Overview (Verses 74 - 79)

An Instinctive Rejection of Idolatry
 
Thus Abraham said to his father Azar: “Do you take idols for gods? I see that you and your people have obviously gone astray.” Thus did we give Abraham an insight into [God’s] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth; so that he may become a firm believer. When the night drew its shadow over him, he saw a star; and he exclaimed: “This is my Lord!” But when it set, he said: “I do not love things that set.” Then when he beheld the rising moon, he said: “This is my Lord!” But when it set, he said: ‘If my Lord does not guide me, I will most certainly be one of those who go astray.” Then when he beheld the sun rising, he said: “This is my Lord! This is the greatest of all!” But when it also set, he said: “My people, I disown all that you associate with God. I have turned my face with pure and complete devotion to Him who brought the heavens and the earth into being. I am not one of those who associate partners with God.” (Verses 74-79)
 
This is a splendid scene which the sūrah uses to portray healthy human nature initially rejecting all ignorant concepts of idolatry. To undistorted nature, idolatry is no more than an unfounded and totally unacceptable superstition. Rejecting it without hesitation, human nature begins to seek its true Lord with vigorous activity.
 
It has an innate feeling of the Lord, although it has no well-formulated concept of Him. Hence, it looks up to anything that presents itself as a possible manifestation of God. Soon it discovers that such an object cannot be the true Lord. It does not correspond to what is deeply implanted within human nature of the reality and nature of God and His attributes.
 
It then experiences the truth revealing itself and shining within. This gives man his greatest joy. He declares his unshakeable belief as he realizes the complete and total correspondence between his innate picture of the Lord and the reality he has consciously discovered. All this is shown in the splendid scene of Abraham and his search for his Lord. In a few short verses, the great experience of Abraham is outlined. As faith establishes its firm roots within him, he declares his belief, fearing no opposition or objection. He is not prepared to make any compromise with his father, family, clan or nation. Every believer must, then, adopt the same attitude as Abraham who faced up to his father and his people with undeniable firmness: “Thus Abraham said to his father Azar: ‘Do you take idols for gods? I see that you and your people have obviously gone astray.’“ (Verse 74)
 
This is the instinctive argument of nature voiced by Abraham who had not yet consciously recognized his true Lord. When human nature is free of deviation and perversion, it simply cannot accept that those idols worshipped by Abraham’s people were gods. It should be remembered here that the ancient Chaldeans, who lived in Iraq at that time, used to worship idols as well as the stars and planets. To Abraham, the deity to be worshipped, to whom people turn for help in all situations, and who has created all living things, cannot be an idol made of stone or wood. It is obvious that those idols cannot create, listen, respond or provide sustenance. Hence, they are not worth worshipping. Indeed, they cannot be considered as deities even if they are given the limited role of being intermediaries between the Lord of the universe and human beings. Such a set-up and practices are, then, all erroneous. Abraham (peace be upon him) recognized this instinctively at the first instant. Indeed, he provides a complete example of human nature as created by God: pure, and free of perversion. It confronts error and deviation with clarity and decisiveness, stating the whole truth, since the matter is one of faith: “Do you take idols for gods? I see that you and your people have obviously gone astray.” (Verse 74)
 
Abraham, the best natured of all people, forbearing, tolerant and fine-mannered, as we gather from his frequent descriptions in the Qur’ān, makes a clear and strong declaration to his father. It would have been expected that his attitude towards his father would be rather different but the question here is one of faith. This supersedes all ties of parenthood and the duties of a son towards his father. It simply overrules the dictates of parenthood and generosity. We should not forget that Abraham is the example that God orders Muslims to follow. This story is related here in the Qur’ān so that it should be followed by Muslims for all generations to come.
 
As he demonstrated such a fine, pure nature dedicated to the truth, Abraham deserved that God reveal to him some of the secrets of the universe and some of the pointers to the truth that He has placed everywhere around us. “Thus did we give Abraham an insight into [God’s] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth; so that he may become a firm believer.” (Verse 75)

Nature’s Way to the Truth
 
When Abraham demonstrated that he was not prepared to pervert his nature or becloud his vision, and that he was determined to reject falsehood and follow the truth, God showed him some aspects of the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He let him into some of the secrets of the universe, so that he could reflect on some of the great signs of the truth with which the world around us abounds. Thus, he would be able to make the correct linkage between his pure nature and the pointers to the right faith and guidance. This would then enable him to move from the stage of rejecting falsehood to the stage of conscious recognition of God, the true Lord.
 
This is indeed the proper line to be followed by human nature. It should demonstrate a consciousness unaffected by false ideas and an open mind which studies the miraculous working of God’s power. Such contemplation is certain to benefit by the lessons of what God has created in the universe and receive proper guidance from God as a result.
 
