The Commentary of Verse 35 of Chapter 24 the Light [al-Nur]

Al-Tawḥīd|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 15

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter 15

The Commentary of Verse 35 of Chapter 24 the Light [al-Nur]

Hadith #1

1 - حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن العباس بن هلال، قال: سألت الرضا عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: (الله نور السماوات والأرض) فقال: هاد لأهل السماء وهاد لأهل الأرض. وفي رواية البرقي: هدى من في السماوات وهدى من في الأرض. قال مصنف هذا الكتاب: إن المشبهة تفسر هذه الآية على أنه ضياء السماوات والأرض، ولو كان كذلك لما جاز أن توجد الأرض مظلمة في وقت من الأوقات لا بالليل ولا بالنهار لأن الله هو نورها وضياؤها على تأويلهم وهو موجود غير معدوم، فوجودنا الأرض مظلمة بالليل ووجودنا داخلها أيضا مظلما بالنهار يدل على أن تأويل قوله: (الله نور السماوات والأرض) هو ما قاله الرضا عليه السلام دون تأويله المشبهة، فإنه عز وجل هاد لأهل السماوات والأرض، المبين لأهل السماوات والأرض أمور دينهم ومصالحهم، فلما كان بالله وبهداه يهتدي أهل السماوات والأرض إلى صلاحهم وأمور دينهم كما يهتدون بالنور الذي خلق الله لهم في السماوات والأرض إلى صلاح دنياهم قال: إنه نور السماوات والأرض على هذا المعنى، وأجرى على نفسه هذا الاسم توسعا ومجازا، لأن العقول دالة على أن الله عز وجل لا يجوز أن يكون نورا ولا ضياء ولا من جنس الأنوار والضياء، لأنه خالق الأنوار وخالق جميع أجناس الأشياء، وقد دل على ذلك أيضا قوله: (مثل نوره) وإنما أراد به صفة نوره، وهذا النور هو غيره، لأنه شبهه بالمصباح وضوئه الذي ذكره ووصفه في هذه الآية، ولا يجوز أن يشبه نفسه بالمصباح، لأن الله لا شبه له ولا نظير، فصح أن نوره الذي شبهه بالمصباح إنما هو دلالته أهل السماوات و الأرض على مصالح دينهم وعلى توحيد ربهم وحكمته وعدله، ثم بين وضوح دلالته هذه وسماها نورا من حيث يهتدي بها عبادة إلى دينهم وصلاحهم، فقال: مثله كمثل كوة وهي المشكاة فيها المصباح والمصباح هو السراج في زجاجة صافية شبيهة بالكوكب الدري في صفائه، والكوكب الدري، هو الكوكب المشبه بالدر في لونه، وهذا المصباح الذي في هذه الزجاجة الصافية يتوقد من زيت زيتونة مباركة، وأراد به زيتون الشام لأنه يقال: إنه بورك فيه لأهله وعنى عز وجل بقوله: (لا شرقية ولا غربية) أن هذه الزيتونة ليست بشرقية فلا تسقط الشمس عليها في وقت الغروب، ولا غربية فلا تسقط الشمس عليها في وقت الطلوع، بل هي في أعلى شجرها والشمس تسقط عليها في طول نهارها فهو أجود لها وأضوء لزيتها، ثم أكد وصفه لصفاء زيتها فقال: (يكاد زيتها يضئ ولو لم تمسسه نار) لما فيها من الصفاء فبين أن دلالات الله التي بها دل عباده في السماوات والأرض على مصالحهم وعلى أمور دينهم هي في الوضوح والبيان بمنزلة هذا المصباح الذي في هذه الزجاجة الصافية ويتوقد بها الزيت الصافي الذي وصفه، فيجتمع فيه ضوء النار مع ضوء الزجاجة وضوء الزيت وهو معنى قوله: (نور على نور) وعنى بقوله عز وجل: (يهدي الله لنوره من يشاء) يعني من عباده وهم المكلفون ليعرفوا بذلك ويهتدوا به ويستدلوا به على توحيد ربهم وسائر أمور دينهم، وقد دل الله عز وجل بهذه الآية وبما ذكره من وضوح دلالاته وآياته التي دل بها عباده على دينهم أن أحد منهم لم يؤت فيما صار إليه من الجهل ومن تضييع الدين لشبهة ولبس دخلا عليه في ذلك من قبل الله عز وجل، إذ كان الله عز وجل قد بين لهم دلالاته وآياته على سبيل ما وصف، وإنهم إنما أتوا في ذلك من قبل أنفسهم بتركهم النظر في دلالات الله واستدلال بها على الله عز وجل وعلى صلاحهم في دينهم، وبين أنه بكل شئ من مصالح عباده ومن غير ذلك عليم.

