Abraham Gazed upon the Stars and Said ‘innī saqīm’: The Influence of a ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth on the Interpretation of Q. 37:88–89, and a Thematic and Structural Reading of Abraham's Story in the Qur'an

Abstract

Historically mufassirs have disagreed on the meaning of the words innī saqīm spoken by Abraham as he gazed upon the stars in Q. 37:88–89. This lack of consensus can be traced back to the existence of a ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth concerning the three lies that Abraham is said to have spoken in his lifetime. Some exegetes have attempted to reconcile the Qur'anic verses with this ḥadīth by emphasising Abraham's integrity and truthfulness and his use of white lies ( al-maʿārīḍ), while others have ignored the ḥadīth and instead rely on a contextual reading. This article analyses the meaning of Q. 37:88–89, and also explores the other suras that reference this narrative (Q. 6, Q. 21, and Q. 26). To do this it will utilise ring theory ( naẓariyyat al-tanāẓur) and exegesis of the Qur'an by the Qur'an ( tafsīr al-Qurʾān bi'l-Qurʾān), as well as the concept of the interconnectedness of Q. 37 and Q. 38 (inasmuch as these two consecutive suras both elaborate on the attributes of Abraham), so as to explore how this approach influences our understanding of this narrative. It will posit that the reference to ‘gazing upon the stars’ in Q. 37 is not synonymous with the reference to ‘looking at the planets’ in Q. 6, and that Abraham's people were well aware of his belief in God, and consequently did not correlate his gazing at the stars with belief in them. The study concludes that a contextual reading of the sura indicates that first, the phrase innī saqīm in Q. 37:88 connotes ‘contemplation’; second, the ‘sickness’ mentioned in Q. 37:89 denotes sickness of the body and mind, and that Q. 21 and Q. 26 affirm that Abraham's people understood it as such; and finally, that Q. 38 confirms the strength of Abraham's argument.