| Abstract
The Qur’ān, the religious book of the
Muslims, is very rich in imagery. Sent for the guidance of mankind, the Qur’ān
deals with many subjects belonging to the super-sensory realm, such as faith in
one God, Angels, Doomsday and Resurrection, Heaven and Hell. To endow its
followers with deep-rooted conviction, it presents its message in a pictographic
manner. This is the assertion of Qur’ānic scholars like Sayyid Qutub and
Muhammad Asad. In this article, this researcher, a student of English
literature, has attempted to present an overview of the Qur’ānic imagery of
light and darkness.
Qur’ānic Imagery of Light and Darkness
See they not that We have made the
Night for them to rest in and the Day to give them light? Verily in this are
Signs for any people that believe! (27:86)
He is the One Who sends to His
servant manifest signs that He may lead you from the depths of Darkness into the
Light and verily Allah is to you most kind and Merciful. (57:9)
The above verses of the Qur’ān present a
contrast between light and darkness that touches a chord deep in human psyche.
Man’s first experience of life is from the darkness of the womb
to the light of his earthly existence. The alternation of day and night
regulates all activities of life for him. Our very life source is light that
reaches us from the sun. Deprived of light, life itself would perish. Utter
darkness would become the darkness of death.
Light is synonymous with life: literally
and figuratively. Literally, as already discussed, life is dependent on the
light and heat of the sun; figuratively, as it also stands for faith, guidance,
hope, bliss, happiness and righteousness. In the Qur’ān, there are many verses
that employ images of light and darkness. The present article attempts to
present an overview of such imagery.
Qur’ānic Style: Pictographic and
Contrastive
In order to appreciate the imagery of
light and darkness in the Qur’ān, it needs to be kept in mind that the
characteristic Qur’ānic style is pictorial
and contrastive.
Before entering this discussion, the
term imagery needs to be defined. According to B. Bernard Cohen:
The term imagery is vital to the
study of poetic style and should be used to include both images and figures of
speech. An image is generally a sense impression created by a direct or
recognizable sense appeal in words. Such an appeal should present a description
so graphic or clear that the reader can relate it to his own senses or his own
experience.
The Qur’ān gives graphic descriptions of
its central concepts so that “the reader can relate it to his own senses or his
own experience”. According to Sayyid Qutub, the chief characteristic of the
Qur’ān – the essence of its magical impact on its audience, is its pictographic
style. This means that the Qur’ān unfolds its meaning through the use of images
or mental pictures. Abstract meaning is presented in a concrete form that can be
perceived by the senses. Similes and metaphors are used for this purpose.
Personification is also employed. Thus the meaning penetrates the depth of human
psyche not just mentally but also visually.
In order to ensure righteous conduct,
man must have a deep-rooted conviction that all his deeds, good or bad would be
recompensed. Simply telling him so would be insufficient. According to Muhammad
Asad:
Such statements would be far too
general and abstract to appeal to man’s imagination and, thus, to influence his
behaviour. What is needed is a more direct appeal to the intellect, resulting in
a kind of “visualization” of the consequences of one’s conscious acts and
omissions: and such an appeal can be effectively produced by means of metaphors,
allegories and parables, each of them stressing, on the one hand, the absolute
dissimilarity of all that man will experience after resurrection from whatever
he did or could experience in this world; and, on the other hand, establishing
means of comparison between these two categories of experience.
What Asad says about the use of
symbolism in the Qur’ān is in accordance with the approach adopted by Sayyid
Qutub. The Qur’ān uses images or mental pictures to present its message in a
persuasive form. Light and darkness constitute visual images. Abstract concepts
such as faith and disbelief, goodness and evil, virtue and vice are presented
using the imagery of light and darkness. Man can instinctively relate such
imagery to his experience as, by nature, he is attracted to light and is fearful
of darkness. Such behaviour is primordial, primeval, and instinctive.
