Good Deed: #224 Become enlightened – Practise Surah Nur- The Light

35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.

Action Plan

1. Surat An-Nur is the surah of social conventions and manners. It focuses on regulating people’s lives at home, seeking to maintain courteous relations between people, reaching a state of harmony and morality in the society; and shows how to purify the community from crimes and sin.

2. he niche is an opening in the wall which surrounds the lamp and protects it. In order to keep the light, there should be a bottle to protect it. It is as if this great Ayah tells Muslims, “If you apply Allah’s (SWT) laws (the light of society) and protect it, and make your hearts like the bottle which encompasses the light, you shall guarantee that it remains illuminated throughout your life.” This light requires a source of illumination, which is, in this case, your work and positiveness as believers. It is as if the Ayahs tell you to find the source of light so as to illuminate the whole society.

3. This sūrah is named al-Nūr, meaning The Light, and light is identified as an essential attribute of God: “God is the light of the heavens and the earth.” (Verse 35) It is also mentioned in respect of its effects on people’s hearts and souls. Such effects are reflected in human morality and the manners of individuals, families and communities. They impart a brightness to human life that enlightens hearts and makes consciences transparent.

4.The central theme of the entire sūrah is the education of the Muslim community. At times, the methods employed by the sūrah increase in their stiffness so as to culminate in prescribing mandatory punishments. At other times the sūrah is softer and more gentle, filling our hearts with God’s light and inviting us to reflect on the numerous signs He has placed throughout the entire universe. The aim of such contrasting approaches is one and the same: to cultivate people’s consciences, enhance their sensitivity and refine their moral standards to the highest degree.

5.The good manners of the individual, the family, the community and society’s leadership are all intertwined as they all stem from the same source, which is belief in God, and shine with the same light received from Him. In essence, these manners combine light, transparency and brightness. Thus the education the sūrah aims to achieve derives all its aspects from the basic source of light in the heavens and earth; that is, God’s light that dispels all darkness in the universe, as well as that in people’s hearts and souls.

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