فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَى كَوْكَبًا قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الْآفِلِينَ ﴿۷۶﴾ فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِنْ لَمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿۷۷﴾ فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي هَذَا أَكْبَرُ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿۷۸﴾

﴾76﴿ Falammaa janna 'alaihil lailu ra aa kawkabaan qaala haaza Rabbee falammaaa afala qaala laaa uhibbul aafileen
﴾77﴿ Falammmaa ra al qamara baazighan qaala haazaa Rabbee falammaaa afala qaala la'il lam yahdinee Rabbee la akoonanna minal qawmid daaalleen
﴾78﴿ Falammaa ra ashshamsa baazighatan qaala haazaa Rabbee haazaaa akbaru falammaaa afalat qaala yaa qawmi innee bareee'um mimmaa tushrikoon

﴾76﴿ So when he covered him night, he saw a star and said, Is this my Lord, So when he was absent, he said, I don't like those who becoming absent (to be God)
﴾77﴿ So when he saw the moon shining, he said, Is this my Lord, So when he disappeared, he said, If my Lord had not guided me (to monotheism), I would certainly have become one of the people who went astray
﴾78﴿ So when he saw the sun shining, he said, Is this my Lord? This is greater (as you think) So when he was absent, he said, O my people, I am disgusted with what you have appointed as partners

[76] The worship of the star which they performed became apparent when he said, “This is my Lord.” The question was asked in a tone of denial (rejection), meaning: Can this be my Lord? No, it cannot.
This is the view of Qutrub, similar to verse 34 of Surah Al-Anbiya.
Or the meaning is: This is your lord according to your belief, like in verse 47 of Surah Fussilat.
As for the opinion that Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) truly believed this to be his Lord and later came to know about monotheism, or that he said it out of doubt—both views are invalid.
This is because the Prophets (peace be upon them) are certainly free from polytheism, and their hearts are never void of belief in the Oneness of Allah.
This statement has been elaborated upon in detail by Qurṭubī, Sharbīnī, and Ibn Kathīr.
They have affirmed that it is not permissible for any moment to pass over a Prophet wherein he is devoid of belief in the Oneness of Allah.
Hence, it becomes clear that this statement of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was presented as a form of argument and reasoning.
[77] This reasoning based on the state of the moon refers to the night in which, after the evening star, the moon appeared (bāzighan)—this word originally refers to something that splits or tears through.
The moon and the sun are said to do this when they appear, as they tear through the darkness with their light.
So, what is meant here is the beginning of their rising.
The phrase (la'in lam yahdini)—“If my Lord does not guide me”—comes after the earlier mention of the setting (disappearance), showing that the worship of the star and the moon is misguidance and deviation.
This serves as evidence that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was already upon guidance before this and was neither a polytheist nor a doubter.
It is also an indication that even the Prophets (peace be upon them) are in need of Allah’s guidance.
[78] (Bāzigẗan) is mentioned in the feminine form because shams (the sun) is grammatically feminine.
Question: Since shams is feminine, why is hādhā (this) used in the masculine form?
Answer: Because this is a grammatically feminine word by hearing (samā‘ī), and it does not carry a visible sign of femininity (like the tā’ marbūṭa), so both masculine and feminine pronouns are permissible with it.
(Hādhā akbar) — “This is greater” — means greater in terms of brightness and in terms of size.
Scholars have established through rational evidence that the sun is 166 times larger than the Earth.
Also, according to the polytheists, it was considered greater in terms of divinity and godhood.
(Yā qawmi innī barīʾun) — “O my people, indeed I am free” — here too the setting of the celestial body is used as evidence, as mentioned earlier.
This declaration of disassociation from shirk and the polytheists is built upon and derived from that proof.