seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 24:35. God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His light is that of a pillar on which is a lamp. The lamp is within a glass. The glass is like a brilliant planet, fueled by a blessed tree, an olive tree, neither eastern nor western. Its oil would almost illuminate, even if no fire has touched it. Light upon Light. God guides to His light whomever He wills. God thus cites the parables for the people. God is cognizant of everything.
36. In houses which God has permitted to be raised, and His name is celebrated therein. He is glorified therein, morning and evening.
37. By men who neither trading nor commerce distracts them from God’s remembrance, and from performing the prayers, and from giving alms. They fear a Day when hearts and sights are overturned.
38. God will reward them according to the best of what they did, and He will increase them from His bounty. God provides for whomever He wills without reckoning.
And here's the commentary.
N∂r (light) is that which manifests hidden things, and Allåh is called here the light of the heavens and the earth, because He has manifested them and brought them into existence. Mishkåt means a niche, but Mjd explains it as meaning ‘am∂d or pillar.
In the parable that follows, Islåm is represented as a likeness of the Divine light, a light placed high on a pillar so as to illuminate the whole world; a light guarded by being placed in a glass, so that no puff of wind can put it out; a light so resplendent that the glass itself in which it is placed is as a brilliant star. It should be noted that the religion of Islåm is repeatedly spoken of as Divine light in the Holy Qur’ån: “They desire to put out the light of Allåh with their mouths, but Allåh will allow nothing save the perfection of His light, though the disbelievers are averse”. Hence it is of Islåm that the parable of Divine light speaks. The blessed olive, from which that light is lit, and which stands here for a symbol of Islåm, as the fig stands for a symbol of Judaism, belongs neither to the East nor to the West. Even so is Islåm, which must give light to both the East and the West, and which, therefore, does not specially belong to either of them. The reference seems to be to the welding together of the East and the West in Islåm, a prophecy which is now approaching its fulfilment in the awakening of the West to the truth of the principles of Islåm.
The parable becomes clearer if the word n∂r (light) be taken to refer to the Holy Prophet. The Prophet was by nature gifted with the highest qualifications. Even before he received Divine revelation, his life was a life of purity and devoted to the service of humanity. Light emanated from him even before the light from on High came to him in the form of Divine revelation, so that when revelation came to him it was light upon light.
The Divine light spoken of in the last verse is here stated as being met with in certain houses, the distinctive mark of those houses being that the name of Allåh is remembered in them, thus showing that these houses are the houses of Muslims, and the light is therefore the light of Islåm. These houses, we are further told, though humble now, will be exalted. And the exaltation of the humble huts of the Arab dwellers of the desert to royal palaces is a fact of history.
A further description of these houses makes the reference still more clear. In these houses Allåh is glorified in the morning and the evening, and therefore these can be the houses of no other than Muslims, because the keeping up of prayer and the paying of the poor-rate is the distinguishing characteristic of Islåm. The opposition to his light, and the end of that opposition, are described in the two concluding verses of the section. The turning about of the hearts and the eyes means either that they will be transformed in the new life or that they will be in a state of commotion by reason of fear. The verse that follows lends support to the first significance.
These verses and the commentary remind me of the saying "the lights are all on but no one is home". Oh I understand it's not the same thing... but that's what came to mind. The Prophet was a brilliant man.
I type whatever comes to mind in these morning postings. That's how I've been doing it for years. I'm too ignorant to come up with these postings on my own. I just read the verses.... and the commentary.... highlight those things that seem to need it.... and type what comes to my mind. I'm an old ignorant woman with no training or insight or even a clue. At least when I post stuff out of the Bible... I can depend on a lifetime of Bible Study in church. I'm a Christian not a Muslim. I've seen a mosque.... but I've never been to the door step.... let alone stepped inside. I'm studying this so that I can understand what is going on in the Middle East. I'm just an ignorant woman with some online verses and some online commentary. I don't have a clue and I admit it. I just type whatever comes to mind.
Anyway.... back to "the lights are all on but no one is home" which means, as I understand it, the person is ignorant.... that's me! OK then. It could also mean.... the person in the house left in such a hurry he didn't bother to put the lights out..... commotion comes to mind.... that's what I'm studying for.... what's the commotion all about? That's what I want to know.... that's me again! OK then.
So.... Allah is the light.... like the luminescent glow of olive oil held up to the light.
I remember reading Abraham Lincoln was a brilliant man. He was self taught. There were no teachers smart enough to teach him. So he learned straight from the authors of the books.... he opened the books and let the learning happen. Everyone knows Abe was "honest" and "self taught". That's just what we were taught about this magnificent man who was in charge during the Civil War. Which ever side of the War the family fell on.... and my family has fallen on both sides of that War.... we have been taught he was "honest" and "self taught". He was brilliant.
In the Quran.... I would say the Prophet is learned.... like Abe.... only the Prophet didn't have books! The printing press was still at least 500 years in the future. According to the commentary and the verses.... the Prophet learned from the "light" itself. He saw the lights were on and he wanted to know why. Once he was told why.... he had to tell everyone else.
The lights are all on..... because now there is a Prophet and a Book..... in the house.
The Prophet was brilliant.
