Surah 24. An-Nur

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-50 [6], 51-57 [7], 58-61 [8], 62-64 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 35-40اَللّٰهُAllahنُوْرُ(is the) Lightالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthمَثَلُ(The) exampleنُوْرِهٖ(of) His Lightكَمِشْكٰوةٍ(is) like a nicheفِیْهَاin itمِصْبَاحٌ ؕ(is) a lampاَلْمِصْبَاحُthe lampفِیْ(is) inزُجَاجَةٍ ؕa glassاَلزُّجَاجَةُthe glassكَاَنَّهَاas if it wereكَوْكَبٌa starدُرِّیٌّbrilliantیُّوْقَدُ(which) is litمِنْfromشَجَرَةٍa treeمُّبٰرَكَةٍblessedزَیْتُوْنَةٍan oliveلَّاnotشَرْقِیَّةٍ(of the) eastوَّ لَاand notغَرْبِیَّةٍ ۙ(of the) westیَّكَادُwould almostزَیْتُهَاits oilیُضِیْٓءُglowوَ لَوْeven ifلَمْnotتَمْسَسْهُtouched itنَارٌ ؕfireنُوْرٌLightعَلٰیuponنُوْرٍ ؕLightیَهْدِیAllah guidesاللّٰهُAllah guidesلِنُوْرِهٖto His Lightمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ؕHe willsوَ یَضْرِبُAnd Allah sets forthاللّٰهُAnd Allah sets forthالْاَمْثَالَthe examplesلِلنَّاسِ ؕfor the mankindوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمٌۙ(is) All-Knower فِیْInبُیُوْتٍhousesاَذِنَ(which) Allah orderedاللّٰهُ(which) Allah orderedاَنْthatتُرْفَعَthey be raisedوَ یُذْكَرَand be mentionedفِیْهَاin themاسْمُهٗ ۙHis nameیُسَبِّحُGlorifyلَهٗ[to] Himفِیْهَاin themبِالْغُدُوِّin the morningsوَ الْاٰصَالِۙand (in) the evenings 24. An-Nur Page 355رِجَالٌ ۙMenلَّاnotتُلْهِیْهِمْdistracts themتِجَارَةٌtradeوَّ لَاand notبَیْعٌsaleعَنْfromذِكْرِ(the) remembrance of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) remembrance of Allahوَ اِقَامِand (from) establishingالصَّلٰوةِthe prayerوَ اِیْتَآءِand givingالزَّكٰوةِ ۪ۙzakahیَخَافُوْنَThey fearیَوْمًاa Dayتَتَقَلَّبُwill turn aboutفِیْهِthereinالْقُلُوْبُthe heartsوَ الْاَبْصَارُۗۙand the eyes لِیَجْزِیَهُمُThat Allah may reward themاللّٰهُThat Allah may reward themاَحْسَنَ(with the) bestمَا(of) whatعَمِلُوْاthey didوَ یَزِیْدَهُمْand increase themمِّنْfromفَضْلِهٖ ؕHis Bountyوَ اللّٰهُAnd AllahیَرْزُقُprovidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsبِغَیْرِwithoutحِسَابٍ measure وَ الَّذِیْنَBut those whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاَعْمَالُهُمْtheir deedsكَسَرَابٍۭ(are) like a mirageبِقِیْعَةٍin a lowlandیَّحْسَبُهُthinks itالظَّمْاٰنُthe thirsty oneمَآءً ؕ(to be) waterحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenجَآءَهٗhe comes to itلَمْnotیَجِدْهُhe finds itشَیْـًٔا(to be) anythingوَّ وَجَدَbut he findsاللّٰهَAllahعِنْدَهٗbefore himفَوَفّٰىهُHe will pay him in fullحِسَابَهٗ ؕhis dueوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahسَرِیْعُ(is) swiftالْحِسَابِۙ(in) the account اَوْOrكَظُلُمٰتٍ(is) like (the) darkness[es]فِیْinبَحْرٍa seaلُّجِّیٍّdeepیَّغْشٰىهُcovers itمَوْجٌa waveمِّنْon itفَوْقِهٖon itمَوْجٌa waveمِّنْon itفَوْقِهٖon itسَحَابٌ ؕa cloudظُلُمٰتٌۢdarkness[es]بَعْضُهَاsome of itفَوْقَonبَعْضٍ ؕothersاِذَاۤWhenاَخْرَجَhe puts outیَدَهٗhis handلَمْhardlyیَكَدْhardlyیَرٰىهَا ؕhe (can) see itوَ مَنْAnd (for) whomلَّمْnotیَجْعَلِAllah (has) madeاللّٰهُAllah (has) madeلَهٗfor himنُوْرًاa lightفَمَاthen notلَهٗfor himمِنْ(is) anyنُّوْرٍ۠light