1. My father, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah on the authority of Ya`qub ibn Yazid on the authority of al-`Abbas ibn Hilal that I asked al-Rida about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: “Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth.” So he replied : “He is the Guide of the Inhabitants of Heaven and the Guide of the Inhabitants of the Earth.” While the narration of al-Barqi states: “He guides whatever is in the Heavens, and He guides whatever is in the Earth.” The Compiler of this book says: The anthropomorphist interpret this verse as He is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. If that were correct, how is it possible to find darkness on the Earth at any time, be it day or night? If Allah was the Light of the Heavens, and the Earth, according to their interpretation, He would have to be perpetually present, and could not be non-existent at times. Therefore, when we find the Earth dark at night, and when we find the inside of the Earth dark (even) during the day, then this indicates that the interpretation of : “Allah is the Light of heaves, and the Earth,” is what al-Rida has said and not that the anthropomorphist have given. So, verily, He, the Mighty and High, is the Guide of the Inhabitants in the Heavens and the Earth, and the Indicator [Mubayyin] for the Inhabitants of the Heavens and the Earth in their religious and worldly affairs. In the same way that the inhabitants of the Heavens and the Earth are guided by Allah in their religious affairs, they are guided by the Light that Allah has created for them in the Heavens and the Earth in their worldly affairs. This is what He meant when He said that He was the Light of the Heaves and the Earth. The attribute He applied to Himself is metaphorical since, intellectually – speaking, it is not logical for Allah, the Mighty and High, to be light or to glow, or to belong to the realm of lights, for the simple fact that He is the Creator of Light. His Statement also applies to the verse: “A likeness of His Light.” Verily, He intended by it the description of His Light. Evidently, this Light is other than Him since He anthropomorphized it with the lamp and its glow, as He mentioned and described in this verse. It is not permissible to anthropomorphize His Being with the lamp, because there is no likeness and no equivalent to Allah. Therefore, it is correct to say that His Light, which He anthropomorphized with a lamp, refers to His Guidance. It refers to the fact that He guides the inhabitants of the Heaves and the Earth towards His Religion, towards divine Unity, toward His Wisdom, and towards His Justice. After explaining the Clearness of His Guidance and naming it “Light,” as He guides with it His Servants to His Religion and what is in their best interests, He said: A likeness of it is a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp is in a clear glass that resembles a brightly shining star in its clearness. The brightly shining star is a star that resembles a pearl in its color. This lamp, which is in a clear glass, light from a blessed olive oil. He has intended by this Syrian oil, because it is said: It is blessed for its inhabitants. By “Neither eastern nor western,” the Mighty and High means that this oil is neither eastern, so that he sun does not shine on it at the time of sunset, nor western so that the sun does not shine on it at the time of sunrise. Rather, it is from the upper part of the tree and the sun shines on it throughout the day. This is what makes it the best, and makes its oil light. He then emphasized the clearness of its oil; that “the oil whereof almost gives light through fire touches it not” to describe its clarity. He explains that the religious guidance that Allah gives His Servants in the Heavens and the Earth, is clear, and its explanation, which is the clear glass, is equally clear. The fire ignites the clear oil as He described. The glow of the fire combines with the glow of glass and the glow of oil in it. This is the meaning of His Word: “light upon light,” and this is what He, the Mighty and High, meant: “Allah guides to His light whom He pleases.” That is, from His Servants who have reached the age of maturity so that they may recognize by that and be guided through it, and reason with it, regarding the unity of their Lord, and all religious matters. Allah, the Mighty and High, has indicated by this verse what He has mentioned of His Clear Indications and Signs with which He guides His Servants in their religion. In other words, none of them have been left in ignorance. If any of them neglect their religion, it is not due to vagueness or ambiguity on behalf of Allah, the Mighty and High, since Allah, the Mighty and High, has explained to them His Indications and Signs. Verily, they come to make mistake, due to forgetting about Allah’s sings and failing to derive through these signs the existence of Allah, the Mighty and High, and what is in their best religious interest. He has also explained that He Is All-Knowing when it comes to the interest of His Servants.