The Light - An-Nūr

Imam Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, said about God's Name: “Al-Nur is the visible One by whom everything is made visible, for what is visible in itself and makes others visible is called ‘light’.” In the dictionary it is described as illumination, or rays or anything that gives off a light. Ibn Al-Atheer said about God's Name Al-Nur: He is the One whom the blind see by His light, and the astray are guided by His guidance. Abu Al-Mansoor said in his tafseer (exegesis) of the abovementioned verse that the example of His Light of guidance in the heart of a believer is like a niche within which is a lamp. The light of God Almighty (exalted is He) is the lamp that illuminates the heart of the believer. When a person is astray, he is within darkness—meaning he is lost, he does not know where to go, he is uncertain about everything. But with light, and specifically the Light of God, everything becomes clear. It is all visible now. There is understanding. There is clarity. And with that comes certainty. The Prophet's Companion Ibn ‘Abbas, may God be pleased with him, said: “Light is God, the Guide, Who guides with His Divine Guidance whomsoever He wills by showing him the truth and inspiring him to follow it.”