The characteristic Qur’ānic style is not
just pictographic but also comparative and contrastive. Isrār Ahmed Khān takes
“comparison” as a part of Qur’ānic methodology. He divides Qur’ānic comparisons
into two: demonstrated and implied. In the case of implied comparisons, just one
aspect e.g. qualities of believers in (23:1-9) are mentioned. On the other hand,
in demonstrated comparisons opposites are explicitly mentioned. According to
him, such comparisons have been used in approximately fourteen different places
in the Qur’ān.
In the Qur’ān, the believers and the
disbelievers, the righteous and the wrong-doers, the knowledgeable and the
ignorant, the seeing and the blind, the living and the dead, heaven and hell –
all are compared. Light and darkness are amongst the contrasts employed in
Qur’ānic verses to present its message in an effective form as in the following
“demonstrated comparisons”:
The blind and the seeing are not
alike; Nor are the depths of darkness and the light; Nor are the [chilly] shade
and the [genial] heat of the sun: Nor are alike those that are living and those
that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but you can not make
those to hear who are [buried] in graves. (35:19-22)
Say: “Who is the Lord and Sustainer
of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “[It is] Allah.” Say: “Do you then take [for
worship] protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for
harm to themselves?” Say: “Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths
of darkness equal with light?” Or do they assign to Allah partners who have
created [anything] as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them
similar? Say: “Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme
and Irresistible.” (13:16)
In the above verse, many rhetorical
questions hinging on two contrasting states [blind new and the seeing, light and
darkness] are mentioned to make man believe in the sole sovereignty of Allah.
Images of Light and Darkness in the
Qur’ān
What are the different images of light
and darkness in the Qur’ān? The word most frequently employed for light in
Qur’ān is “nūr” (generally translated as “light”). For darkness, generally
“zulumāt” is used (translated as “darkness/darknesses”) which is the plural of “zulmat”.
Its root is “z-l-m” which is also that for “zulm” i.e. “wrong-doing”
and “injustice”. The Qur’ān always uses the plural for darkness i.e. “zulumāt”
and singular for light i.e. “nūr”. According to some interpretations it is
because “the source of light is only one but the source of falsehood and the
means to go astray are countless”.
Moreover, even a ray of light can pierce layers of darkness.
The Encyclopaedic Index of the Qur’ān
defines “zulumāt” i.e. darkness as (1) Opposite of light (2) Opposite of
Guidance.
The Qur’ān refers to light and darkness
as amongst the first things to be created:
Praise be to Allah, Who created the
heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light. Yet those who reject
faith hold [others] as equal, with their Guardian-Lord. (6:1)
It is interesting to note that darkness
is defined chiefly as the absence of light in most languages.
In the Qur’ān, darkness is either due to the absence of light or guidance.
Mention has been made of the darkness of the womb
as well as darkness of the earth10.
The faces of disbelievers on the Day of Judgement would be dark.
They would be deprived of the light of Allah’s mercy.
Sun, Moon and Stars
Light images in the Qur’ān pertain to
different sources. Firstly, there are the heavenly bodies i.e. the sun, moon and
the stars that provide light to the earth. There are many references in the
Qur’ān to day and night, the sun and the moon with or without the explicit
mention of light and darkness:
Blessed is He who made
constellations in the skies, and placed therein a lamp and a moon giving light.
(25:61)
Lamp in this verse has been used as a
metaphor
for the sun. There are references to the darkness of the night in the Qur’ān:
And a sign for them is the night: We
withdraw there-from the Day, and behold! they are plunged in darkness. (36:37)
This darkness is beneficial as it
ensures rest and sleep for man:
See they not that We have made the
night for them to rest in and the day to give them light? Verily in this are
signs for any people that believe! (27:86)
Science today distinguishes between the
light of the sun and the moon. The Qur’ān also makes this distinction. For the
light of the moon, “nūr” is used which is said to signify “reflected light”. In
contrast, with reference to the sun which has its own light, the word “diyā’”
has been used in the Qur’ān:
It is He who made the sun to be a
shining glory and the moon to be a light [of beauty], and measured out stages
for her; that you might know the number of years and the count [of time]. Nowise
did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. [Thus] He explains His
signs in detail for those who understand. (10:5)
Stars are also a source of light:
[It is] the star of piercing
brightness. (86:3)
The light of the stars provides guidance
to travellers:
It is He Who makes the stars [as
beacons] for you that you may guide yourselves, with their help, through the
dark spaces of land and sea: We detail our signs for people who know. (6:97)
Sun, moon, and stars – sources of light
– all have a concrete physical reality. In literature, a symbol is something
that extends meaning beyond its physical presence. Thus, the sun, moon and stars
– sources of light – indicate the presence of their Creator and are all symbols.
