Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. 24:35
i just found it rly confusing….
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Can Someone Explain This Verse?
Posted on January 26, 2012.
Ouzibillahi Mina shytan Al Rajeem
Bismillahi Ar Rahman Ar Raheem
Start of Revelation to Muhammed SAW
24 : 35
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The semblance of His Light is like a niche in which there is a lamp; the lamp is enshrined in a lampshade and its glass is glimmering like a star set aglow by the blessed tree, – an olive neither of the East nor of the West, – its oil almost alight though no flame touched it – Light upon Light! Allah guides whom He will to His Light; and Allah illustrates His contentions to men for Allah is in the know of all things!
(The above verse in which Allah refers to Himself as the ‘Light’ of the heavens and of the earth is of the utmost significance to those who believe in Him; His ‘Light’ is reflected in the shimmer of stars; His Light lends resplendence to the golden moon; His Light sets ablaze the sun and floods the universe with splendour; His Light banishes darkness, removes the shroud from our cherished goals and brings them into focus; His Light gives vision to the blinded eyes and shows the way forward; His Light brings knowledge to the ignorant; wisdom to the confounded and resurgence to the recanted; His Light cleanses the soul, purifies the heart, enlightens the mind and gilds our thoughts!
24 : 36
(His Splendour shines) in every edifice which Allah has exalted by His command so that His name is invoked in them and praises are offered to Him during the day and at night –
24 : 37
By men whom neither chattel nor profits deflect from the remembrance of Allah and who are consistent in their worship and who give to the deserving their dues and who fear the Day when every heart and every eyeball would be overturned –
24 : 38
So that Allah may reward them with the best for what they did and bestow on them an increased measure of recompense from His Grace! And Allah provides for whom He will without limitations!
(The edifices which Allah has exalted by His command is a reference to the sanctuaries of Allah, or Mosques, and the minute description given of those who invoke His name in them and offer Him praises night and day applies to the believers whom neither the love of wealth nor the temptation of comfort could deflect from thronging them whenever the Call reverberates reminding them that the time has come when they must put aside all their earthly concerns and preoccupations and present themselves before their Maker Who takes precedence over everything else. They are the ones who offer worship on time, with consistency and dedication; who share their wealth with those that deserve a share in it and who, despite all their righteous deeds, remain fearful of the Judgement Day)
24 : 39
As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty traveller mistakes for water until he comes closer and then realizes that there is nothing in it for him except confronting Allah, ready to settle his score! And Allah is quick at settling scores.
24 : 40
Or like darkness prevailing over the vastness of an obscure ocean! Above him rises a tide, and above the tide yet another tide, and above it a dark cloud – darkness upon darkness – so much so that when he holds up his hand he can barely see it! So, he for whom Allah has not provided a light, there is no light!
(The above two verses contain the indispensable contrast between the believers and the disbelievers, between the righteous and the sinful and between Light and darkness.
After dwelling upon the propitious outcome for the believers on the Day of Resurrection in return for the good they have done in every aspect of their lives, the focus shifts upon the disbelievers whose outcome for the deeds they perpetrated in the life of this world is compared to a mirage, or an optical delusion which seems to be something but turns out to be something else, regardless of what those deeds were, evil as well as righteous, for in the absence of faith, there is no reward on offer for them at all.
And after dwelling upon the theme of Allah’s Light in verse 35, the focus shifts upon the darkness of apostasy in verse 40 which is exemplified with equal flair by comparing it to the multiple layers of darkness which the hapless traveller adrift in the sea encounters, – the darkness of the unfathomable sea, the darkness of the insurmountable tide and then the darkness of the interminable clouds, obscurity multiplied by obscurity, so dense that he cannot even see his own hand, let alone his vicinity and his surroundings, winding up the issue by saying that he who has been deprived of light by Allah, no one can enlighten him!
End of Revelation to Muhammed SAW in full context and timeline.
Ibn Kathir’s tafsir for this verse: http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=…
But allah said the Quran is easy to understand. Why did you just prove him wrong?! Oh dear…
A better translation is:
24:35 God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is, as it were, that of a niche containing a lamp; the lamp is [enclosed] in glass, the glass [shining] like a radiant star: [a lamp] lit from a blessed tree – an olive-tree that is neither of the east nor of the west the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it: light upon light! God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided]; and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. –
What your being told is that language can never describe Gods reality – which is inconceivable to any created being and, therefore, inexpressible in any human language. You can only be guided if you are willing and deemed able.
The “lamp’’ is the revelation which God grants to His prophets and which is reflected in the believer’s heart – the “niche” of the above parable – after being received and consciously grasped by his reason (“the glass [shining brightly] like a radiant star”): for it is through reason alone that true faith can find its way into the heart of man. Like a trees roots and branches go out in all directions and grow with age and nourishment so does faith in a person.
Even though one may be unaware that he has been “touched by the fire” of divine revelation, its inner consistency, truth and wisdom ought to be self-evident to anyone who approaches it in the light of his reason and without prejudice. So just like you will have some pupils who “just get it ” and others who will get it slowly and some who no matter how hard they try will never get it, so it is with faith. Some people just can’t have it.
God guides only people who are useful and such people understand the complex nature of things. Just as only a genius will understand deep concepts and parables which ordinary people struggle with. Allah wants it that way and it works.
Reading the Quran properly is not easy. You get idiots like Tom knight who skim what they want and try to fashion arguments – but their losers in the end.