THE AYAH OF LIGHT AND RADIANCE IN THE QURAN
EXUBERANT AND SPARKLING
TO
THE HEARTS OF MUSLIMS
Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:
EXUBERANT AND SPARKLING
TO
THE HEARTS OF MUSLIMS
Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:
“An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- June 2013
Choose the section you have time to read:-
Prelude: Recurrent Primary Message One Page
A Short Version: For the Busy Bee < 2 Pages
The Main Story: Recommended Five Pages
Footnotes: For the Perfectionist Half Page
PRELUDE
From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.
In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran.
It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this email generates a fruitful interactive discussion.
THE AYAH
June 15, 2013
Surah 24 Ayah 35
”Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things
A SHORT VERSION
It is not uncommon practice for Allah Ta’aala to explain IN HIS Book ABOUT HIS Book. One such occasion he declares1:
“It is He Who has revealed the Book to you. Some of its verses are absolutely clear and lucid, and these are the core of the Book. Others are ambiguous.”
However, even the clear and lucid ayahs have varying depths of meaning and messaging and require different type and levels of knowledge and learning to comprehend them. To begin with there are the historical stories of the earlier Prophets for us to learn from. Next, the Ehkamaats or commandments are deliberately given in easy and clear words for us to comprehend and obey. Third, a very important mission for the Quran is to describe for us the the world of the Hereafter -- the Paradise and the Hellfire. This is a novel world with entirely different existence and needing a different wavelength for communication. Finally there are those ayahs that fulfill our basic and fundamental need: to learn and know about our Lord and Creator, a Being and a Reality which is beyond the domain of our imagination let alone our comprehension and our Senses and defies the limits of the language we are accustomed to. Hence Allah Ta’aala, in such ayahs uses beautiful metaphors -- “A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison” -- or symbols -- “one thing conceived as representing another.” The Quran also makes a liberal use of allegories -- “The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events” -- or parables -- “a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson”.
This grand ayah labelled as the ayah an-Noor or ayah of Light or ayah of Radiance belongs to this class. It describes with great elegance the majesty of our Lord. It has a beautiful rhyme and rhythm which is at once enchanting. This verse is also the primary source of one of the 99 name of God: an-Nur,(النور) "The Light." It is commonly used to decorate the lamps in the mosque. “The verse is renowned for its remarkable beauty and imagery, and perhaps more than any other verse lends itself to mystical or esoteric readings of the Qur'an. Most noteworthy amongst the intellectual and spiritual genius who have puzzled over Ayah an-Nur is al-Ghazali , whose reflections on this verse, as well as the nature of divine Light is collected in his masterpiece Mishkat al-Anwar (the "Niche of Lights").” To start with, in this ayah The light is used as a parable, which in turn is then compared with a niche; further down the ayah the glass is compared to a shining star and in the end the Almighty reminds us of HIS practice of describing parables for education of mankind. It is in many ways a mysterious ayah and therefore open to widely divergent interpretations.
Light is the purest thing in our personal experience; hence this metaphor of calling HIM the light of Heavens and Earth. HE is NOT the light as we see it or sense it with all it limitations. The great exegete Dr. Mohammed Asad has explained this point in a marvelous and meaningful way: “ In the above context it alludes to the impossibility of defining God even by means of a metaphor or a parable - for, since "there is nothing like unto Him" (42:11), there is also "nothing that could be compared with Him" (112:4). Hence, the parable of "the light of God" is not meant to express His reality - which is inconceivable to any created being and, therefore, inexpressible in any human language but only to allude to the illumination which He, who is the Ultimate Truth, bestows upon the mind and the feelings of all who are willing to be guided. Tabari, Baghawi and Ibn Kathir quote Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud as saying in this context: "It is the parable of His light in the heart of a believer."
Put differently, this means that Allah is the means by which the heavens and the earth can be seen for what they really are. Light is the means by which you can see
The essential elements of the parable are only three: the lamp, the Niche and the transparent Glass Shade. The lamp probably refers to the revelation which is filtered by the human reasoning, represented here by the covering glass and then reaches the niche, standing for the heart of man.
In antiquity the source for brilliant light were the olive lamps, and the most superior oil for the purpose was that obtained from a tree standing in an open and elevated place. Again, the words “ its oil is (so fine) as if it were going to shine forth by itself “though no fire touched it", are meant to emphasize the brilliance of the light of the lamp, which is being fed by the finest and most readily combustible oil. The 'olive' and 'its being neither eastern nor western', and 'high combustibility of its oil by itself' (without fire), are not the essential elements of the parable, but attributes of the lamp, which is the primary element of the parable.
The Ayah once again reminds us that “Allah guides who He wills.”
Not to leave any doubt in our minds, Allah Ta’aala after mentioning several parables in this glorious ayah declares that it is HIS practice of dishing out parables for mankind -- “and Allah sets forth parables for mankind” -- as certain truths can be conveyed to man only by means of parables or allegories because of their complexity.