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Translation of Verse 35-40

(24:35) Allah⁶¹ is the Light of the heavens and the earth.⁶² His Light (in the Universe) may be likened to a niche wherein is a lamp, and the lamp is in the crystal which shines in star-like brilliance. It is lit from (the oil) of a blessed olive tree⁶³ that is neither eastern nor western.⁶⁴ Its oil well nigh glows forth (of itself) though no fire touched it: Light upon Light.⁶⁵ Allah guides to His Light whom He wills.⁶⁶ Allah sets forth parables to make people understand. Allah knows everything.⁶⁷

(24:36) (Those who are directed to this Light are found) in houses which Allah has allowed to be raised and wherein His name is to be remembered:⁶⁸ in them people glorify Him in the morning and in the evening,

(24:37) people whom neither commerce nor striving after profit diverts them from remembering Allah, from establishing Prayer, and from paying Zakah; people who dread the Day on which all hearts will be overturned and eyes will be petrified;

(24:38) (people who do all this so) that Allah may reward them in accordance with the best that they did; indeed He will bestow upon them more out of His Bounty, for Allah grants whomsoever He wills beyond all measure.⁶⁹

(24:39) But for those who deny the Truth,⁷⁰ their deeds are like a mirage in the desert, which the thirsty supposes to be water until he comes to it only to find that it was nothing; he found instead that Allah was with Him and He paid his account in full. Allah is swift in settling the account.⁷¹

(24:40) Or its similitude is that of depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, covered by a billow, above which is a billow, above which is cloud, creating darkness piled one upon another; when he puts forth his hand, he would scarcely see it.⁷² He to whom Allah assigns no light, he will have no light.⁷³

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Commentary

61. Once again attention is being directed to the hypocrites who had all along been engaged in fomenting one mischief after another in Islamic society and who were as active as ever in causing harm to Islam, the Islamic movement and the Islamic community from within as were the unbelievers who strived to cause harm from without as they openly declared themselves to be enemies of Islam.

These hypocrites claimed to be Muslims, were apparently a part of the Muslim community, and enjoyed ties of kinship with the Muslims, especially with the Ansar. It is precisely for these reasons that They were in a better position to cause mischief. Because of their formal identification with Islam, even sincere Muslims fell prey to their designs either as a result of their gullibility or weakness and by acting as their agents or protectors.

These hypocrites had become totally myopic because of their excessive worldliness. Despite their profession of faith, they were totally devoid of the light which, thanks to the Qur'an and the Prophet (peace be on him), had begun to radiate all around.

Without directly addressing the hypocrites, a few observations are made about them here. This is done with a three-fold purpose. First, to admonish them. For it is the foremost requirement of God's mercy and lordship that if a person fails into error, every effort should be made to make him see the truth and mend his ways. This effort should be made notwithstanding the evils and mischievous deeds of men. Second, to lay bare the distinction between faith and hypocrisy in unambiguous terms so that even an average person knows a believer from a hypocrite. If someone continues his allegiance to the hypocrites or supports them when they are fully aware of their traits, then they are to be held responsible for their actions. Third, to clearly warn the hypocrites that God's promises are meant only for. those believers who are sincere in their faith and fulfil its requirements. These promises are not meant for nominal believers, for those whose identification with Islam is no more than their registration as Muslims in official records. Hypocrites and those who willfully transgress the commands of God should not expect that God's promise be fulfilled for them.

62. In Qur'anic usage, the expression 'the heavens and the earth' are generally employed as an equivalent for the universe. An alternative rendering of the verse, therefore, could be that 'Allah is the Light of the whole universe'.

Light is that which causes other things to become visible. Light, thus, appears of itself and also causes other objects to become apparent. This is the general perception of light. Correspondingly, lack of light is branded by man as darkness. When one is able to see things properly and everything is clear, man says that there is light.

The word 'light' is used with respect to God in this very sense. It is not to be taken literally to mean that God is some ray of light which travels at the speed of 1 86,000 miles per second and reaches the retina of our eyes and ultimately affects the center of vision in the brain. This particular attribute is not a part of the essential meaning for which man has invented this word.

The statesmen that God is the Light of the heavens and the earth is to be taken in its basic sense rather than in the material connotations of the word. Let us illustrate this by giving some examples. The Qur’an speaks of God as the All-Seeing. Now this does not necessarily mean that God is possessed of a physical organ, an eye, in the manner of animals and human beings, and that He sees with the help of that organ. Likewise, we say that God is All-Hearing. This does not necessarily mean that God is possessed of a physical organ, an ear, and that He hears with the help of that organ. Likewise, we are told that God seizes. Again, this statement does not necessarily mean that God seizes in the manner that men and animals seize, namely with the help of our hands.

