The Seeker of Light: Contemplating the Logic of Heaven with Prophet Ibrahim

In the midst of the darkness of a civilization that worshiped stones and statues, a seeker of truth was born whose name will be remembered until the end of time. He is Ibrahim, a young man with a burning instinct of monotheism, which Allah Himself calls him Hanif-tends to the truth of nature.

Before becoming Khalilullah (beloved of Allah), before his powerful miracle with fire that does not burn, Abraham went through a phase that was both very human and sublime: the phase of searching for God. And Allah immortalized this phase in the Qur'an as a masterpiece of heavenly logic that shook the earth.

This story begins with anxiety. Abraham was born and raised in a Babylonian society that worshiped the stars, moon, sun and idols. His own father, Azar, was the sculptor of their idols. However, young Ibrahim's heart was never calm. There is a throbbing question that keeps nagging: “"Who really is worthy of worship? Is there a true god?"” God allows us to witness this extraordinary process of spiritual seeking in Surah Al-An'am verse 76 until 79.

It started when night crept slowly, covering the earth with darkness. In the thick silence, Ibrahim looked up to the sky. There, the stars are scattered brightly. His eyes fell on a very bright star. Then he said:

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ الَّيْلُ رَاٰ كَوْكَبًا ۗقَالَ هٰذَا God willing

“"When the night had become dark, he (Ibrahim) saw a star (then) he said, 'This is my Lord.' So, when the star set he said, 'I do not like that which sets.'‘

Tafsir scholars, including Imam Ibnu Kathir in his tafsir mu'tabar, explains that Ibrahim's words “This is my God” is not a true statement of faith. It is part of the method of dialogue and learning. The previous verse (75) states: “"And thus We showed Abraham the signs of (Our glory) in the heavens and the earth, and (We showed them) so that Abraham would be among those who believe.".

This means that God Himself guided Abraham's search. This statement could be interpreted as a rhetorical question or a subtle dig at his people for their worship of celestial objects. In Ibn Abbas's commentary, as narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim, Abraham is encouraging his people to think: how could the god they worship be something that sinks and disappears? This argument is perfectly logical: something that is impermanent, that can sink and disappear, is not worthy of being called God. .

Ibrahim then continued to observe. The full moon appeared with its soft light but illuminated the earth. Again he shouted:

فَلَمَّا رَاَ الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هٰذَا رَبِّيْ ۚفَلَمَّآ اَفَلَ قَالَ لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ يَهْدِنِيْ رَبِّيْ لَاَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ God willing

“"Then, when he saw the moon rising he said, 'This is my Lord.' However, when the moon set he said, 'Indeed, if my Lord had not guided me, I would have been one of the misguided people.'‘

Look at the progression of his logic! When the star set, Abraham simply said, "I dislike those that set." But when the larger and brighter moon also set, he realized that without God's guidance, humans could truly be lost in confusion. Herein lies Abraham's uniqueness: he never rested on mere admiration, but continued to analyze and draw conclusions.

The peak occurred in the morning. The sun rose majestically, far larger and brighter than the moon or stars. Here's the final observation:

فَلَمَّا رَاَ الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هٰذَا رَبِّيْ هٰذَآ God willing مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُوْنَ

“"Then, when he saw the sun rising he said, 'This is my God. This is greater.' However, when the sun set he said, 'O my people, indeed I disassociate myself from what you associate with me.'‘

Say bari'un (let go) indicates a final decision. Ibrahim no longer says "maybe" or "if only". He had come to a firm conclusion: all these celestial bodies were merely creatures subject to the laws of nature-they rose and fell, they had no power over themselves. They are not worthy of worship. So who is worthy?

The answer is in the next verse:

God bless you وَالْاَرْضَ حَنِيْفًا وَّمَآ اَنَا۠ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ

“"Indeed, I turn my face to (Allah) who created the heavens and the earth with full submission (following) the true religion, and I am not one of the polytheists."”

In Tafsir Jalalain by Imam Jalaluddin Al-Mahalli and Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuthi, sentence fatharas samawati wal ard (who created the heavens and the earth) became the core monotheism Ibrahim. The God he seeks is not created things, but the Creator of all those things. Here's the highlight of the search: monotheism of the uluhiyah built on a foundation monotheism of the Rububiyah.

Scholars differ on whether this incident occurred when Abraham was a child or an adult, and whether he truly believed in the star as God or simply as a means of propagation. However, what matters most is the lesson we can learn. This story teaches that seeking God is a noble and very human process. God was not angry when Abraham asked and sought. Instead, He praised him and immortalized this process in the holy book.

There are several lessons that we can reflect on as lessons from the spiritual journey of Prophet Ibrahim above:

Wisdom First, Abraham's quest teaches that reason is a gift from God that must be used to discover the truth. Religion should not be merely a matter of following the crowd. (taqlid) without understanding. The Abrahamics answered when asked about their idols: “We found our ancestors worshiping him” (QS. Al-Anbiya': 53). Ibrahim rejected this blind inherited logic. He used his reason to observe nature, think critically, and draw conclusions.

Wisdom second, This story teaches that the true God cannot be limited by space and time. The stars, moon, and sun are all bound by natural laws. They rise and set. The God worthy of worship is the One who controls their rising and setting. This is what Abraham later conveyed in his debate with King Nimrod, when he said:

فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَأْتِيْ بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing

“"Indeed, Allah raises the sun from the east, so it rises from the west." So the person who disbelieves is confused."” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 258)

Wisdom third, Abraham's search demonstrated that finding God was not merely a feat of reason, but rather a guidance from God. At the conclusion of his observations, Abraham said: “"If my Lord had not guided me, I would have been one of those who went astray."” This is an acknowledgment that human reason has limitations. Reason can lead to the conclusion that the universe needs a Creator, but to understand who that Creator is and how to worship Him, humans need direct guidance from Him. .

Ibrahim's story is not a fairy tale from the past. This is a mirror for all of us. In this modern era, humans may no longer worship stars or the sun literally. But look, aren't we often trapped in veiled worship? Some worship wealth, position, popularity, even their own desires. Whenever we make something our ultimate goal, something we love and fear more than Allah, that's where modern polytheism lies.

Abraham's process teaches that the true God never sinks, never changes, never weakens. He is always there, always eternal, always listening. When all these worldly "gods"—wealth, thrones, human love—will eventually set like stars on the western horizon, only God remains standing in His eternity. And when the sun sets, when the glitter of the world fades, when all that we have relied on in this life one by one "sinks" away from us, only one question remains: to whom will we turn?

Ibrahim answered firmly: I turn my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth. So, let's bow our faces, turn our hearts, and dedicate our whole life to Him alone. He is the one who never drowns. He is the one who is always there. Laa ilaaha illallah.

And Allah knows best