قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَٰبٌۭ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Say, ‘Shall we invoke besides Allah that which can neither benefit us nor harm us, and turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like someone seduced by the devils and bewildered on the earth, who has companions that invite him to guidance, [saying,] ‘‘Come to us!’’?’ Say, ‘Indeed it is the guidance of Allah which is [true] guidance. And we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds,
وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
and that ‘‘Maintain the prayer and be wary of Him, and it is He toward whom you will be gathered.’’ ’
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
It is He who created the heavens and the earth with reason, and the day He says [to something], ‘Be!’ it is. His word is the truth, and to Him belongs all sovereignty on the day when the Trumpet will be blown. Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, He is the All-wise, the All-aware.
۞ وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا ءَالِهَةً ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
When Abraham said to Azar, his father, ‘Do you take idols for gods? Indeed I see you and your people in manifest error.’
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُوقِنِينَ
Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude.
فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلَّيْلُ رَءَا كَوْكَبًۭا ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلْءَافِلِينَ
When night darkened over him, he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said, ‘I do not like those who set.’
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْقَمَرَ بَازِغًۭا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِى رَبِّى لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Then, when he saw the moon rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said, ‘Had my Lord not guided me, I would surely have been among the astray lot.’
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةًۭ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى هَٰذَآ أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
Then, when he saw the sun rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord! This is bigger!’ But when it set, he said, ‘O my people, indeed I disown what you take as [His] partners.’
إِنِّى وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِى فَطَرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًۭا ۖ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
‘Indeed I have turned my face toward Him who originated the heavens and the earth, as a Hanif, and I am not one of the polytheists.’
وَحَآجَّهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ ۚ قَالَ أَتُحَٰٓجُّوٓنِّى فِى ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَىٰنِ ۚ وَلَآ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْـًۭٔا ۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا ۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ
His people argued with him. He said, ‘Do you argue with me concerning Allah, while He has guided me for certain? I do not fear what you ascribe to Him as [His] partners, excepting anything that my Lord may wish. My Lord embraces all things in [His] knowledge. Will you not then take admonition?
وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَٰنًۭا ۚ فَأَىُّ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْأَمْنِ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
How could I fear what you ascribe [to Him] as [His] partners, when you do not fear ascribing to Allah partners for which He has not sent down any authority to you? So [tell me,] which of the two sides has a greater right to safety, if you know?
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ
Those who have faith and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing—for such there shall be safety, and they are the [rightly] guided.’
وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَٰهَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ مَّن نَّشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
This was Our argument that We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank whomever We wish. Indeed your Lord is all-wise, all-knowing.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِۦ دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَٰنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided each of them. And Noah We had guided before, and from his offspring, David and Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—thus do We reward the virtuous—
وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
and Zechariah, John, Jesus and Ilyas—each of them among the righteous—
وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًۭا ۚ وَكُلًّۭا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot—each We graced over all the nations—
وَمِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّٰتِهِمْ وَإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ ۖ وَٱجْتَبَيْنَٰهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
and from among their fathers, their descendants and brethren—We chose them and guided them to a straight path.
ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۚ وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
That is Allah’s guidance: with it, He guides whomever He wishes of His servants. But were they to ascribe any partners [to Allah], what they used to do would not avail them.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ۚ فَإِن يَكْفُرْ بِهَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ فَقَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًۭا لَّيْسُوا۟ بِهَا بِكَٰفِرِينَ
They are the ones whom We gave the Book, judgement and prophethood. So if these disbelieve in them, We have certainly entrusted them to a people who will never disbelieve in them.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَبِهُدَىٰهُمُ ٱقْتَدِهْ ۗ قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ۖ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَٰلَمِينَ
They are the ones whom Allah has guided. So follow their guidance. Say, ‘I do not ask you any recompense for it. It is just an admonition for all the nations.’
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
Sources present: Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-Bayān [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan]; Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān [tusi_al_tibyan]; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan]; al-Qummī [qummi]; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan]; An Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary]. All six present.
The passage moves from a last appeal against idolatry (6:71–73) into the great narrative of Abraham — his confrontation with Āzar, the showing of the heavenly dominion, his reasoning from the setting star, moon and sun, and his disputation with his people (6:74–83) — and closes with the roll of the prophets and the command to follow their guidance (6:84–90).
1. Abraham and the setting bodies (6:76–78). This is the interpretive crux, and the sources divide along a familiar line. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] and [tusi_al_tibyan] lay out four scholarly views on "this is my Lord" — said in the span of reflection as his reason matured, or before puberty, or to rebuke his people with the interrogative elided, or as disputation — and both answer the objection that asserting the unknown would be a lie. [bahrani_al_burhan] and [qummi] resolve it decisively through the Imams: al-Riḍā (to al-Maʾmūn) and al-Ṣādiq hold the words were spoken "by way of denial and inquiry (inkār wa-istikhbār)," never assertion — "whoever says this today is a polytheist, but from Abraham it was seeking his Lord." [tabatabai_al_mizan] and [enlightening_commentary] develop the same inference from ufūl (setting) to origination as a proof of the Creator.
2. The dominion (malakūt) of the heavens and earth (6:75). [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] and [tusi_al_tibyan] give the lexical and theological senses (an intensive of mulk; God's signs) and cite al-Bāqir's report. [bahrani_al_burhan] and [qummi] supply the rich kashṭ narrations — God "uncovered" the heavens, earth, Throne and its Bearers for Abraham, and did the like for Muḥammad and the Imams — together with the report that, beholding the malakūt, Abraham cursed three sinners until God restrained him with the doctrine of the three kinds of servant.
3. Faith unmixed with wrong (6:82). All four Arabic sources gloss ẓulm. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] and [tusi_al_tibyan] report the dominant view — ẓulm = shirk (Ibn ʿAbbās and most, citing 31:13) — with Ibn Masʿūd's account of the Companions' distress until the Prophet clarified it. [bahrani_al_burhan] adds the variant glosses (doubt; going-astray) and the distinctive walāya reading, while [qummi] takes it as faith unbroken by the sins that void it.
4. The progeny and the prophets (6:84–90). All read the roll of eighteen prophets as Abraham's reward and honor. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan], [tusi_al_tibyan], [bahrani_al_burhan] and [qummi] all draw from ʿĪsā's inclusion "of his progeny" — though he had no father — the proof that al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are the Prophet's own descendants (with [bahrani_al_burhan] and [qummi] preserving the Abū al-Jārūd / al-Bāqir argument from 4:23). On 6:89, [bahrani_al_burhan] and [qummi] read "a people who will not disbelieve in it" as the Shīʿa of the Commander of the Faithful and the Ahl al-Bayt (linked to 5:54).
[bahrani_al_burhan] alone carries the full al-Riḍā/al-Maʾmūn dialogue on prophetic infallibility, the twelve-worlds vision-report, and the long Salmān hadith juxtaposing the infancies of Abraham, Mūsā, ʿĪsā and the Prophet. [tabatabai_al_mizan] frames the whole as a single connected argument and dwells on Abraham's graded ascent of reasoning; [enlightening_commentary] supplies the running prose on monotheism and the "Trumpet." The classical pair [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] and [tusi_al_tibyan] uniquely defend Abraham's forefathers' monotheism (so Āzar is grandfather or uncle), refute blind imitation (taqlīd) from 6:83, and carry the grammatical-qirāʾāt scaffolding. No source is silent for this passage.