The term "noor" or light and its derivatives are mentioned 49 times in the Holy Quran.
There is one verse called the verse of light, which says:
God is the Light of Heavens and earth.
The similitude of His Light is as a niche wherein is a lamp, the lamp is in
glass, and the glass is as it were a shinning star. (This
lamp) is kindled from a blessed tree. Light upon light,
God guides to His light whomsoever He wills.
(24:35)
According to this verse God (S.W.T) is the source of all light in
Heaven and earth. If we trace the occurrence of this term "noor"
meaning light in the Quran and the Sunnah we will indeed learn a lot. Let us
start with the Quran first. In some verses light means guidance to Islam.
In chapter two we read:
God is the patron of those who believe, from the depths of darkness He
leads them into light. As for disbelievers their patrons are the Evil ones who
lead them out of light into depths of darkness.
(2-257).
The Torah and the Gospel are described in the Quran as sources of light too.
Islam is the light also. The Quran says:
They want to extinguish God's light with their mouths.
God, however, will make His light prevail even though disbelievers
detest this.
(9-32)
The Quran
is the road to light:
ALR. A book which we revealed to you so that you bring out
people from the depths of darkness into light.
(14-1)
Moses was
sent with light (Ibrahim-5) like all other Messengers of God.
Is he whose bosom God has expanded for Islam so that he
follows a light from His Lord (as he who disbelieves)?
A believer walks in light.
(39-22)
The Messenger, Muhammad, is a source of light:
O Prophet! We sent you as a witness, a bringer of glad tidings
and a warner, and a caller to God by His leave and a shinning lamp.
(33-46)
The Quran is light:
So believe in God and His Messenger and the light He revealed.
(64-8)
O Mankind! There has come to you a proof from your Lord and
We revealed to you a clear light.
(4-174)
Most scholars affirm that light here refers to the Quran. Some scholars are,
however, of the opinion that it is a reference to Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h.
which is however proved to be wrong by the same verse that refers to both
the proof and the light as one thing.
On the
other hand the Quran confirms the absolute humanity of the Prophet.
In chapter 42 God says in the Quran:
You never knew what is the scripture nor what is faith;
We, however, made it a light by which We guide whomsoever We wish
of our slaves.
(42-52)
Light is guidance to the straight path according to the Quran. It is God who
grants guidance or light to whom He wills. Martyrs and honest
slaves of God have their own light; and naturally messengers of
God are sources of light.
This is in brief a review of how the Quran refers to light. One remark is
necessary here namely that in one place only, the word light is said to
refer to Prophet Muhammad as a shinning lamp. The rest of the
48 verses refer to God as the source of light, to the Quran,
to the believers, and to Islam. This is supported by the
traditions of Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. who always
stressed his mortality and human capacity. Here are some examples:
Zayed Ibn Arqam reported the Messenger of God who said:
As to
what follows. O people! I am only a mortal about to respond to the call from
the Messenger of my Lord. I am leaving with you, two trusts:
First is the Book of God in which there is guidance and light. Whoever
abides by it and follows it will be on guidance; and whoever misses it
will be led astray. So be committed to the Book of God and hold fast to it;
and my household I remind you of God in dealing with them.
Zayed Ibn Arqam
Ibn Amr
quoted that the Messenger of God as saying:
God had created
His creation in darkness. He then granted them with His Light. He
who got part of that light on that day will be guided and he who missed the
light will be misled.
Ibn Amr
Abu Moosa reported the Messenger of God p.b.u.h. to have said:
God does not sleep; nor is it becoming of Him to sleep. He lowers the
measure and raises it, to Him are raised the deeds of the day before
the deeds of night. His veil is light; should He uncover it the effect of
his complexion would burn every thing to which His sight reaches.
Abu Moosa
Ibn Umer quoted the Messenger of God as saying:
On
the Day of Judgement the just ones will be on the pulpits of light on
the right hand of the Beneficent and all his hands are right.
Those who are just in their rulings, their families and what they control.
Ibn Umer
Amr Ibn Anbasah said the Messenger of God said:
Any
man whose hair becomes grey in the way of God then this will be a light for him.
Amr Ibn Anbasah
In a weak
Hadith quoted by Irbad Ibn Sariya we are told by the Prophet p.b.u.h.:
I was with God written in the mother of the Book as the last seal of
prophets. That was when Adam was still in his mud stage.
I shall tell about the meaning of this: I am my Father Ibrahim's call, the glad tiding of Isa and the vision of my mother
who saw as she gave birth to me, as though a light has gushed out of her by
which Syria's palaces were lit. This is also seen by mothers of Prophets.
Irbad Ibn Sariya
But
in an authentic Hadith reported by Abi Omama Prophet
Mohamad p.b.u.h. said:
My mother saw as though a light
came out of her which lit palaces of Syria.
Abi Omama
In a very weak saying
Abu Thar said:
Keep
on remembering the Quran and remembering God as this will be a remembrance
for you in Heaven and a light for you on earth.
Abu Thar
But in an authentic Hadith reported by Burayda and Sahl ibn Saad the
Messenger of God said:
Give glad tidings to the walkers
across darkness to mosques with complete light on the Day of Judgement.
Burayda and Sahl ibn Saad
Aisha reported that the Messenger of God p.b.u.h. to have said God created angels from light.
In another
Hadith reported by Ibn Amr the Messenger of God p.b.u.h. said:
Grey
hair is the light of the believer, No Man acquires a grey hair in Islam but will get for
every single hair one reward and will be promoted for it one degree.
Ibn Amr
Abu Malek Al-Ashaari quoted the Messenger of God p.b.u.h. who said:
Cleanliness is one half of faith, "Praise be to God" fills the
balance, and "Glory to God and Praise be to God" fill the
space between Heaven and Earth, prayer is light, charity is a proof,
patience is a brilliance, the Quran is a testimony for you or against you.
All people strive, they however, vary. Some sell their souls, others
emancipate them or destroy them.
Abu Malek Al-Ashaari (Authentic)
Muath reported the following sacred Hadith where the Prophet p.b.u.h.
quoted God as saying:
Those who love each other in my
majesty will have pulpits of light, for which prophets and martyrs would envy them.
Muath
Ubadah Ibn Al-Sanet said: that the Messenger of God p.b.u.h.
said:
God Glory be to him says, My love is sure for
those who love each other for my sake; my love is sure for those who
exchange advice for my sake; my love is sure for those who exchange
visits for my sake. Those who exchange love for my sake will be on
pulpits of light due to which prophets, honest slaves and martyrs would
vie them.
Ubadah Ibn Al-Sanet (Authentic).
Abu Moosa quoted the Prophet p.b.u.h. as saying:
The parable of
Muslims, Jews, and Christians is like a man who hired some people to
perform a job for him at night. They started work till midday. Then they said:
We don't need either your payment that you have decided for us or
our job for you. He replied: don't do this but complete the rest
of your work and receive your payment in full. They refused and left. He
then hired other employees after them. They did exactly the same thing
as the first group and left before completing their job, neither did they
get their payment, but left empty handed. Then a third group took over;
they completed the job and received the whole payment. This is
the example of the light they expected.
Abu Moosa (Authentic).
Abu
Saeed reported the messenger of God p.b.u.h. to have said;:
whoever
recites Al-Kahf chapter on Friday will have light from then until the next
Friday.
Abu
Saeed (Authentic)
Once we have
read the above Quranic verses as well as the Prophet's traditions we
understand that God Almighty is the source of all material as well as
spiritual light. He grants His light to Prophets including Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h.
Believers in the message as well as the Quran and Mosques are also sources of
light as long as they convey the light of God (S.W.T) and his guidance.