All such statements have an absolute meaning. Hence, it is people of very limited understanding who believe that there can be no other form of seeing, hearing and seizing except in the specific limited form with which we are familiar through our own experience. By the same token, it amounts to sheer narrow-mindedness if one interprets light in the sense of a ray which emanates from a thing and then strikes the retina. God is light in the absolute rather than the limited sense in which we ordinarily use the word. What is meant by this statement is that God alone is the main cause of all that is, while all else is mere darkness. Everything that emits any light does so because God has invested it with light, or otherwise there is nothing which is innately capable of emitting any light.

The word 'light' is also used to mean 'knowledge', whereas its antonym -ignorance - is characterized by 'darkness'. In this sense, once again, God is the light of the universe for one can gain knowledge of reality and the right way man should tread only from God. Unless one turns to God for light one is doomed to the darkness of ignorance and consequently to sheer error.

63. The olive tree is blessed in the sense that it carries numerous uses and benefits.

64. That is, the tree is situated on an open site or at a height so that it is constantly exposed to the sun. It is not behind anything for had it been so located it would have received sunlight either only in the forenoon or only in the afternoon. Now an olive tree which is constantly exposed to the sun produces an oil which is very thin. Also, the olive oil produced by such a tree is used in a lamp and the light that it emits is very bright. By contrast, trees located eastward or westward produce a darker and thicker variety of oil. Hence when that oil is used in a lamp, the light it emits is not as bright.

65. In this parable, God is likened to a lamp, whereas the glass signifies the curtain by which He has concealed Himself from His creatures. The purpose behind this curtain is not concealment, it is rather because of the pressure to break out into the open. Thus, the inability of creatures to observe God is not because of the opaqueness of the curtain or its being covered with darkness. Rather our failure to observe God is because of the fact that the light passing through this transparent curtain is so intense and all-encompassing that those with limited faculties of vision fail to perceive it. Creatures possessed of limited vision can perceive only that limited light which vacillates, which appears at one moment and disappears the next moment. It is in contrast to darkness that such light becomes manifest. However, God's Light is absolute and has no peer; one that never vanishes. Thanks to the constancy and all-encompassing nature of this light, it cannot be fully grasped by the limited vision of humans.

The statement that this lamp is lit from the oil of an olive tree, 'neither eastern nor western, provides an impressive image of the perfection and intensity of the light of the lamp. In the past, light was mostly obtained from lamps lit by olive oil, and the brightest lamp was one which was lit from the oil of the olive tree situated in an open and elevated place.

The purpose of this parable is not to convey the idea that since God is akin to a lamp. He derives energy from some external source as a lamp does. Rather, the point that is being emphasized is that the lamp in question is not an ordinary lamp, but the brightest lamp that can be imagined, one that illuminates everything. So does God illuminate the whole universe.

Similarly, the statement that 'its oil well-nigh glows forth (of itself) though no fire touches it', again reinforces me effect of the intense brightness of the lamp. The parable seeks to emphasize the brightness of the image of an intensely luminous lamp which is lit from a fine and incandescent oil. All three components of the parable, namely the olive tree, its being neither of the east nor of the west, and its oil burning without fire, are dependent elements of the parable. Each idea complements the others so as to reinforce the uniqueness of the lamp. The essential components of the parable are lamp, niche, and crystal.

Since the verse draws attention to the similitude between God's Light and the light of the lamp, it removes any misunderstanding which might have arisen regarding the statement that 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth'. It clearly indicates that in likening God to light, the intention is not to conceive God's essence to be nothing but light. Rather, God is possessed of perfection in all respects. This is true about His being possessed of knowledge, power, and wisdom alongside His being possessed of light. The Qur'anic statement that 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth' signifies that God personifies light. The purpose of such a statement is to stress this aspect of God. In other words, what is being said is that God is both the embodiment and source of light. This is a literary device meant to underscore something. In literature we occasionally come across use of this technique. For example, sometimes we say about a person in whom we find generosity at its best that he is generosity itself. Or we say about someone whose beauty is extraordinary that he (or she) is beauty personified.

66. Although God's Light illuminates the whole universe, not everyone perceives it. The ability to perceive this reality and to draw benefit from it are granted only to those whom God wills. Otherwise, as in the case of the blind man who cannot differentiate between day and night, anyone who is devoid of proper vision can readily observe the light radiated by electricity, by the sun, by the moon and the stars, but he fails to appreciate the Light that comes from God. On this particular count anyone who is devoid of proper vision finds darkness all around him. A physically blind person cannot see even what lies next to him, and realizes that there is something only when he stumbles against it, and it is this stumbling alone which makes him feel its presence. In the same manner, a man without proper vision fails to grasp the very realities which are quite near to him and are radiant with the Light of God. Failing to see these realities, he realizes their existence only when he stumbles against them, thereby incurring his utter destruction.

