to confirm and reinforce the view that just as Muhammad (peace he on him) and his Companions - thanks to the guidance vouchsafed by God - had denounced polytheism and had turned away from all false gods, bowing their heads in obedience to the One True Lord of the universe, so had been done by Abraham in his time. In the same way as ignorant people were then opposing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and those who believed in him, Abraham, too, had been opposed in his day by the people among whom he lived. Furthermore, the answer Abraham gave to his people in the past can also be given by Muhammad (peace be on him) and his followers, for he was on the same path as Noah, Abraham and the other Prophets who had descended from Abraham. Those who had refused to follow the Prophet (peace be on him) should therefore take note that they had deviated from the way of the Prophets and were lost in error.
At this point it should also be noted that Abraham was generally acknowledged by the Arabs to be their patriarch and their original religious leader. The Quraysh, in particular, were proud of their devotion to Abraham, of being his progeny and of being servants to the shrine built by him. Hence, the mention of Abraham's doctrine of monotheism, of his denunciation of polytheism and his remonstration with his polytheistic people, amounted to demolishing the very basis on which the Quraysh had prided themselves. It also amounted to destroying the confidence of the people of Arabia in their polytheistic religion. This also proved to them that the Muslims stood in the shoes of Abraham himself, whereas their own position was that of an ignorant nation which had remonstrated with Abraham out of ignorance and folly. 

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ {6:75}

[Q6:75] Wa kazaalika nureee Ibraaheema malakootas samaawaati wal ardi wa liyakoona minal mooqineen. 
[Q6:75] And thus did We show Ibrahim the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and that he might be of those who are sure.

[Q6:75] Dan demikianlah Kami perlihatkan kepada Nabi Ibrahim kebesaran dan kekuasaan (Kami) di langit dan di bumi dan supaya menjadilah dia dari orang-orang yang percaya dengan sepenuh-penuh yakin. 

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:75) And thus We showed Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, *51 so that he might become one of those who have sure faith. *52.

The adversaries are told that they can observe God's signs in the phenomena of the universe, just as Abraham could. The difference is that they see nothing, as if they were blind, whereas Abraham saw with open eyes. The sun, moon and stars which rise and set before their eyes day after day and night after night witness them as misguided at their setting as at their rising. Yet the same signs were observed by the perceptive Abraham, and the physical phenomena helped him arrive at the Truth.

