Al-hamdulillah, we had a powerful and wide-ranging discussion last night. Thanks to all those who came and participated! Please find below a few of the Qur'anic texts we read, pondered, and discussed.
LIGHT UPON LIGHT:
THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS
February 1, 2013, at the Inner Garden, Toronto
SELECTED REFERENCES TO DARKNESS AND LIGHT in the Qur’ān:
From sūra(t)
al-baqara / “the cow” (2): 257
God is the Guardian / Patron of those who believe; God
takes them out of the darknesses and into the light - whereas those who
maliciously misrepresent and deny the truth, their guardians / patrons are the
evil ones who take them out of the light and into the darknesses; such are the
people of the fire, therein to abide forever.[1]
From sūra(t)
al-an‘ām / the livestock” (6):1
Praise God, who created the heavens and the earth and made
the darknesses and the light; thereafter, those who rebelliously reject / deny
[God’s generosity] place [themselves] on a par with their [true] Lord.
The Qur’ān frequently refers to itself and to the other scriptures as books containing light and guidance, by which God extracts believers from the darknesses and brings them into the light.
from sūra(t)
al-mā’idah / “the table” (5):16
And through [the light and clear book that has come to
you] God guides whosoever follows His good pleasure along paths of peace; By
His grace, He brings them out of the darknesses [and] into the light and guides
them to an upright path.[2]
Throughout the Qur’ān,
revelation is celebrated as a means by which God brings humanity out of the
various darknesses of this world and into the one light, which of course we
understand to be Truth, God,[3]
who is explicitly called “The Light of the Heavens and the Earth.”
From sūra(t)
an-nūr / “the light” (24): 35
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. A parable for His light is a niche in which
there is a lamp; the lamp is in glass, and the glass is like to a glittering
star – lit from a blessed olive tree, of neither the east nor the west, a tree
whose oil is just about to burst into light though no fire has touched it. Light upon light! God guides whomsoever He wills to His
light. God crafts [such] parables for
the benefit of the people, and God is, of all things, knowing.
from sūra(t)
al-falaq / the light that cleaves the
darkness of night (113)
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the light that
cleaves the darkness of night
from the evil / destructive force of that which He has
created;
and from the evil / destructive energy of the black,
impenetrable darkness as it spreads over;
and from the evil / destructive power of those who
practice occult arts and witchcraft;
and from the evil / destructive power of the envious
one when envy arises [within him].
