Chapter 6 of the Quran (51) Abraham’s Religion – A

Abraham’s people said to him: you do not worship our gods, then what you worship? He said: “Verily I worship Him who originated the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the upright religion, and I am not of those that associate others with Him.” It should be emphasized that all of these facts about Abraham were not found in any book on the earth save the Quran.

 

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In the previous articles, Abraham’s people were different in their belief; some of them were idolators (his father was one of them) and the others were astrologers; they were classified into groups, some were planets’ worshippers, others were moon’s worshippers or sun and stars’ worshippers.

Abraham told his father and his griupof indlators that worshipping idols is but unreasonable because idols were not by any means our supreme Creator.

 

Abraham desired to show up his astrologers’ people that they were wrong in their belief.

Abraham gave them two incidental lessons to showm them that they have mistaken believe in in the supreme Creator who has created the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets etc.

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The first Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were planets’ worshippers and used to worship Venus.

The second Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the moon’s worshippers.

The third Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the Sun’s worshippers.

 

Abraham idea was that all of these false gods were but creatures created by the Surpreme Almiighty Creator and they appear and disappear according to the exact system put by their Creator.

Abraham expressed this fact for the Venus worshippers by::

When night descended and darkened, upon him he beheld the planet Venus and said to his people, who were astrologers: ‘This is my Lord’, as you [were wont to] claim. But when it set, and disappewered, he said: “I do not love to take as lord that which set and disappewered because it is not possible for a true Lord to be transformed or to change place and disappear; I do not love a lord that is not lasting”

 

Abraham expressed this fact to the Moon worshippers by:

“When he saw the moon uprising, he exclaimed: This is my Lord. This is bigger than Venus. But when it set, he said: I do not love to take as lord that which set and disappewered; I do not love a lord that is not lasting; o people, unless my Lord guide me and makes me firm on”

 

Abraham expressed this fact to the Sun worshippers by:

And when he saw the sun uprising filling everything with its light, Abraham said: This is my Lord! Could this be my Lord? This is greater! And when the sun set and disappewered, Abraham said: I do not love a lord who is not lasting. If my Lord does not guide me, I shall be of those who err.

 

That is why Allah made Abraham ascend to heaven to see the earth, the moon, the planets, the sun and the stars. This miraculous trip in the space was done to reward Abraham and to show him how Great and Almighty Allah is.

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On the other hand , Abraham’s people said to him: you do not worship our gods, then what you worship?

In Ayah 6:79, Abraham answered them

Verily I worship Him who originated the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the upright religion, and I am not of those that associate others with Him.

It should be emphasized that all of these facts about Abraham were not found in any book on the earth save the Quran.

 

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The verse 6:79 in different translations

 

QARIB:

I have turned my face to him who has created the heavens and the earth, uprightly, and I am not among the idolaters.’

 

SHAKIR:

Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to him who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists

 

PICKTHAL:

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.

 

YUSUFALI:

“For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.”

Chapter 6 of the Quran (50) Abraham and the Sun

When the sun has disappeared, Abraham said, ‘O my people, Verily, I am blameless of what you associate, with my Creator, in the way of idols and accidental bodies like moon and sun, which require an originator. Then his people asked him, ‘and what do you worship?’

 

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Abraham’s people were different in respect to their faith; some of them were astrologers; and they were classified into groups, some were planets’ worshippers, others were moon’s worshippers or sun and /or stars’ worshippers.

Abraham desired to show up his astrologers’ people that they were wrong in their belief.

Abraham gave them two indirect lessons to showm them that they have mistaken believe in God.

The first Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were planets’ worshippers.

The second Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the moon’s worshippers.

However, many of Abraham people belonged to the astrologers who were the Sun’s worshippers. Abraham went to them.

 

Ayah 6:78 narrates the third indirect teaching of Abraham

 

And when he saw the sun uprising filling everything with its light, Abraham said: This is my Lord! Could this be my Lord? This is greater! This is bigger than the first (Venus) and the second (the moon).