In fact, they are called “āyāt” or the signs of Allah in the Qur’ān.
Every verse of the Qur’ān is, in fact, a
sign of Allah.
The Qur’ān says:
It is He who made the sun to be a
shining glory and the moon to be a light [of beauty], and measured out stages
for her; that ye might know the number of years and the count [of time]. Nowise
did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. [Thus] He explains His
signs in detail for those who understand. (10:5)
Light as Guidance
“Nūr” is also used in the Qur’ān as a
metaphor for revelation, faith, guidance, goodness, hope, bliss, contentment. It
is the source of all that is good since its origin is from Allah:
Allah is the light of the heavens and
the earth. (24:35)
According to The Encyclopaedic Index of
the Qur’ān, the word “nūr” occurs in the Qur’ān 43 times, for the Qur’ān, the
Torah, the Gospel, the light of moon, faith, guidance, light of believers,
opposite of darkness etc.” Qāmūs al-Alfāz Qur’ān al-Karīm lists five different
usages of “nūr” in the Qur’ān. These are:
(1) the form of radiant energy which
stimulates organs of the sight
(2) faith, belief, inner satisfaction
opp. darknesses
(3) wisdom, divine knowledge, clear
signs that remove doubt and lead to faith
(4) the divine book – the source of
guidance
(5) Prophet’s mission
The first of these i.e. “the form of
radiant energy which stimulates organs of the sight” refers to physical light as
discussed in the previous section.
Spiritual life and the light of guidance
go hand in hand. According to the Qur’ān, only those receive guidance who are
alive:
We have not instructed the [Prophet]
in poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Qur’ān
making things clear: That it may give admonition to any [who are] alive, and
that the charge may be proved against those who reject [Truth]. (36:69-70)
This is also borne out by (6:122).
From the above verses, it is evident
that the Qur’ān links light with life itself. Just as physical earthly existence
is dependent on the light of the sun, similarly, spiritual life depends on the
light of faith. Thus, Qur’ān – the source of guidance – has been called “nūr”.
Allah addresses the Prophet (sws) thus:
Alif, Lām, Rā. A Book which We have
revealed unto thee, in order that you might lead mankind out of the depths of
darkness into light – by the leave of their Lord – to the way of [Him] the
Exalted in power, worthy of all praise! (14:1)
The earlier revelations of Allah – all
have been termed “nūr” i.e. light. The people of the Book are told:
We sent Moses with our signs [and the
command]. “Bring out your people from the depths of darkness into light, and
teach them to remember the days of Allah.” Verily in this there are signs for
such as are firmly patient and constant – grateful and appreciative. (14:5)
In the past We granted to Moses and
Aaron the criterion [for judgment], and a light and a message for those who
would do right. (21:48)
Allah’s light is the ultimate truth. It
is bound to prevail over all forces of darkness. A promise is made in the Book
of Allah:
Fain would they extinguish Allah’s
light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow but that his light should be
perfected, even though the unbelievers may detest [it]. (9:32)
The Prophet (sws) is told:
And thus have We, by our command,
sent inspiration to you: you knew not [before] what was revelation, and what was
faith; but We have made [the Qur’ān] a light, wherewith We guide such of our
servants as We will; and verily you guide [men] to the straight way. (42:52)
Though generally it is “nūr” which is
used as a metaphor for guidance, in one verse, “diyā” has been used:
In the past We granted to Moses and
Aaron the criterion [for judgment], and a light and a message for those who
would do right. (21:48)
Fire and Lightning
Fire is an oft-occurring image in the
Qur’ān. It generally denotes hell-fire, the abode of evil-doers and a place of
torment. However, mention has been made of the fire that acts as a source of
illumination. The very first parable in Sūrah Baqarah (2:17-20) presents the
kindling of the fire as an allegory for faith. Mention is also made of
lightening in this parable. However, the disbelievers choose to remain in the
darkness:
Their similitude is that of a man who
kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and
left them in utter darkness. So they could not see. Deaf, dumb, and blind, they
will not return [to the path]. Or [another similitude] is that of a rain-laden
cloud from the sky: In it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning: They
press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunder-clap, the
while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of
Faith! The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light
[helps] them, they walk therein, and when the darkness grows on them, they stand
still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and
seeing; for Allah has power over all things (2:17-20)
Lightening also evokes a light image.