67. This statement can be understood in two ways. First, it may mean that God knows very well how to bring home a point with reference to a particular parable. Second, it may be interpreted in the sense that God knows best who deserves this blessing. Anyone who does not search for God's Light and who wholly pursues worldly interests, material comforts and mundane benefits does not need to be forcibly shown God's Light. It is only those who, in God's knowledge, are for sure sincere seekers of God's Light who are endowed with it.

68. Some commentators of the Qur'an interpret the word 'houses' used in this verse to mean mosques. Accordingly, they interpret the words 'enjoined to be raised' to mean constructing mosques and holding them in high esteem. Other commentators of the Qur'an, however, consider these words to mean the houses of believers. As for the expression 'to be raised', this suggests that these houses are morally elevated.

The other part of the verse, where it says 'Allah has enjoined to be raised |houses| and wherein His names are remembered', fits in well with the interpretation of 'houses' as mosques. However, with a little reflection one realizes that this part of the verse supports the second interpretation as well. For the Shan'ah does not restrict God's worship only to those places designated for it where we may perform ritual worship only with the aid of the clergy. In Islam the ordinary house is also a place of worship like the mosque, and everyone may function within it as his own priest. Since this surah is full of directives aimed at elevating one's family and social life, the latter interpretation seems more plausible. This does not, however, rule out the former interpretation altogether. It seems appropriate, therefore, to consider the word 'houses' to signify both mosques and the houses of believers.

69. This sets forth the prerequisites for perceiving God's Light and benefiting from it. God's distribution of His bounties is not arbitrary. He bestows His Bounty, i.e. truth, in consideration of a person's worthiness, depending on whether he loves Him, holds Him in proper awe, has the desire to earn His reward, and is motivated by an urge to avoid His Wrath. Such persons are those who have not totally immersed themselves in worldly pursuits. Despite all their preoccupations, their hearts pulsate with remembrance of Him. Far from content with self-indulgence and moral degradation, such people strive to reach the heights which God directs them to. They do not aspire only to the benefits of this ephemeral world. Their eyes are rather set on the abiding rewards of the Hereafter. It is in consideration of these that God decides upon whom He bestows the ability to benefit from His Light. But once He decides this, His Munificence knows no bounds.

70. That is, they deliberately decided against accepting the Message which they had received through God's Messengers, a Message which at that particular time was being delivered to them by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The preceding verses characterized those who partake of God's Light, and these are true, sincere believers. By contrast, the verses that follow are an account of those who deliberately refuse to draw on God's Light. Those who do not believe in and follow the Messenger of God, do not follow God, for God's Messengers are the only true source of His Light. It is immaterial whether they are rejectionists in their hearts whilst verbally professing to believe, or whether they reject both verbally and in their hearts.

71. This parable relates to those who, despite their disbelief and hypocrisy, do some apparently good deeds and appear to believe in the Hereafter. At the same time these people mistakenly think that even without their sincerely believing, without cultivating the attributes of true believers, and without obeying and following the Messenger of God, their good deeds will benefit them in the Hereafter. Here, they are being told that such an expectation is no more than a mirage. A thirsty person traversing a desert is taken in by the mirage and mistakenly believes it to be a spring, and frantically pursues it so as to quench his thirst. However, on reaching the spot he discovers that the place has no water. In the same manner, when these hypocrites die and find themselves in the Next World, they will realize that none of their deeds will benefit them. On the contrary, God will take full account of their unbelief, their hypocrisy, and their misdeeds which just happened to be accompanied by a few good deeds.

72. This parable portrays the state of all unbelievers and hypocrites including those who do good deeds primarily for show and ostentation. What is common to them is that they spend their whole life in total ignorance even though they may have been regarded as the most outstanding scholars and specialists in their fields. They are like a person who is entrapped in a place and overwhelmed with darkness, a place devoid of even a single ray of light. Such a person tends to entertain the illusion that knowledge consists in manufacturing atomic and hydrogen bombs, making supersonic aero planes and vehicles for inter-stellar travel. He may also believe that knowledge consists in acquiring mastery in economics, finance, law or philosophy. But true knowledge is something quite different, something of which they have no idea. If the true concept of knowledge is remembered and used as a yardstick, then these so-called experts will have to be reckoned as ignoramuses. On the other hand, if an unlettered villager knows the truth he will be deemed as truly knowledgeable.

73. Here the main purpose of the discourse which commenced with the introductory statement: 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth' is brought out. The thrust of the discourse is that since there is no light in the whole universe save the Light of God, and everything becomes visible by God's Light alone, anyone who remains deprived of this light will have no light whatsoever. Such a person is doomed to remain in darkness. Since there is no other light save God's such a person will not have access even to a single ray of light.