*51. The adversaries are told that they can observe God's signs in the phenomena of the universe, just as Abraham could. The difference is that they see nothing, as if they were blind, whereas Abraham saw with open eyes. The sun, moon and stars which rise and set before their eyes day after day and night after night witness them as misguided at their setting as at their rising. Yet the same signs were observed by the perceptive Abraham, and the physical phenomena helped him arrive at the Truth.
*52. To obtain a full understanding of this section, as well as of those verses which mention the dispute between Abraham and his people, it is necessary to cast a glance at the religious and cultural condition of the latter. Thanks to recent archaeological discoveries, not only has the, city where Abraham is said to have been born been located, but a good deal of information is also available about the condition of the people of that area during the Abrahamic period. We reproduce below a summary of the conclusions which Sir Leonard Wooley arrived at as a result of the researches embodied in his work, Abraham (London, 1935).
It is estimated that around 2100 B.C., which is now generally accepted by scholars as the time of the advent of Abraham, the population of the city of Ur was at least two hundred and fifty thousand, maybe even five hundred thousand. The city was a large industrial and commercial metropolis. Merchandise was brought to Ur from places as far away as Palmir and Nilgiri in one direction, and in the other it had developed trade relations with Anatolia. The state, of which this city was the capital, extended a little beyond the boundaries of modern Iraq in the north, and exceeded its present borders further to the west. The great majority of the population were traders and craftsmen. The inscriptions of that period, which have been discovered in the course of archaeological research, make it clear that those people had a purely materialistic outlook on life. Their greatest concern was to earn the maximum amount of wealth and enjoy the highest degree of comfort and luxury. Interest was rampant among them and their devotion to money-making seemed all-absorbing. They looked at one another with suspicion and often resorted to litigation. In their prayers to their gods, too, they generally asked for longer life, prosperity and greater commercial success, rather than for spiritual growth, God's pardon and reward in the Hereafter.
The population comprised three classes of people: (1) amelu, the priests, the government and military officers; (2) mushkinu, the craftsmen and farmers; and (3) the slaves.
The people of the first class mentioned, i.e. amelu, enjoyed special privileges. In both criminaI and civil matters, their rights were greater than those of the others, and their lives and property were deemed to be of higher value. It was in such a city and in such a society that Abraham first saw the light of day. Whatever information we possess with regard to him and his family through the Talmud shows that he belonged to the amelu class and that his father was the highest functionary of the state. (See also Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, Surah 2, n.290.)
In the inscriptions of Ur there are references to about five thousand deities. Each city had its own deity. Each city had a chief deity which it considered its chief protector and, therefore, that deity was considered worthy of greater reverence than all the others. 'The chief deity of Ur was Nannar (the moon god), and it is for this reason that the city later became known as Kamarina.* The other major city was Larsa, which replaced Ur as the capital of the kingdom. Its chief deity was Shamash (the sun god). Under these major deities there was a myriad of minor deities which had generally been chosen from among the heavenly bodies - stars and planets. People considered them responsible for granting their innumerable minor prayers. Idols had been carved in the image of these celestial and terrestrial gods and goddesses and were made objects of ritual worship.
*Qamar is the Arabic word for 'moon'- Ed.
The idol of Nannar had been placed in a magnificent building on the top of the highest hill. Close to it was the temple of Nin-Gal, the wife of Nannar. The temple of Nannar resembled a royal palace. Every night a female worshipper went to its bedroom, adorned as a bride. A great number of women had been consecrated in the name of this deity and their position was virtually that of religious prostitutes. The woman who would sacrifice her virginity for the sake of her 'god' was held in great esteem. For a woman to give herself to some unrelated person 'for the sake of God' was considered a means to salvation. Needless to say, it was generally the priests who made most use of this institution. Nannar was not merely a deity, but the biggest landlord, the biggest trader, the biggest industrialist and the most powerful ruler. Many orchards, buildings and huge estates had been consecrated to his temple. In addition to this, cereals, milk, gold, cloth, etc., were brought as offerings to the temple by peasants, landlords and merchants, and there was a large staff in the temple to receive the offerings. Many a factory had been established on behalf of the temple. Large-scale trading was also carried out on its behalf. All these activities were conducted by the priests in the name of the deity. Moreover, the country's main court was also located in the temple. The priests functioned as judges and their judgements were equated with those of God. The authority of the royal family was derived from Nannar. The concept was that Nannar was the true sovereign and that the ruler of the country governed merely on his behalf. Because of this relationship, the king himself was raised to the rank of a deity and was worshipped.
The founder of the dynasty which ruled over Ur at the time of Abraham was Ur-Nammu. In 2300 B.C. he had established an extensive kingdom, stretching from Susa in the east to Lebanon in the west. Hence the dynasty acquired the name 'Nammu', which became Nimrud in Arabic. After the emigration of Abraham, both the ruling dynasty and the nation of Ur were subjected to a succession of disasters. Firstly, the Elamites sacked Ur and captured Nimrud along with the idols of Nannar. Later on, an Elamite state was established in Larsa which governed Ur as well. Later still, Babylon prospered under a dynasty of Arabian origin and both Larsa and Ur came under its hegemony. These disasters shook the people of Ur's faith in Nannar, for he had failed to protect them.
It is difficult to say much, with certainty, about the extent of the subsequent impact of the teachings of Abraham on these people. The laws which were codified by the Babylonian King Hammurabi in 1910 B.C. show the impress of the prophetic influence, whether direct or indirect. An inscription of this code was discovered in 1902 by a French archaeologist and its English translation by C. H. W. John was published in 1903 under the title The Oldest Code of Law. Many articles of this code, both fundamental principles and substantive laws, bear some resemblance to the Mosaic Law.
If the conclusions of these archaeological researchers are correct, it becomes quite evident that polytheism did not consist merely of a set of religious beliefs and polytheistic rites, it rather provided the foundation on which the entire order of economic, cultural, political and social life rested. Likewise, the monotheistic mission which was undertaken by Abraham was not merely directed against the practice of idol-worship. It had far wider implications, so much so that it affected the position of the royal family both as rulers and deities. It also affected the social, economic and, political status and interests of the priestly class, and the aristocracy in general, and in fact the entire fabric of the social life of the kingdom. To accept the teaching of Abraham meant that the entire edifice of the existing society should be pulled down and raised anew on the basis of belief in the One God. Hence, as soon as Abraham launched his mission, ordinary people as well as the privileged classes, ordinary devotees as well as Nimrud. rose at once to oppose and suppress it.