Thie ayah ends with a very common concluding remark at the end of a message in the Quran -- “and Allah knows everything” -- to ensure our confidence in what has been said because our Lord is All-Knowing.
THE MAIN STORY
It is not uncommon practice for Allah Ta’aala to explain IN HIS Book ABOUT HIS Book. One such occasion he declares1:
“It is He Who has revealed the Book to you. Some of its verses are absolutely clear and lucid, and these are the core of the Book. Others are ambiguous.”
However, even the clear and lucid ayahs have varying depths of meaning and messaging and require different type and levels of knowledge and learning to comprehend them. To begin with there are the historical stories of the earlier Prophets for us to learn from. These usually do not pose any problem in interpretations. Next, the Ehkamaats or commandments are deliberately given in easy and clear words for us to comprehend and obey. Third, a very important mission for the Quran is to describe for us the the world of the Hereafter -- the Paradise and the Hellfire. This is a novel world with entirely different existence and needing a different wavelength for communication. Finally there are those ayahs that fulfill our basic and fundamental need: to learn and know about our Lord and Creator, a Being and a Reality which is beyond the domain of our imagination let alone our comprehension and our Senses and defies the limits of the language we are accustomed to. Hence Allah Ta’aala, in such ayahs uses beautiful metaphors -- “A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison” -- or symbols -- “one thing conceived as representing another.” The Quran also makes a liberal use of allegories -- “The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form” -- or parables -- “a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson”.
This grand ayah labelled as the ayah an-Noor or ayah of Light or ayah of Radiance belongs to this class. It describes with great elegance the majesty of our Lord. It has a beautiful rhyme and rhythm which is at once enchanting. This verse is also the primary source of one of the 99 name of God: an-Nur,(النور) "The Light." It is commonly used to decorate the lamps in the mosque. “The verse is renowned for its remarkable beauty and imagery, and perhaps more than any other verse lends itself to mystical or esoteric readings of the Qur'an. Perhaps more than any other, this single ayah suggests only mystical interpretations, as the metaphor is completely coherent, but it does not surrender an obvious meaning. Hence it was and remains a key Qur'anic passage to many Sufis and Muslim Philosophers into the present day, who argue for esoteric readings of the Quran. Most noteworthy amongst the intellectual and spiritual genius who have puzzled over Ayah an-Nur is al-Ghazali , whose reflections on this verse, as well as the nature of divine Light is collected in his masterpiece Mishkat al-Anwar (the "Niche of Lights").” The great exegete Yousuf Ali starts his tafsir of this ayah thus “Embedded within certain directions concerning a refined domestic and social life, comes this glorious parable of Light, which contains layer upon layer of transcendental truth about spiritual mysteries. No notes can do adequate justice to its full meaning. Volumes have been written on this subject, the most notable being al Ghazali’s Mishkat al Anwar.” To start with in this ayah The light is used as a parable, which in turn is then compared with a niche; further down the ayah the glass is compared to a shining star and in the end the Almighty reminds us of HIS practice of describing parables for education of mankind.
It is in many ways a mysterious ayah and therefore open to widely divergent interpretations. According to Al-Qurtubi: “Ka'b al-Ahbar makes the entire ayat refer to Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, i.e. the metaphor of the light of Muhammad. The Messenger of Allah is the niche, the lamp is prophethood, the glass is his heart, the blessed tree is the revelation and the angels who brought it, the oil are the proofs and evidence which contain the revelation. If it is taken to mean the believer, as Ubayy says, then the niche is his chest, the lamp is belief and knowledge, the glass is his heart, and the oil are the proofs and evidence.”
Let us now turn to the specifics of this wonderful ayah and try to unravel the meaning behind this challenging metaphorical ayah.
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth”
Light is the purest thing in our phenomenal experience; hence this metaphor of calling HIM the light of Heavens and Earth. HE is NOT the light as we see it or sense it with all it limitations. This is the light in contrast to darkness; represents knowledge against ignorance. Light is the closest object within our five senses to give us an inkling of the Superior Being. Another great exegete Dr. Mohammed Asad has explained this point in a marvelous and meaningful way: “ In the above context it alludes to the impossibility of defining God even by means of a metaphor or a parable - for, since "there is nothing like unto Him" (42:11), there is also "nothing that could be compared with Him" (112:4). Hence, the parable of "the light of God" is not meant to express His reality - which is inconceivable to any created being and, therefore, inexpressible in any human language but only to allude to the illumination which He, who is the Ultimate Truth, bestows upon the mind and the feelings of all who are willing to be guided. Tabari, Baghawi and Ibn Kathir quote Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud as saying in this context: "It is the parable of His light in the heart of a believer."
Ibn Kathir quotes some eminent Sahabas for explanation of this part of the verse:
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: this means, the Guide of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth.
