Lesson 2 of 6 · Two things that look identical from outside

If it behaves like a question, this is the wrong course

We mean that. A genuine question deserves a genuine answer, from somebody who knows the material, and treating it as a symptom would be doing to you exactly what this platform refuses to do everywhere else. The tradition does not fear thinking, and the Qur'an itself has Ibrahim reasoning his way through the star, the moon and the sun. Read all three ayat of that sequence, including the middle one, where the possibility of going astray is named out loud by Ibrahim and the passage carries on to its conclusion anyway.

Qur’an and Sunnah

Reflection is praised here rather than warned against, which is why a genuine question is not treated as a symptom on this platform.

إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتࣲ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of night and day, for those with understanding

Qur’an 3:190

The reflecting is described as what those people do. A genuine question is not a symptom, and it will not be treated as one here.

ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمࣰ ا وَقُعُودࣰ ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلࣰ ا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

who remember God standing, sitting, and lying down, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and earth: ‘Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose- You are far above that!- so protect us from the torment of the Fire

Qur’an 3:191

The Qur'an itself has Ibrahim reasoning his way through the star, the moon and the sun. This is where that sequence starts.

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلَّيۡلُ رَءَا كَوۡكَبࣰ اۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّيۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلۡأٓفِلِينَ

When the night grew dark over him he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord,’ but when it set, he said, ‘I do not like things that set.’

Qur’an 6:76

The middle one, and it is worth reading. The possibility of going astray is named out loud by Ibrahim, and the passage carries on to its conclusion anyway.

فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡقَمَرَ بَازِغࣰ ا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّيۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمۡ يَهۡدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

And when he saw the moon rising he said, ‘This is my Lord,’ but when it too set, he said, ‘If my Lord does not guide me, I shall be one of those who go astray.’

Qur’an 6:77

That is where the sequence ends, and the three are shown because the point is the whole reasoning rather than only its conclusion.

فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمۡسَ بَازِغَةࣰ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَآ أَكۡبَرُۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتۡ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّي بَرِيٓءࣱ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ

Then he saw the sun rising and cried, ‘This is my Lord! This is greater.’ But when the sun set, he said, ‘My people, I disown all that you worship beside God

Qur’an 6:78

Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur'an, Oxford University Press, 2004.