The vivid flash of his lightning
well-nigh blinds the sight. (24:43)
References to lightning also occur in
(13:12) and (30:24).
A burning or blazing fire also produces
light. Qāmūs al-Alfāz Qur’ān al-Karīm defines “nār” i.e. fire as “the evolution
of heat and light by combustion.” Some descriptions of hell-fire evoke a light
image as in the following verses:
Except such as snatch away something
by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
(37:10)
Burnt soon will he be in a fire of
blazing flame! (111:3)
A blazing fire is also mentioned in
(8:50) and (25:11).
Flaming fire is also referred to in the
context of shooting stars in the Qur’ān:
We have indeed decked the lower
heaven with beauty [in] the stars…Except such as snatch away something by
stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.
(37:6-10)
The verse (15:18) also mentions “flaming
fire” in the same context.
Mankind – in Light and Darkness
The Qur’ān divides mankind into two
broad categories: those willing to receive guidance and those who choose to go
astray. Those willing to receive guidance are said to be in the light – they are
the believers. Those who are evil-doers follow darkness – they are the “kuffār”
i.e. the rejecters of faith.
Allah directs man from darkness to
light. It is said:
Wherewith Allah guides all who seek
His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of darkness,
by His will, unto the light – guides them to a path that is straight. (5:16)
From the above verse, it is clear that
Allah gives guidance to those who are willing to receive it.
He it is who sends blessings on you,
as do His angels that He may bring you out from the depths of darkness into
light: and He is full of mercy to the believers. Allah is the protector of those
who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light.
Of those who reject faith, the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will
lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the
fire, to dwell therein [forever]. (2:257)
The movement from darkness to light is
also repeated in (5:16), (14:1), (14:5), (57:9), (33:43) and (65:11).
The contrast between believers and the
non-believers is made clear by means of an analogy:
Can he who was dead, to whom We gave
life, and a light whereby he can walk amongst men, be like him who is in the
depths of darkness, from which he can never come out? Thus to those without
faith their own deeds seem pleasing. (6:122)
The People of the Book are told:
Those who follow the apostle, the
unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own [scriptures] – in the
law and the Gospel – for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is
evil; he allows them as lawful what is good [and pure] and prohibits them from
what is bad [and impure]; He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the
yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help
him, and follow the light which is sent down with him – it is they who will
prosper. (7:157)
The Day of Judgement and the Hereafter
Lack of light is death – physical as
well as spiritual. Doomsday would occur when sources of light would be
destroyed. In (81:2) it is said:
When the sun [with its spacious
light] is folded up; when the stars fall, losing their lustre. (81:1-2)
After Doomsday, there would be
resurrection and Judgement:
And the earth will shine with the
glory of its Lord: the record [of deeds] will be placed [open]; the prophets and
the witnesses will be brought forward and a just decision pronounced between
them; and they will not be wronged [in the least]. (39:69)
Faces of Believers and Disbelievers
The contrastive imagery of light and
darkness is sustained not just for this world but for the Hereafter as well. On
the Day of Judgement, the two categories of believers and disbelievers would be
distinguishable by whether their faces are light or dark:
You wilt recognise in their faces the
beaming brightness of Bliss. (83:24)
On the day when some faces will be
[lit up with] white, and some faces will be [in the gloom of] black: To those
whose faces will be black, [will be said]: “Did you reject faith after accepting
it? Taste then the penalty for rejecting faith.” But those whose faces will be
[lit with] white – they will be in [the Light of] Allah’s mercy: therein to
dwell [forever]. (3:106-107)
In the translation of the above verse,
instead of “white”, ‘Abdul Halīm employs the expression “those with brightened
faces”.
