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None of these qualities negate another or oppose it. They strengthen and complement
each other. '[The faithful are] strict against the unbelievers, merciful to each other
[48:29]; 'By the mercy of God, you were gentle to them. For had you been harsh, or hard
of heart, they would have fled from your presence [3:159; the expression translated as
hard of heart (ghaliz. al-qalb) literally means thick-hearted]; and 'O Prophet, strive
against the non-believers and the hypocrites and be firm against them. [9:73] According
to a saying that has been passed down, 'Hearts are God's vessels on earth, and most
beloved unto Him are the finest, firmest and clearest of them. [al-H.akim al-TirmidhiIt
also appears in Ahmad ibn H.anbals Kitab al-Zuhd, 1414/1993, and Is.fahani (H.ilya,
6:97), with the wording God, blessed be He, has vessels on earth]
In contrast to this heart, there are two other reprehensible types. One is the heart that is
hard like stone, devoid of compassion, generosity or social good; devoid, too, of the
clarity by which God may be seen-a heart dominated by ignorance, with neither
knowledge of the truth, nor compassion for fellow creatures.
The other is the heart that is as weak as water. It is devoid of strength and firmness,
accepts any idea, but lacks the strength to stand by what it accepts. It is devoid of the
power to affect anyone, but is itself affected by everything it mingles with-be it strong or
weak, wholesome or tainted.
In the glass there is a lamp which bears the light. The fuel for this light is oil pressed from
an olive tree, [which grows] in a place so medial that the sun reaches it at both the
beginning and the end of the day, making its oil the purest and least opaque-so clear it
almost glows by itself, without fire.
Such is the fuel for this lamp's light, and such is the fuel of the lamp in the believer's
heart which comes from the tree of revelation, the greatest in blessing and the farthest
removed from extremes. Indeed, it is the most central of all things, the most balanced,
the most excellent. It reaches neither the extreme of the Christians nor that of the Jews,
but rather seeks a middle way in all things. Such is the fuel for the Lamp of Faith which
burns in the believer's heart.
Because this oil is so limpid that it almost glows by itself, when it is mingled with fire its
glow becomes even more intense, its substance is strengthened and there is 'light upon
light'. Similarly, the heart of the believer is so illumined that he could almost know God
solely by way of his own God-given nature [fit.ra] and his own intelligence, though he had
no fuel. Then the fuel of revelation reaches him, gives glad tidings to his heart and mixes
with his own radiance. The light of revelation is added to the light of his own God-given
nature, and the two combine to become 'light upon light.
He had almost been able to speak of God without ever hearing anything about Him.
When he hears utterances which his own nature has already perceived, it becomes 'light
upon light'. Such is the case of the believer who first experiences the truth in a general
way through his God-given nature, and then hears the words brought by [the Prophet]
which explain the details. His faith is thus founded on the testimony of revelation and the
testimony of his God-given nature.
Let a person of insight reflect on this great verse and on how it can be applied according
to this noble meaning. God mentions His light in the heavens and on earth, and His light
in the hearts of His believing servants. There is intelligible light, perceived by insight,
illuminating inner visions and hearts [al-nur al-ma`qul al-mashhud bi 1-bas.a'ir wa 1-
qulub]. And there is the physical light [al-nur al-mah.sus], perceived by the faculty of
sight, illuminating the upper and the lower regions of the world: two sublime lights, one
more sublime than the other. When physical light is absent from some place, no human
being or animal can live there. Animal life is engendered only where there is light. It
cannot thrive in dark places where no light shines. And so, a people for whom the light of
revelation and faith has gone out, and a heart in which this light has gone out, must be
dead, no more alive than the most lifeless place on earth.
In His words, God connects life with light: 'Or is one who was dead, and whom We gave
life and made for him a light by which to walk among people, like one who is in a
darkness from which he cannot emerge? [6:122] Or His words, 'Thus have We inspired
you with a spirit from Our command; you had known neither the Book nor faith, but We
made it a light by which We guide those of Our servants whom We Will. [42:52]
About this second verse, it has been said that the pronoun it refers to command, or to
faith, but the correct reading is that it refers to spirit. Thus, 'We made that spirit with
which We inspired you a light.' In other words, we say spirit when life is brought forth,
and light when radiance and illumination are brought together. But the two are
inseparable. If life exists through the Spirit, so does light; and where there is light, there
is also light. So the heart of one who does not accept this Spirit is dead and benighted, as
dead as one whose soul has separated from his body.
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Tafsir - Ibn Kathir
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said:
[
]
(Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Guide of the inhabitants of
the heavens and the earth. Ibn Jurayj said: "Mujahid and Ibn `Abbas said concerning the
Ayah:
[
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(Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.) He is controlling their affairs and their
stars and sun and moon.'' As-Suddi said concerning the Ayah:
[
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(Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.) by His Light the heavens and earth are
illuminated. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with
him, said: "When the Messenger of Allah got up to pray at night, he would say