'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying - exalted and glorified is He -: "So when the night covered him, he saw a star. He said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said, 'I do not love those that set.'" "So when he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me, I will surely be among the people gone astray.'" The 'so' in His saying, 'So when,' connects the sentence that follows with that which precedes it. It indicates that what is meant by the dominion is this detail found in this verse. 'The night covered him' means it concealed and enveloped him with its darkness. It is said: 'Ajnna'; the first is more common. It resembles 'al-jinn,' 'al-mijann,' 'al-jannah,' and 'al-janan' - which is the grave - derived from 'janna'; if it concealed. The wording of this story is likely to have occurred to him - peace be upon him - in his childhood; before he reached maturity, as Ibn Abbas stated. He said: He saw a star and worshiped it. Many people said: The incident occurred before reaching maturity and obligation. It is also possible that it occurred to him after he reached maturity and was obligated. Al-Tabari narrated this from a group, and they said: He inquired in a manner of seeking clarification, without an 'alif.' He said: This is like the poet's saying: 'They raised me and said, O Khuwailid, you have not been frightened. So I said, and I denied the faces: Are they them?' He means: 'Are they them?' And as another said: 'By your life, I do not know, and if I were to know, would it be Shu'ayth ibn Sahm or Shu'ayth ibn Minqar?' He means: 'Shu'ayth?' Abu Muhammad the judge - may Allah have mercy on him - said: The first verse is not a proof for me. It has been narrated that Nimrod, the tyrant of that time, saw his astrologers say that a child would be born in such a year; in his reign, the kingdom would be destroyed by him. So he began to follow the pregnant women and assigned guards to them. Whoever gave birth to a female was left alone; and whoever gave birth to a male was taken to the king and slaughtered. And that the mother of Ibrahim - peace be upon him - was pregnant - and she was a strong young woman - so she concealed her pregnancy. When her time of delivery approached, she sent Tarakh, the father of Ibrahim - peace be upon him - on a journey, and she devised a way for him to go. Then she went out to a cave and gave birth to Ibrahim - peace be upon him - in it. She left him in the cave, and she prepared for him. She would check on him and find him feeding by sucking his fingers, and honey would come out for him from it, and fat, and similar things. It has been narrated: Rather, an angel would feed him. It has been narrated: Rather, women whose sons had been slaughtered would bring him milk. Ibrahim - peace be upon him - grew up many times faster than others. Meanwhile, the king felt the birth of him and intensified his search for him. He remained in the cave for ten years, and it was said fifteen years. And that he looked out - when he first became aware - from the cave and saw the star, and the story of the verse unfolded.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: I have brought these stories with the utmost brevity in wording; and I aimed to fulfill the meanings that pertain to the verse; and it seems weak to me that this story occurred in the cave; due to his saying - blessings and peace be upon him - at the end of it: ﴿Indeed, I am innocent of what you associate﴾ [Al-An'am: 78]; and these are words that necessitate a debate; and a response to a people; and his situation in the cave is far from such a thing; unless it is interpreted that he - blessings and peace be upon him - said it to himself; meaning he said in himself the meaning of the phrase: ﴿He said, O my people, indeed I am innocent of what you associate﴾ [Al-An'am: 78]; and this is as the poet said:

Then he turned and said in contemplation ∗∗∗ ∗∗∗ Indeed, life today is in the whirl.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And with this, the address distances him; and if he had said: 'O my people, indeed I am innocent of polytheism'; this interpretation would be valid; and strong; for if we say that the story occurred to him in the cave; in a state of youth; and lack of obligation; as some of the interpreters have gone to; and the wording allows for it; then that divides into two aspects: either his saying: 'This is my Lord' is a firm declaration and belief; and this is false; because a firm declaration did not occur from the prophets - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them -; or it could be an allusion for consideration; and reasoning; as if he said: 'This radiant light is my Lord'; if that is supported by evidence; and Abraham - blessings and peace be upon him - will come as Allah - glorified and exalted is He - said to Muhammad - blessings and peace be upon him -: ﴿And He found you lost and guided﴾ [Ad-Duha: 7]; meaning: neglected in belief; and if we say that the story occurred to him during his disbelief; while he was obligated; then it is not permissible for him to say: 'This is my Lord'; firmly; nor as an allusion for consideration; because it is a state of ignorance; or doubt; and he - blessings and peace be upon him - is exalted; protected from all of that; so there remains only that he - blessings and peace be upon him - said it as a means of reproach to his people; and a rebuke to them; and establishing proof against them in the worship of idols; as if he said to them: 'Is this radiant one my Lord?'; or 'This is my Lord'; and he means: 'According to your claim'; as He - glorified and exalted is He - said: ﴿Where are My partners?﴾ [An-Nahl: 27]; for the meaning is: 'According to your claim'; then Abraham - blessings and peace be upon him - alluded to them; from its movement; and its setting; as a sign of the occurrence; and that it is not suitable to be a Lord; then in another greater than it; and more deserving likewise; then in the sun likewise; as if he is saying: 'So if it becomes clear in these lofty lights that they are not suitable for lordship; then your idols which are wood; and stone; are even more likely that this will be evident in them'; and I believe this interpretation is supported by his saying: ﴿Indeed, I am innocent of what you associate﴾ [Al-An'am: 78].

And he - peace be upon him - gave them an example with these matters because they were people of knowledge of the stars and observation of the heavens. All of this occurred in one night; that is, the planet - which is "Al-Zuhra"; according to the saying of Qatadah; and Al-Suddi said: it is "Al-Mushtri" - leaning towards the west. When it set, the moon rose; and this was its first rising. The night spread entirely; and when the sun rose, the light of the moon diminished before it due to the spreading of the morning; and its light became hidden; and it also approached its setting. This was called "Uful" due to its proximity to complete setting, by a figurative naming. Then the sun rose after that; and this arrangement is correct on the fifteenth night of the month; until the twentieth; and it does not occur in one night - as agreed upon by the scholars of tafsir - except in these nights; and with that figurative naming in the setting of the moon; and "Afala" in the speech of the Arabs means: "it disappeared"; it is said: "Where did you disappear from us, O so-and-so?"; and it is said to mean "went away".

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: This is merely a difference in expression; and Dhul-Rummah said:

"The lamps are not those which are led by stars nor by the setting ones."

And he said: "The setting ones"; he gathered with the 'ya' and 'noon' when he intended the masters; and similarly, the saying about the sun: "This is my Lord"; he mentioned the reference to it when he intended his Lord.

Ibn Kathir and Asim - in the narration of Hafs - read: "Ra'a" with the 'ra' opened and the hamzah; and Nafi' read between the opening and the breaking; and Asim - in the narration of Abu Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him - and Ibn Amer, and Hamzah, and Al-Kisai read with both broken.

And the saying of Him, the Exalted, "So when he saw the moon rising"; the verse: "The rising" in these lights is the first rising; and the saying has preceded regarding what the words of the verse call to; and the fact that this arrangement is in one night is from the figurative naming in the setting of the moon; for if we had estimated its setting as "its disappearance in the west"; that would have been after the rising of the sun; and all that we have said gives it consideration.

And "Yahdini": "He guides me"; and this word supports the saying of those who said: The descent is in the state of childhood; and the misguided people are the worshippers of created beings; like idols and others; and although misguidance is broader than this; this is the intended meaning in this context.