The condition of the non-believers is
made manifest by means of a simile in this verse:
But those who have earned evil will
have a reward of like evil: ignominy will cover their [faces]: No defender will
they have from [the wrath of] Allah: Their faces will be covered, as it were,
with pieces from the depth of the darkness of night: they are companions of the
fire: they will abide therein [for aye]! (10:27)
And other faces that day will be
dust-stained, blackness will cover them. (80:40-41)
Heaven and Hell
After the Judgement, the greatest
misfortune of the disbelievers would be their deprivation from the light of
Allah. Heaven and Hell are places of light and darkness. The dwellers of Hell
would yearn for a ray of light:
One day will the hypocrites – men and
women – say to the believers: “Wait for us! Let us borrow [a light] from your
light!” It will be said: “Turn you back to your rear! then seek a light [where
you can]!” So a wall will be put up betwixt them, with a gate therein. Within it
will be mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be [wrath and]
punishment! (57:13)
The believers, on the other hand, would
be in a state of total bliss. Their prayer in this condition would be:
O you who believe! Turn to Allah with
sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills
and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow – the day that Allah will not
permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light
will run forward before them and by their right hands, while they say, “Our
Lord! perfect our light for us, and grant us forgiveness: for You have power
over all things.” (66:8)
But Allah will deliver them from the
evil of that day, and will shed over them a light of beauty and a [blissful]
joy. (76:11)
Importance
The most significant aspects of the
Qur’ān are linked with light. Thus (31:20) talks about light-giving revelation,
(33:46) and (3:184) about light-giving beacon, (27:13) about light-giving
messages, (17:12) about light-giving symbol of day. The great significance of
light and darkness can be determined from the oaths used in the Qur’ān. Oaths
form an important part of Qur’ānic style. On the authority of Zarkashī, Isrār
Ahmed Khān defines an oath as “a phrase whereby an information is confirmed and
emphasized”.
According to him, Allah swears in the Qur’ān by “His own existence” as well as
by that of His acts and creation:
By the night as it conceals [the
light]; by the day as it appears in glory… (92:1-2)
The following oaths also embody the
contrast of day and night, light and darkness:
By the sun and its [glorious]
splendour; by the moon as it follows [the sun]; by the day as it shows up [the
sun’s] glory; by the night as it conceals it… (91:1-4)
Man with his finite knowledge cannot
conceive the omniscience of Allah. To give him some idea of Allah’s knowledge,
the image of darkness is employed:
With Him are the keys of the unseen,
the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth
and in the sea. Not a leaf does fall but with His knowledge: there is not a
grain in the darkness [or depths] of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry but is
[inscribed] in a record clear [to those who can read]. (6:59)
Darkness, in the Qur’ān, is used as a
visual image signifying lack of light as well as a metaphor for evil. Sūrah
Falaq is a good example of how the literal and figurative meanings blend where
protection is sought of the Almighty Allah from the evil inherent in the
darkness of the night:
Say: “I seek refuge with the Lord of
the dawn. From the mischief of created things; from the mischief of darkness as
it overspreads. (113:1-3)
The above verses embody a contrast
between light and darkness. The protection is sought from “the Lord of the dawn”
from “the mischief of darkness as it overspreads.”
Duality of Aspects
There are dual aspects of the images of
light and darkness in the Qur’ān. All light images are not positive e.g. the
blazing fire of Hell does evoke a light image though it is not positive. The
following image of torment for the rejecters of truth evokes a terrifyingly
beautiful light image:
Depart you to a shadow [of smoke
ascending] in three columns, [which yields] no shade of coolness, and is of no
use against the fierce blaze. Indeed it throws about sparks [huge] as forts, as
if there were [a string of] yellow camels [marching swiftly]. (77:30-33)
However, all light images linked with
“nūr” are positive as Allah himself has been called the “nūr” of the heavens and
the earth in (24:35).
