فلما راى الشمس بازغة قال هذا ربي هذا اكبر فلما افلت قال يا قوم اني بريء مما تشركون

فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى هَـٰذَآ أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

How can anyone observe Allah's creation facing down? That would be as if he were blind. How can faith enter the heart of a man who isn't looking up and around, awe struck by what he sees?

Ibrahim (as) exemplified that looking at and observing Allah's creation is part of the process of building iman. The Straight Path rejects heedlessness. It requires us to use our faculties to observe and ponder upon that which Allah has created above us, around us and within ourselves.

We live in a society where people often follow the majority's opinion, driven by a herd mentality that prioritizes conformity over individual success. This mindset can sometimes lead to failure, but it’s failure that's widely accepted. We prioritize fashion over comfort, degrees over true education, luxuries over contentment, and party culture over inner peace. Saying 'no' to these norms often results in being labeled as introverted, outdated, boring, or even selfish for making the right choices.

Since childhood, I’ve been given many labels whenever I tried to explain my reasons for choosing a different path. For instance, when I chose to focus on Quranic education over my career for a while, people called me foolish. As I continued to make choices in line with my beliefs, like practicing hijab more comprehensively and avoiding free mixing, the labels shifted to 'conservative.' Friends, family, and even relatives began isolating me, suggesting that I either revert to my old ways or risk being excluded from their circle. Their defensiveness, I believe, stems from an unconscious discomfort with their own choices.

That isolation eventually leads to solitude, allowing for deeper self-awareness and understanding of your 'whys' and priorities, free from the weight of peer pressure. In this space, you begin to build a profound connection with Allah. It mirrors the experience of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the cave of Hira,

In the third hadith found in Imam Bukhari’s Sahih we find the following narration from Aiesha (Allah be pleased with her): 'The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Messenger was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family.'

Sahih bukhari6982 

Hazrat Ibrahim’s (AS) journey when he searched for the truth, as described in the Quran—observing the star, moon, and sun in his quest for the Creator. 
Allah mentions in surah al Anaam 

When the night grew dark upon him, he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord!' But when it set, he said, 'I do not love things that set.Then when he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This one is my Lord!' But when it disappeared, he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me, I will certainly be one of the misguided people.'
Then when he saw the sun shining, he said, 'This must be my Lord—it is the greatest!' But again when it set, he declared, 'O my people! I totally reject whatever you associate ˹with Allah in worship˺.
I have turned my face towards the One Who has originated the heavens and the earth—being upright—and I am not one of the polytheists.'

Al Anaam 76-79

Similarly, through isolation, we begin to examine our own desires and whims, which have become false 'gods' in our lives, and gradually dismantle these distractions to truly submit to Allah. This isolation is a tremendous blessing, leading to an awakened awareness of Allah's presence.

I could relate a lot. Islam began as strange & will go back to it, Glad tidings to the Strangers 💔❤️

The verses mentioned here depict the evolution of Prophet Ibrahim (AS)'s journey towards becoming a true monotheist. It beautifully illustrates the process of reflection and observation that led him away from idol worship. It made me ponder if there is a similar evolution in the modern world. Do we have something or someone whom we align ourselves with - our guiding stars, the people we worship and consider our Gods ? The celebrities, the stars of pop culture, the politicians, or sportspersons. Can we acknowledge that these individuals are fleeting in their fame and influence and it is not part of the human code to keep idolizing and liking something that is temporary in nature. Can it serve as a reminder to those 'stars' who play God, that the adoration from their fans and worshippers will only last until their downfall?

Yet, the fans and worshippers quickly move on to the next best thing, seeking a new entity to worship. It could be someone closer to home, perhaps the boss at work, the client who brings the most business. We align ourselves with these new figures, hoping for their support, guidance and expecting continued sustenance from them only to realize that it is not going to be so. While the complete understanding of the one true God may not be fully realized at this stage, there is an inner voice that acknowledges the need for guidance from beyond what we can see, perceive, and idolize.

However, as soon as we encounter and see a possibility of aligning with the brightest of things, symbolized by the sun, that inner voice weakens a bit, and we return to idolizing this new 'superpower'. This new idol is larger, brighter, closer , more dominant and seems like the greatest of them all . Perhaps it represents the rise in worldly power and dominance, where it seems like the good days will never end. As a side note, It reminds me of the slogan of the British colonialists -'the sun will never set on the British Empire.' Yet, as history has shown, even the mightiest empires eventually fall.

It is only when we realize that something seemingly so dominant and bright, eventually does set, that it dawns upon us the futility of aligning ourselves with temporary entities. We come to recognize that all things created will eventually fall or set, and true help can only come from something eternal, unchanging, and the creator of all things. In the final verse, Ibrahim (AS) manages to free himself from the shackles of this duniya only when he undergoes a paradigm shift, completely diverging from what the world around him deemed acceptable. While others aligned themselves with the trending heavenly bodies of the day, moving from one falling star to another, Ibrahim (AS) embraced a better paradigm. He understood that a superior approach is to align oneself with the creator of all these stars—an eternal entity. 

 May Allah lead us away from the worship of idols, false prophets, transient ideologies, and the allure of pop culture celebrities. May He guide us towards the path of true monotheism, just as He has guided those who came before us.

Assalamu Alaikum,


Thank you for your insightful reflection on the verses and for drawing parallels to the modern world. It is indeed a thought-provoking observation about the tendency of humans to align themselves with temporary entities and idolize them.


As you mentioned, whether it be celebrities, politicians, or even worldly success, we often place our trust and adoration in fleeting things that ultimately disappoint and fade away. It is a reminder that our ultimate allegiance should be to Allah, the Creator of all things, who is eternal and unchanging.


The example of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of aligning ourselves with the eternal and recognizing the futility of idolizing temporary entities. It is through this paradigm shift that true monotheism is realized and the shackles of this worldly attachment are broken.


May Allah guide us away from idol worship and false ideologies, and lead us towards true monotheism and reliance on Him alone. May He grant us the wisdom to recognize the transience of worldly things and the strength to align ourselves with the eternal.


JazakAllah Khair for sharing your reflections and being a part of our QuranReflect community. May Allah bless you with continued guidance and understanding.

This wonderful journey of a great human being is really touching. We may experience bits and pieces in our journey back to Allah even as Muslims, however, you want to develop a deeper relationship with these ayat then perhaps ask someone who lived through an identical experience from misguidance to guidance, ask a convert.

Alhamdulellah there are tons of videos online of converts telling their amazing stories but nothing matches talking to an actual convert and feeling their plight and perhaps the continued struggle with parents and family.

Talking to a convert and hearing their plight is much needed support by itself, and perhaps a genuine relationship is born outside the buzz of convert stories that usually end with very little support.

Converts to many immigrants and born muslims are like Ansar (supporters) to the Muhajereen (immigrants), they’re crucial to our success as a community, and a litmus test for our faith, sincerity, steadfastness, and commitment to the deen

Renungan: Al-An'aam 6:78