Let us follow this very interesting journey with Abraham’s pure nature. Easy and comfortable as it may appear, it is certainly a tough and demanding journey starting from the point of instinctive belief and ending with a conscious acceptance of faith. It is the sort of faith that initiates action, defining a task to fulfil and a law to implement. God does not abandon human beings or require them to achieve that degree of faith using their reason alone. He shows it to them, clearly outlined in the messages with which He sends His messengers. Thus, He makes the message, not human nature or intellect, the basis of their accountability and the determinant of their destiny. In this, His perfect knowledge of human nature works in conjunction with His justice and His grace.
 
We should remember that Abraham was God’s chosen friend, the father of the nation that includes all people who surrender themselves totally to God Almighty.
 
“When the night drew its shadow over him, he saw a star; and he exclaimed: ‘This is my Lord.” But when it set, he said: ‘I do not love things that set.’” (Verse 76) The sūrah portrays here an image of Abraham as he begins to have serious doubts and then rejects the idols worshipped by his community. He was fully preoccupied with the question of faith. As we read the Qur’ānic expression, `When the night drew its shadow over him’, we see the whole image rising before our eyes. It is as if the night covers Abraham alone, isolating him from all other beings, so that he remains alone with his thoughts and the issue that preoccupies him: “When the night drew its shadow over him, he saw a star; and he exclaimed: ‘This is my Lord.” (Verse 76)
 
As we have already said, his people worshipped the stars and planets as well as idols. As he despaired of recognizing his true Lord among those idols, he might have hoped to find Him among the other things which his people worshipped. He was certainly aware of the sort of beliefs his people entertained particularly the worship of stars. Nor was this the first time he saw a star. On this night, however, the star spoke to him in an entirely new fashion. The inspiration of the star was in line with Abraham’s preoccupations: “He said: ‘This is my Lord“. Its shining light and its elevation made the star more plausible to be the Lord than the idols worshipped on the ground. But he soon realized the error in his thinking: “But when it set, he said: I do not love things that set.’“ (Verse 76) The star, then, sets and can no longer be seen by ordinary creatures. Who, then, will take care of all these creatures when it sets?
 
Certainly the star cannot be the Lord, because the Lord is always present. This is the simple logic of nature. It cares nothing for theoretical hypotheses or questions of logic. It is simple and decisive. It expresses the instinctive, natural reaction: “I do not love things that set.” (Verse 76) The relationship that exists between nature and the Lord is one of love, and Abraham’s nature has no love for things that set. The deity that nature loves does not set at any time.
 
“Then when he beheld the rising moon, he said: ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said: ‘If my Lord does not guide me, I will most certainly be one of those who go astray.’“ (Verse 77) This is a very similar experience, as if Abraham has never seen the moon before, and does not know that his people worshipped the moon. To him on that particular night, it was something new: “He said: ‘This is my Lord.’“ Its light spreads all over the place: it is a beautiful light singling it out in the sky. Nevertheless, it sets, while the Lord, as Abraham knows Him instinctively through his unadulterated nature, does not set.
 
At this moment, Abraham realizes that he needs help from his true Lord, the existence of whom he feels in the depths of his soul. He loves his Lord although he has not yet recognized Him in his consciousness. Therefore, he feels he will remain astray unless his Lord helps him with His guidance and shows him the way. Hence, when he sees the moon setting, he says: “If my Lord does not guide me, I will most certainly be one of those who go astray.” (Verse 77)

This is Abraham’s third experience with stars, and it is with the sun, the largest, brightest and hottest of visible stars. The sun rises and sets every day, but now it appears to Abraham as something brand new. He is searching for the Lord whom he can recognize with certainty and who can give him reassurance. After his long search, he feels that now he can make a decision: “This is my Lord! This is the greatest of all!” (Verse 78) But the sun also sets.
 
At this moment, everything becomes clear. Contact is made between pure nature and God, the true Lord. Light shines within his searching heart and spreads over the visible world and over man’s reason and consciousness. At this moment, Abraham finds his true Lord and realizes that there is complete identity between what he feels deep in his heart and his new, clear concept. He realizes that his Lord is not a bright planet, a rising moon or a shining sun. He is not one to be seen with the human eye or felt with other physical senses. He is the one recognized by man’s heart, nature, reason and consciousness all alike. He is the one seen everywhere in the universe, the creator of everything eyes behold, senses feel and intellects recognize.
 
At this point Abraham realizes that there can be no meeting point between him and his people while they continue to worship their false deities. With complete clarity, he dissociates himself from all that they worship and from their methods and philosophies. It should be remembered that they were not atheists who denied God completely, but were rather used to associating those false deities as partners with God. Abraham, on the other hand, turned to God alone. Thus, when the sun set, he said: “My people, I disown all that you associate with God. I have turned my face with pure and complete devotion to Him who brought the heavens and the earth into being. I am not one of those who associate partners with God.” (Verses 78-79)
 
This is a firm and decisive decision taken by Abraham who now turns with complete devotion to God, entertaining no hesitation or doubt. How can he do otherwise, when the identity is complete between what he feels deep in his heart and the conclusions he has arrived at after such a long and meaningful search?