All images of darkness are not negative.
For example, Allah has made night for man to rest in. Therefore, its darkness is
beneficial. The expression used in this context is “that you may rest
therein” in (10:67) as well as in (27:86) and (40:61). Similarly, the dark
mantle of night enables believers to meditate as testified in Sūrah Muzzammil
about the Prophet (sws):
O you folded in garments! Stand [to
prayer] by night, but not all night – half of it – or a little less, or a little
more; and recite the Qur’ān in slow, measured rhythmic tones. (73:1-4)
Parables
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary, a parable is “(esp. in the Bible) story told to illustrate a moral
or spiritual truth”. The Qur’ān also employs a number of parables to drive home
its lessons. Zamakhsharī comments that the “parables bring out the hidden
imports, and lift up veils from the realities to the extent that the envisioned
appears real, the imagination turns positively certain, and the non-existent
exists.”
The most profound amongst the parables
in the Qur’ān employ images of light and darkness. The foremost amongst these
might be the one known as the light verse:
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 does
guide whom He will to his light: Allah does set forth parables for men: and
Allah does know all things. (24:34)
The above verse employs a beautiful
metaphor with reference to Allah’s light. In fact, Allah himself is “the light
of the heavens and the earth”. All light is from Him as is all guidance. He
guides “whom He will to his light”. The prayer of the believers in afterlife
would be “Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and grant us forgiveness: for You
have power over all things.” (66:8)
The profundity of the light verse could
be realized from the fact that volumes have been written to discuss it, the
chief-most being Mishkāt al-Anwār by Ghazālī.
Asad comments:
The particle ka (“as if” or “as it
were”) prefixed to a noun is called kāf-i tashbīh (the letter kāf pointing to a
resemblance of one thing to another or indicating a metaphor). In the above
context it alludes to the impossibility of defining God even by means of a
metaphor or a parable, since “there is nothing like unto Him” (42:11), there is
also “nothing that could be compared with Him” (112:4). Hence, the parable of
“the light of God” is not meant to express His reality – which is inconceivable
to any created being and, therefore, inexpressible in any human language – but
only to allude to the illumination which He, who is the ultimate truth, bestows
upon the mind and the feelings of all who are willing to be guided. Tabari,
Baghāwī and Ibn Kathīr quote Ibn ‘Abbās and Ibn Mas‘ūd as saying in this
context: “It is the parable of His light in the heart of a believer.”
Bennabi, while calling the above verse
“one of the most beautiful metaphors of the Qur’ān” goes on to add that “it is
one of the most remarkable coincidences of the Qur’ānic notions with scientific
facts”. “Borrowing some adequate equivalents of its symbolic terms from modern
technology”, he makes the following substitutions “suggested by the very terms
of the verse”:
Niche = Projector = Reflector
Flame = Incandescent Luminous Object =
Filament
Glass = Bulb
Bennabi, thus, interprets this verse as
follows:
“Even without the contact of fire,
the light flashes out of a projector, in which there is a filament in a bulb,
which is lit up by the essence of a blessed tree, which is neither from the east
nor from the west.” We should notice here one of the most astounding
coincidences of revealed notions with subsequent scientific facts.
Muhammad Iqbāl, in expounding the light
verse says:
No doubt, the opening sentence of the
verse gives the impression of an escape from an individualistic conception of
God. But when we follow the metaphor of light in the rest of the verse, it gives
just the opposite impression. The development of metaphor is meant rather to
exclude the suggestion of a formless cosmic element by centralizing the light in
a flame which is further individualized by its encasement in a glass likened
unto a well-defined star. [. . .] in the world of change, light is the nearest
approach to the Absolute. The metaphor of light as applied to God, therefore,
must, in view of modern knowledge, be taken to suggest the Absoluteness of God
and not His Omnipresence which easily lends itself to a pantheistic
interpretation.
The light verse is linked with faith.
After a few verses, the opposing state of the unbeliever is presented. A picture
of absolute darkness is painted which fact is borne out by modern science today.