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَىٰ كَوْكَبًا ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الْآفِلِينَ {6:76}

[Q6:76] Falammaa janna 'alaihil lailu ra aa kawkabaan qaala haaza Rabbee falammaaa afala qaala laaa uhibbul aafileen. 

[Q6:76] So when the night over-shadowed him, he saw a star; said he: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: I do not love the setting ones.
[Q6:76] Maka ketika dia berada pada waktu malam yang gelap, dia melihat sebuah bintang (bersinar-sinar), lalu dia berkata: Inikah Tuhanku? Kemudian apabila bintang itu terbenam, dia berkata pula: Aku tidak suka kepada yang terbenam hilang.  

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:76) Then, when the night outspread over him, he beheld a star, and said: 'This is my Lord.' But when it went down, he said: 'I do not love the things that go down.'

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِنْ لَمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ {6:77}

[Q6:77] Falammmaa ra al qamara baazighan qaala haazaa Rabbee falammmmaaa afala qaala la'il lam yahdinee Rabbee la akoonanna minal qawmid daaalleen. 

[Q6:77] Then when he saw the moon rising, he said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: If my Lord had not guided me I should certainly be of the erring people.
[Q6:77] Kemudian apabila dilihatnya bulan terbit (menyinarkan cahayanya), dia berkata: Inikah Tuhanku? Maka setelah bulan itu terbenam, berkatalah dia: Demi sesungguhnya, jika aku tidak diberikan petunjuk oleh Tuhanku, nescaya menjadilah aku dari kaum yang sesat. 

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:77) Then, when he beheld the moon rising, he said: 'This is my Lord!' But when it went down, he said: 'Were that my Lord did not guide me, I surely would have become among the people who have gone astray.'

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَا أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ {6:78}

[Q6:78] Falammmaa ra ashshamsa baazighatan qaala haazaa Rabbee haazaaa akbaru falammaaa afalat qaala yaa qawmi innee bareee'um mimmaa tushrikoon. 
[Q6:78] Then when he saw the sun rising, he said: Is this my Lord? Is this the greatest? So when it set, he said: O my people! Surely I am clear of what you set up (with ALLAH (SWT)).

[Q6:78] Kemudian apabila dia melihat matahari sedang terbit (menyinarkan cahayanya), berkatalah dia: Inikah Tuhanku? Ini lebih besar. Setelah matahari terbenam, dia berkata pula: Wahai kaumku! Sesungguhnya aku berlepas diri (bersih) dari apa yang kamu sekutukan (ALLAH (SwT) dengannya).  

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:78) Then when he beheld the sun rising, he said: 'This is my Lord. This is the greatest of all.' Then, when it went down, he said: 'O my people! Most certainly I am quit of those whom you associate with Allah in His divinity. *53

