qaumaka fi dala_lim mubin(in).

6. Sura al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ ﴿٧٥﴾

6: 75. So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude.

C897. Now comes the story of Abraham.

He lived among the Chaldeans, who had great knowledge of the stars and heavenly bodies. But he got beyond that physical world, and saw the spiritual world behind. His ancestral idols meant nothing to him.

That was the first step. But Allah took him many degrees higher. Allah showed him with certitude the spiritual glories behind the magnificent powers and laws of the physical universe.

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَى كَوْكَبًا...

6: 76. When the night covered him over, he saw a star:

...قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي...

he said: "This is my Lord."

...فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لا أُحِبُّ الآفِلِينَ ﴿٧٦﴾

But when it set, he said: "I love not those that set."

C898. This allegory shows stages of Abraham's spiritual enlightenment. It should not be supposed that he literally worshipped stars or heavenly bodies. Having seen through the folly of ancestral idol worship, he began to see the futility of worshipping distant beautiful things that shine, which the vulgar endue with a power which does not reside in them. a type of such is a star shining in the darkness of the night.

Superstition might read fortunes in it, but truer knowledge shows that it rises and sets according to laws whose author is Allah. And its light is extinguished in the broader light of day. Its worship is therefore futile. It is not a Power, much less the Supreme Power.

According to some commentators the whole thrust of Abraham's reasoning in verses 76-78 is directed against the superstitious belief of his people and demonstrates the folly of worshiping stars and other heavenly bodies. As such his statement may be seen as premises of his arguments against Polytheism rather than as stages in his spiritual enlightenment. (R).

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي...

6: 77. When he saw the moon rising in splendor, He said: "This is my Lord."

...فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لأكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿٧٧﴾

but when the moon set, he said:

"Unless my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray."

C899. The moon, though she looks bigger and brighter than the star, turns out on closer knowledge, not only to set like the star, but to change her shape from hour to hour, and even to depend for her light on some other body!

How deceptive are appearances! This is not Allah! At that stage you begin to search for something more reliable than appearances to the eye in the darkness of the night. You ask for guidance from Allah. (R).

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي هَـذَآ أَكْبَرُ...

6: 78. When he saw the sun rising in splendor, he said:

"This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all)."

...فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٧٨﴾

But when the sun set, he said:

"O my people! I am (now) free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah.

C900. The next stage in the allegory is the sun. You are in the open light of Day. Now you have the right clue. You see the biggest object in the heavens.

But is it the biggest?

There are thousands of stars in the universe bigger than the sun. And every day the sun appears and disappears from your sight. such is not the god who created you and all these wonderful works of His.

What folly to worship creatures, when we might turn to the true God?

Let us abjure all these follies and proclaim the one true God.

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا...

6: 79. "For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth,

...وَمَا أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿٧٩﴾

and never shall I give partners to Allah."

وَحَآجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ...

6: 80. His people disputed with him.

C901. The story of Abraham is highly instructive for all men in quest of truth.

If spiritual enlightenment go so far as to take a man beyond his ancestral worship, people will continue to dispute with him. They will frighten him with the dire consequences of his dissent.

What does he care? He has found the truth. He is free from superstitious fears, for has he not found the true God, without Whose Will nothing can happen?

On the contrary he knows that it is the godless who have just grounds for fear. And he offers admonition to them, and the arguments that should bring them the clearness of truth instead of the vagueness and mystery of superstition, -the security of Faith instead of the haunting fear of those who have no clear guidance. (R).

...قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِّي فِي اللّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانِ ...

He said:

"(Come) ye to dispute with me, about Allah, when He (Himself) hath guided me?

...وَلاَ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَاء رَبِّي شَيْئًا...

I fear not (the beings) ye associate with Allah: unless my Lord willeth, (nothing can happen).

...وَسِعَ رَبِّي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا أَفَلاَ تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾

My Lord comprehendeth in His knowledge all things:

will ye not (yourselves) be admonished?

Other versions:

6: 75

Asad And thus We gave Abraham [his first] insight into [God’s] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth – and [this] to the end that he might become one of those who are inwardly sure.

Yusuf Ali So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude.

Pickthall Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he mighty be of those possessing certainty:

Transliteration Wa kaza_lika nuri ibra_hima malaku_tas sama_wa_ti wal ardi wa liyaku_na minal mu_qinin(a).

6: 76

Yusuf Ali When the night covered him over he saw a star: he said: "this is my Lord." But when it set he said: "I love not those that set."

Pickthall When the night grew dark upon him he beheld a star. He said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: I love not things that set.

Transliteration Falamma_ janna 'alaihil lailu ra'a_ kaukaba_(n), qa_la ha_za_ rabbi, falamma_ afala qa_la la_uhibbul a_filin(a).

6: 77

Yusuf Ali When he saw the moon rising in splendor He said: "This is my Lord." but when the moon set he said: "Unless my Lord guide me I shall surely be among those who go astray."

Pickthall And when he saw the moon uprising, he exclaimed: This my Lord. But when it set, he said: Unless my Lord guide me, I surely shall become one of the folk who are astray.

Transliteration Falamma_ ra'al qamara ba_zigan qa_la ha_za_ rabbi, falamma_ afala qa_la la'illam yahdini rabbi la'aku_nanna minal qaumid da_llin(a).

6: 78

Yusuf Ali When he saw the sun rising in splendor he said: "This is my Lord; this is the greatest (of all)." But when the sun set he said: "O my people! I am (now) free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah.

Pickthall And when he saw the sun uprising, he cried: This is my Lord! This is greater! And when it, set be exclaimed: O my people! Lo! I am free from all that ye associate (with Him).

Transliteration Falamma_ ra'asy syamsa ba_zigatan qa_la ha_za_ rabbi ha_za_ akbar(u), falamma_ afalat qa_la ya_ qaumi inni bari'um mimma_ tusyrika_n(a).

6: 79

Asad Behold, unto Him who brought into being the heavens and the earth have I turned my face, having turned away from all that is false; and I am not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.”

Yusuf Ali "For me I have set my face firmly and truly toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah."

Pickthall Lo! I have turned my face toward him Who created the heavens and the earth, as one by nature upright, and I am not of the idolaters.

Transliteration Inni wajjahtu wajhiya lillazi fataras sama_wa_ti wal arda hanifaw wa ma_ ana minal musyrikin(a).

6: 80

Asad 80Abrahams argument with the non believers...... “............All things does my Sustainer embrace within His knwoledge.....”

Yusuf Ali His people disputed with him. He said: "(come) ye to dispute with me about Allah when He (Himself) hath guided me? I fear not (the beings) ye associate with Allah: unless my Lord willeth (nothing can happen). My Lord comprehendeth in His knowledge all things: will ye not (yourselves) be admonished?

Pickthall His people argued with him. He said: Dispute ye with me concerning Allah when He hath guided me? I fear not at a]] that which ye set beside Him unless my Lord willeth. My Lord includeth all things in His knowledge: Will ye not then remember?

Transliteration Wa ha_jjahu_ qaumuh(u_), qa_la atuha_jju_nni filla_hi wa qad hada_n(i), wa la_ akha_fu ma_ tusyriku_na bihi illa_ ay yasya_'a rabbi syai'a_(n), wasi'a rabbi kulla syai'in'ilma_(n), afala_tatazakkaru_n(a).