And when the sun set and disappewered, Abraham said: I do not love a lord who is not lasting. If my Lord does not guide me, I shall be of those who err.

It is also said that Abraham said ‘this is my Lord’ mocking his people, for his people worshipped the sun, the moon and Venus. He therefore objected to such worship by mocking them, saying to them: could the like of these be a Lord?

It is said that when he emerged from the hole (this is another story of Abraham’s times past) and went to his people, he was then 17 years old. He looked at the sky and the earth and then said: my Lord is Him Who has created this. He then proceeded until he found a group of his people attending with devotion to their idols.  He exclaimed: O my people! Lo! I am free from all that you associate with Him of idols.

 

Abraham said, ‘O my people, surely I am innocent of what you associate, with God, in the way of idols and accidental bodies, which require an originator. They then asked him, ‘What do you worship?’ (See the next article).

 

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The verses 6:76-77 in different translations

 

QARIB:

Then, when he saw the sun rise, shining, he said: ‘this must be my lord, it is larger. ‘But when it set, he said: ‘o nation I am quit of what you associate (with Allah, the creator),

 

SHAKIR:

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)

 

PICKTHAL:

And when he saw the sun uprising, he cried: this is my lord! This is greater! And when it set he exclaimed: o my people! Lo! I am free from all that ye associate (with him).

 

YUSUFALI:

When he saw the sun rising in splendour, he said: “this is my lord; this is the greatest (of all).” but when the sun set, he said: “o my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to Allah.

Chapter 6 of the Quran (49) Abraham and the Moon

Abraham’s people were different in respect to their faith. Some of them were astrologers; they were classified into groups, some were planets’ worshippers, others were moon’s worshippers or sun and stars’ worshippers. Abraham wanted to show up his astrologers’ people that they were wrong in their belief.

 

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It should be emphasized that Abraham’s people were different in respect to their faith; some of them worshipped idols.

Some of them were astrologers; they were classified into groups, some were planets’ worshippers, others were moon’s worshippers or sun and stars’ worshippers.

Abraham wanted to show up his astrologers’ people that they were wrong in their belief.

 

Ayah 6:76 narrates the first indirect teaching of Abraham

When night descended and darkened, upon him he beheld the planet Venus and said to his people, who were astrologers: ‘This is my Lord’, as you [were wont to] claim. But when it set, and disappewered, he said: “I do not love to take as lord that which set and disappewered because it is not possible for a true Lord to be transformed or to change place and disappear; I do not love a lord that is not lasting”

The whole of this speech is a form of allusion for the benefit of his people when their hearts were in a state of bewilderment; it is a form of indirect teaching that they were wrong but this had no effect on them. This was the first Abraham’s indirect teaching to the group of his astrologers’ people who were planets’ worshippers.

 

Ayah 6:77 narrates the second indirect teaching of Abraham

Then Abraham went to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the moon’s worshippers.

And when he saw the moon uprising, he exclaimed: This is my Lord. This is bigger than Venus. But when it set, he said: I do not love to take as lord that which set and disappewered; I do not love a lord that is not lasting; o people, unless my Lord guide me and makes me firm on guidance, I surely shall become one of the folk who were astray from knowing the True faith. This was intimation to his people who were astray, but still this had no effect on them.

This was the second Abraham’s indirect teaching to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the moon’s worshippers.

 

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The verses 6:76-77 in different translations

 

QARIB:

76) When night drew over him, he saw a planet. ‘This, ‘ he said: ‘is surely my lord. ‘But when it set he said: ‘i do not like the setting ones. ‘

77) When he saw the rising moon, he said: ‘this is my lord. ‘But when it set, he said: ‘if my lord does not guide me, i shall surely be amongst the astray nation. ‘

 

SHAKIR:

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

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

 

PICKTHAL:

76) 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.

77) And when he saw the moon uprising, he exclaimed: this is my lord. but when it set, he said: unless my lord guide me, i surely shall become one of the folk who were astray.

 

YUSUFALI:

76) 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.”

77) When he saw the moon rising in splendour, 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.”