Allah Most High says in the holy Qur’ān: “When the night covered him over with darkness, he saw a star.” (Qur’ān 6:76)

Some suggest that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm witnessed a physical celestial body above, in the sky. However, had he seen a celestial object as we typically perceive planets at night, why would this event hold any significance for a prophet of God seeking the Truth? Nothing ordinary would have sparked such a realization, as Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm was not a naive child when he saw this star.

Imagine posing questions about the night sky to a seven-year-old. If asked what fills the heavens or what the white specks above are, they would naturally identify them as physical stars and the moon. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm was far from naive, and this encounter is not to be understood with our limited, physicalist perspective. He was not a mere child to mistakenly consider a celestial body as his deity. May Allah protect us from such misguidance. He was a devout monotheist, one of the steadfast prophets (ūlū al-ʿazm). He was inherently imbued with the spirit of monotheism, chosen by the divine. It is inappropriate to suggest that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm fell into disbelief or polytheism before eventually recognizing monotheism or converting to Islam.

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm was aligned with the Truth from birth, as prophets and messengers are divinely safeguarded from error. Being an infallible messenger of God, when the verse describes how he saw a star during that transformative night shrouded in darkness, it signifies his initiation into the divine Truths during spiritual seclusion, or khulwa. In this moment of solitude, under the cover of night, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm engaged in deep meditation, seeking the universe’s luminous core reality. It was during this introspective state that an inward, radiant divine star appeared to him alone. Captivated by the intensity of this manifestation, he momentarily declared: "This is my Lord." (Qur’ān 6:76)

This was a reaction unique to his personal experience, a declaration arising from an immediate, personal revelation. It was a step in his distinct spiritual journey. Only Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm had this encounter and this exclusive vision at that moment. This was a sight bestowed upon him alone.

In the vast expanse of the sky, planets are visible to all, and no one—not even a non-believer—would profess: 'This is my Lord.' However, when Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm encountered a radiant light during his khulwa, in the form of a star or a shining planet (kawkab durriyy), he momentarily exclaimed: “This is my Lord.” This, disciples, serves as a sign for those endowed with the capacity for reflection and spiritual taste.

Allah Most High continues: “But when it set, he said: ‘I like not those that set.’” (Qur’ān 6:76)

When this vision disappeared along with the kawkab durriyy, he desired nothing except the return to divine companionship, a presence that all cherish and none wish to lose. Thus, when the divine light receded and vanished from his view, he declared: “I like not those that set (lā uḥibbu al-āfilīn).”

If it were merely a planet in the sky, why would it set? Throughout the night, the planets remain visible until sunrise. Here, one understands from the specifics of this encounter and the disappearance of the planet that the manifestation and vision occurred through the light of īmān within Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s heart (qalb). Therefore, the kawkab durriyy appeared to testify to Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm about his level of closeness to the Divine. This is why he proclaimed: “This is my Lord,” and when it set, he declared: “I like not those that set.”

Allah Most High continues: “When he saw the moon rising up, he said: ‘This is my Lord!’” (Qur’ān 6:77)

The moon that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm encountered was the same shining planet. When approached closer through a dedicated heart, it transformed in appearance to resemble the moon. From afar, this luminous manifestation appeared as a distant star, a point of light in the vastness of the night sky. However, as it drew nearer, it took the form of a radiant, luminous disc, similar to the moon. In this moment of proximity and increased clarity, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm exclaimed once again: “This is my Lord (hādhā rabbī).” He recognized the divine disclosure carried through the manifestation of divine light.

Thus, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s spiritual journey is marked by successive moments of revelation: first, acknowledging the divine in the disclosure of the shining planet, and then, in the luminous proximity of the moon-like apparition.

As the moon set, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm professed: “Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among the people who went astray.” (Qur’ān 6:77)

This verse reveals his longing for the light to remain constant. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s quest is one of unbroken companionship with the divine light throughout every moment of the khulwa. This Qur’ānic story encapsulates the essence of the seeker’s journey, defined by a profound yearning to perpetually experience and realize the presence of al-Ḥaqq.

Allah Most High continues: “When he saw the sun rising up, he said: ‘This is my lord. This is greater!’” (Qur’ān 6:78)

This longing for the presence intensified further as this exemplification of the divine light drew nearer, filling Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s entire vision. It shone with the intensity of the sun during the day. Captivated by this majestic light, he once again recognized the Lord through this disclosure, saying: “This is my Lord. This is greater!”

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s declaration, "This is my Lord (hādhā rabbī)," mirrored the unfolding revelations within his heart, evolving from a planet to a moon, and finally to the sun. In truth, this declaration is a breeze emanating from the essence of pure monotheism—a concept far more familiar to him than to us—guiding his realizations. Thus, his words, "This is my Lord," reflect a subtle inner recognition and knowledge conveyed through spiritual disclosures and luminous manifestations.

Allah Most High continues: “But again when it set, he said: 'O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners [in worship with Allāh].’” (Qur’ān 6:78)

As this luminous vision faded, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s declaration was not simply a rejection of the worship of celestial bodies, such as planets and stars, but a complete renunciation of shirk (polytheism). This proclamation emerged from his inner recognition of God's absolute oneness—One, Unique, and without equal—gained through the experience of khulwa.

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s people practiced shirk by attributing divine qualities to celestial bodies and the heavenly mulk (physical realm). In contrast, as the verses indicate, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s vision unfolded within a different realm: the malakūt (spiritual or angelic realm) of the heavens and the earth. This spiritual experience enabled him to declare his complete dissociation from the practices of shirk, inwardly and outwardly. He, thus, affirmed: “Verily, I have turned my face towards Him who has originated the heavens and the earth—ḥanīfa (worshiping none but Allāh alone)—and I am not of al-mushrikīn (the polytheists).” (Qur’ān 6:79)

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm made a subtle distinction in this declaration, using the word “originated” (faṭara) rather than “created” (khalaqa) to describe God's action upon the heavens and the earth. This choice of words reveals more than it might initially suggest. While khalaqa implies bringing forth from existing things, essentially an act of transformation, faṭara refers to divine initiation—bringing the heavens and the earth into being (wujūd) from non-existence. The usage of the latter reflects a recognition of the secret behind the unparalleled Lordly power (qudra).

In this moment of profound reflection, it is as if Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm addresses his people with clarity and resolve, saying: "O my people, I renounce all that you equate with God. My devotion is fully directed towards the One who originated the heavens and the earth from nothingness (ʿadam), steadfast in my recognition of the Truth and disassociated from any form of idolatry." Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s declaration in the Qur’ān marks indeed his deep realization of the core reality behind the creation of the universe. In this khulwa, as with later Muslim knowers, he realized the Truth behind the miraculous emergence of the heavens and the earth.