Ibn Jurayj said: "Mujahid and Ibn `Abbas said concerning the Ayah: He is controlling their affairs and the stars and sun and moon.''
As-Suddi said concerning the Ayah: by His Light the heavens and earth are illuminated.
Put differently, this means that Allah is the means by which the heavens and the earth can be seen for what they really are. Light is the means by which you can see. Without Allah, you will still see the skies and the earth but not what they actually are. Without light, you can't see things for what they truly are. That is the bottom line of this ayah. When you have the faith of Allah in your heart, then you can understand the universe and the things around you for what it really is.
It is interesting to note that elsewhere Allah Ta’aala has called the Quran a “light” for us2: “O mankind! verily there hath come to you a convincing proof from your Lord: For We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest.”
Our glorious Prophet, on another occasion has been referred to as the “light”3: “O people of the Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book”
مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاح
“the parable of his light is like a niche containing a lamp”
This is where the parable begins. The short metaphor that follows, is both visual enough to be grasped by anyone, and yet suggests realms of meaning beyond any literal reading of the Book. The essential elements of the parable are only three: the Lamp, the Niche and the transparent Glass Shade. The lamp probably refers to the revelation which is filtered by the human reasoning, represented here by the covering glass and then reaches the niche, standing for the heart of man. Maudoodi has a different explanation: “In this parable, AIlah has been likened to the Lamp and the universe to the Niche. The glass shade is the veil behind which Allah has concealed Himself from His creation.”
There are two opinions mentioned about the meaning of the "hi" (noorihi), the first that it refers to Allah and second that it refers to a believer, so that the parable would be about the light of iman in the heart of a believer being like a niche in which is a lamp etc.
الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ
“the Lamp enclosed in Glass” It has been told light is like a niche containing a lamp. The misbaah or lamp, according to one opinion is said to represent obedience to Allah. As for the zujaja this means a clean and clear glass, which allows the light to be seen through it shining brightly.
الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ
“the glass as it were a brilliant star” "ka" here indicates yet another parable; the glass is not literally a star but is like a shining star.
يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ
“Lit from a blessed Tree” “Yooqadu” is passive, so we don't have a subject for this action of lighting; we just know that it was lit. This yooqadu is said to refer back to the misbaah or or could be for the kawkab, but it can not be for the zujaaja. Shajaratin mubaraka is indefinite and not referring to any specific known blessed tree but just rather "a blessed tree."
زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ
“an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west” laa sharqiyya wa laa gharbiyya refers to the quality of the tree because it gets the sun all though the day not just at only certain times when the sun is either rising or setting. This means the oil from that tree is good. it makes the whole image slightly vague; it is not a specific description of one thing but its an image which is supposed to make the people think and ponder about it. Ibn Juzayyhs has a very different suggestion: “It is said that it means it in Syria, so it is neither of the east of the land nor the west. The best olives are the olives of Syria.”
يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ
“whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it”: yukaadu means almost, so we dont have to take it that literally the oil lights without touching the fire, but almost. In antiquity the source for brilliant light were the olive lamps, and the most superior oil for the purpose was that obtained from a tree standing in an open and elevated place. Again, the words “ its oil is (so fine) as if it were going to shine forth by itself though no fire touched it", are meant to emphasize the brilliance of the light of the lamp, which is being fed by the finest and most readily combustible oil. The 'olive' and 'its being neither eastern nor western', and 'high combustibility of its oil by itself' (without fire), are not the essential elements of the parable, but attributes of the lamp, which is the primary element of the parable.
نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ
“light upon light”: this can be seen as an exclamation because it is not a normal sentence as such: there is no action here; it is just stating "light upon light" to make it emphatic. This emphasizes the brightness of the light again because light upon light gives the image of being doubled and increased than just a normal "noor" by itself.
يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاء
“Allah guides who He wills”: The Quran reminds us about it frequently. Allah is the ultimate guide. The opening message of the ayah is reemphasized here: Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth, Allah is the one who guides the inhabitants of the earth and heavens, and he guides who he wills.
Dr. Mohammed Asad suggests a different interpretation “God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided]” on the authority of Zamakhshari. It seems to make more sense. In this rendering “man yashao” refers to the wish of the individual and not to that of Allah Ta’aala.
وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ
“and Allah sets forth parables for mankind”: Not to leave any doubt in our minds, Allah Ta’aala after mentioning several parables in this glorious ayah declares that it is HIS practice of dishing out parables for mankind as certain truths can be conveyed to man only by means of parables or allegories because of their complexity. It fortifies the eemaan of those who believe but leads others to gibe "what does Allah want with these parables?"
وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“and Allah knows everything”. This is a very common concluding remark at the end of a message in the Quran to ensure our confidence in what has been said because our Lord is All-Knowing.
..and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.
FOOTNOTES
(1) Surah 3/7
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آَيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ
(2) Surah 4/174
(3) Surah 5/15