*53. Here some light is thrown on the mental experience through which Abraham passed in the beginning and which led him to an understanding of the Truth before prophethood was bestowed on him. This experience shows how a right-thinking and sound-hearted man, who had opened his eyes in a purely polytheistic environment and had received no instruction in monotheism, was ultimately led to discover the Truth by careful observation of, and serious reflection on the phenomena of the universe. The account of the conditions prevailing among the people of Abraham shows that when he began to think seriously the scene was dominated by the worship of the heavenly bodies - the moon, the sun and the stars. It was natural, therefore, that when Abraham began his quest for the Truth, he should have been faced with the question: Is it possible that any of these - the sun, the moon and the stars - is God? He concentrated his reflection on this central question and by observing that all the gods of his nation were bound by a rigid law under which they moved about like slaves, he concluded that those so-called gods were not possessed of even a shadow of the power of the One True Lord, Who alone had created them all and had yoked them to serve His will.
The Qur'anic passage describing Abraham's reactions on observing first a star, then the moon, and finally the sun, has puzzled some readers because the words seem to suggest that Abraham had never before witnessed these common phenomena. This misconception has made the whole narration such a riddle for some scholars that they could only solve it by inventing the strange anecdote that Abraham was born and grew to maturity in a cave and was thus deprived of the opportunity to observe the heavenly bodies. What is said, however, is so plain that one need not fall back on any such incident in order to comprehend it. It is well known, for instance, that when Newton saw an apple fall from a tree in his orchard this incident instantly raised in his mind the question: Why do things always fall to the ground? As a result of his reflection on this question he arrived at his theory of gravity. On reading this incident one might wonder if Newton had never before seen anything fall to the ground! Obviously, he must have seen things fall. For what reason, then, should the failing of an apple cause in his mind a reaction quite different irom those caused by hundreds of earlier observations of similar things failing? The answer is that a reflecting mind does not react uniformly to similar observations. A man may observe something over and over again without this observation creating any stir in his mind, but then there comes a moment when suddenly the same observation agitates his mind and his mental faculty begins to work in a different direction. It may also happen that while a man's mind is wrestling with a problem, he encounters something which is otherwise quite ordinary but which suddenly seems to provide the key. Something to this effect happened with Abraham. Certainly, he was as familiar as anyone else with nightfall and the ensuing daybreak. The sun, the moon and the stars had all risen before his eyes in the past and had then disappeared from sight. But on one particular day his observation of a star was to stimulate his thinking in a certain direction and to lead him in the end to perceive the truth of God's Oneness. It is possible that Abraham's mind was already engrossed in reflecting on whether, and if so to what extent, the beliefs which served as the foundation of the entire life-system of his people embodied the Truth. when he spotted a star which provided him with the initial key to the solution of the problem. It is also possible that the observation of a particular star first set him thinking about the problem.
Another question that arises is whether Abraham's statements about the star, the moon and the sun show that he lapsed into polytheism temporarily. The answer must be that, while a seeker after the Truth may pause on the way to his goal, what really matters is his direction and the end-point of his journey rather than the intermediary stages. These stages are inevitable for every seeker of the Truth. A man stops at them to inquire and question rather than to pronounce his final judgement. During these stages of the quest a man may seem to express the opinion: 'That is so', but what he is really doing is asking himself the question: 'Is it really so?' When serious investigation leads to a negative answer, he proceeds further and continues the quest. Hence, it would be wrong to think of such a seeker having temporarily fallen victim to polytheism and unbelief whenever he paused at an intermediary stage for critical reflection

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ {6:79}

[Q6:79] Innnee wajjahtu wajhiya lillazee fataras samaawaati wal arda haneefanw wa maaa ana minal mushrikeen. 
[Q6:79] Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists.

[Q6:79] Sesungguhnya aku hadapkan muka dan diriku kepada ALLAH (SwT) yang menciptakan langit dan bumi, sedang aku tetap di atas dasar tauhid dan bukanlah aku dari orang-orang yang menyekutukan ALLAH (SwT) (dengan sesuatu yang lain). 

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:79) Behold, I have turned my face in exclusive devotion to the One Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am certainly not one of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity.'

وَحَاجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ ۚ قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِّي فِي اللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانِ ۚ وَلَا أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبِّي شَيْئًا ۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا ۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ {6:80}

[Q6:80] Wa haaajjahoo qawmuh; qaala a-tuh aaajjooonnnee fillaahi wa qad hadaan; wa laaa akhaafu mmaa tushrikoona bihee illaaa ai yashaaa'a Rabbee shai'anw wasi'a Rabbee kulla shai'in 'ilman afalaa tatazakkaroon.
[Q6:80] And his people disputed with him. He said: Do you dispute with me respecting ALLAH (SWT)? And He has guided me indeed; and I do not fear in any way those that you set up with Him, unless my Lord pleases; my Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge; will you not then mind?

[Q6:80] Dan dia dibantah oleh kaumnya, dia pun berkata: Patutkah kamu membantahku mengenai ALLAH (SwT), padahal sesungguhnya Dia telah memberi hidayat petunjuk kepadaku? Dan aku pula tidak takut (akan sebarang bahaya dari) apa yang kamu sekutukan dengan ALLAH (SwT), kecuali Tuhanku menghendaki sesuatu dari bahaya itu. (Sesungguhnya) pengetahuan Tuhanku meliputi tiap-tiap sesuatu, tidakkah kamu mahu (insaf) mengambil pelajaran?  

(see commentary for verse 74)

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(6:80) His people remonstrated with him whereupon Abraharn said: 'Do you remonstrate with me concerning Allah Who has guided me to the right way? I do not fear those whom you associate with Allah in His divinity. Only that which my Lord wills, indeed that alone will come by. My Lord embraces all things within His knowledge. Will you not take heed? *54

*54. The word used here is tadhakkur which conveys the sense that somebody who had been either heedless or negligent of something suddenly wakes up to its true meaning. The purpose of Abraham's statement was to recall them to their senses by reminding them that their true Lord was not uninformed about their deeds, for His knowledge encompasses everything.