Just as for the believer, there is light upon light, for the unbeliever, there
are depths of darkness, one above another:
Or [the unbelievers’ state] is like
the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by
billow, topped by [dark] clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man
stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah gives not
light, there is no light! (24:40)
The very first parables in the Qur’ān in
Sūrah Baqarah (2:17-20) employ images of light and darkness as metaphors for
faith and disbelief, goodness and evil. The light images are due to fire and
lightning as mentioned earlier. Many interpretations, some widely different,
have been given of these verses. True light is from Allah. The disbelievers
wilfully choose to remain in darkness. In spite of having eyes, they have been
termed blind as they shut their eyes from the light of true faith.
Darkness and Light – Archetypal Images –
Present in Human Nature as well as World Literature
The question can arise in one’s mind as
to why the Qur’ān employs imagery of light and darkness. The answer might be
that both light and darkness are linked with the sense of sight. They are
amongst the most basic of visual images. The ability to see in human beings is
directly linked with light. Thus, light is revealing and illuminating.
Light and darkness is the central
contrast that shapes all activities of life in the form of alternation of day
and night. Dawn for man has always been synonymous with hope. Maybe it is part
of the Collective Unconscious – those archetypal images – that act like
instincts to human psyche, which are universal and primordial.
According to the Bible also the first
thing to be created by God was light and darkness:
In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and
void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and
there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was
good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis: 1-4)
The imagery of light and darkness
appears in all literatures of the world. They appear to be universal symbols
embedded deep in human psyche. Paradoxically both good and evil are present in
human nature i.e. man contains within himself both darkness and light. According
to Jung, the Collective Unconscious is the deepest layer of the unconscious and
is “universal, supra-personal and non-individual”.
The contents of the collective unconscious are called “archetypes” and their
particular symbolic manifestations, “archetypal images”. Archetypes are
perceived and experienced subjectively through certain universal, typical,
recurring mythological motifs and images which symbolically elaborated in
various ways are the basic contents of religions, mythologies, legends and fairy
tales of all ages.
Darkness and light are amongst these
archetypal images. Jungian psychology relates archetype images of the great
mother i.e. the earth and the spiritual father i.e. the sun, to darkness and
light.
Jungian interpretation of these
archetypal images is different from the one in the Qur’ān. The Qur’ān does not
link all images of darkness with earth and light with the sun. However, it does
treat light and darkness as universal symbols of faith and disbelief, virtue and
vice, good and evil, hope and despair. Similar images are found in all
scriptures
as well as literature. Lady Macbeth, lost due to the despair of guilt, says
“Hell is murky”.
The Hell portrayed by Milton is a dark place where in spite of the flames there
is no light:
A dungeon horrible, on all sides round,
As one great furnace flam’d; yet from
those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible.
In Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth most
evil deeds are committed under cover of the darkness of the night, e.g. the
murders of King Duncan and Banquo. Such verses also recall the epic simile of
Leviathan – the sea-monster in Milton’s Paradise Lost.
Conclusion
No aspect of the Qur’ān can ever be
delved to its full depth. The present article aimed at presenting simply an
overview of the imagery of light and darkness in the Qur’ān. It was found that
light images pertain to different sources such as the heavenly bodies like the
sun, moon and stars. Light is used as a metaphor for guidance. When the word
“nūr” appears, such a light image is always positive as it is an attribute of
Allah Himself. Light would also appear on the faces of the believers on the Day
of Judgement.
In the Qur’ān, the imagery of light and
darkness presents abstract conceptions such as faith and disbelief, goodness and
evil, virtue and vice, hope and despair, bliss and torment in a visual form. It
shows that the entire mankind is divided into two groups: the believers who are
in the light and the disbelievers grappling aimlessly in the dark. The technique
of contrast highlights their different plight.
Duality of aspects is also significant
with regard to light and darkness. While all light images in the Qur’ān are not
positive (e.g. the blazing fire of Hell), all images of darkness are also not
negative. The darkness of the night provides repose to man. It is a time for
prayer and meditation to the true believer.
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