Light upon Light - Ayah tul Noor (24:35)

THE PARABLE OF LIGHT/ VERSE OF NOOR

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. (24:35)



DISCLAIMER: There are many different interpretations of this Ayah, and it is impossible to fully comprehend this beautiful Ayah with our limited capabilities. I have just described the most common interpretation of this Ayah, based on authentic Tafaseer

﴿اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ﴾

MEANING OF NOOR

1. Allah IS light. 

This is a parable that is so strong that Allah hasn't even used a word to give similitude.
e.g. if we say you are brave like a lion (we compare bravery to lion)
if we say you are like a lion (it means we are comparing to the dominant attribute of lion)
if we say you ARE a lion(we compare to a lion, without using an اعداد تشبيه, a tool for comparison, which is the strongest form of similitude)

Allah says HE is the light of Heavens and Earth. This does not refer to Allah's ذات(physical essence) but it refers to Allah's صفات(attributes). NOOR is something that is bright and manifest on its own, and illuminates other things and makes them bright and evident as well. (Imam Ghazali R.A.)  Through His light, everything in the heavens and Earth is illuminated.

Everything in the Universe is a reflection of Allah's noor, whether that reflection is visible/tangible e.g. the sun and the stars, or it is abstract e.g. our بصارة and بصيرت.  Our Basaarah(ability to see) and our Baseerah(spiritual insight), are also reflections of His Nur.

Moreover, in order to see and appreciate anything, we need our own light (vision/eyes) AND light around us. It is not possible to physically see anything in absolute darkness, even if we have an intact eyesight. So, we need both kinds of light: the light within, and the light around us. "The light of the sun is no good, if the light of the eyes is missing."

It is recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "When the Messenger of Allah got up to pray at night, he would say:

«اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ»

O Allah, to You be praise, You are the Sustainer of heaven and earth and whoever is in them. To You be praise, You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. 

The heavens and the earth refers to the visible physical realm. By giving the example of the seen physical reality, Allah will show us how to understand the unseen spiritual reality غيب. Our view of the SEEN will make us think about the reality of the UNSEEN.

2. The deeper meaning is that Allah is the source of GUIDANCE/HIDAYA/SPIRITUAL LIGHT for the heavens and the Earth. Just like the physical light, Allah has also given us an inner spiritual light(fitrah) through which we perceive the truth, and Allah has also given us a source of external spiritual light for guidance (Wahy/revelation)

One name for the Qur'an is also Noor. Our RasulAllah SAWW has also been called a Noor(Siraajan Muneera). The angels have been called Nur. This interpretation also fits with the end of this passage (Allah guides with His Noor whoever He wishes). Allah also says that He takes people out of the darkness into the light i.e. He gives hidaya. Without Allah's Noor, the whole world would be in Zulmat (darkness) and there would be no differentiation between good and bad. We cannot perceive the reality of anything in the absence of light.

The sun is the most powerful source of light. Even if we combine all our lights/lamps on earth, we cannot even come close to the light of the sun. Our light is extremely limited compared to the light of the Sun. "The morning makes the lamp irrelevant."
Similarly, Allah's light is eternal, limitless and incomparable, just like all of His other sifaat.

Our light has no comparison with the light of Allah. We can only see till a certain distance with our own light, but it is not possible to see the whole reality with our light alone. Human beings can try to find the truth with their own light, but it cannot compare to Allah's light which is the absolute truth.  There can never be any human effort to find truth that can compare with the truth Allah has revealed to us.

3. Another meaning is that Allah gives physical light to the heavens and the earth through the stars, Sun and moon i.e. Allah is controlling the alternation of the Sun and Moon and provides the necessary light for sustenance and life of this Earth. Life on earth is dependent on exposure to sunlight. It is not possible for living things to exist without light.

Light is so important for existence of life that happiness is compared with light and sadness is compared with darkness. We describe good days as "bright" days and bad mood as "dark mood". Positivity is associated with light, while negativity is associated with darkness.

﴿مَثَلُ نُورِهِ﴾

This could refer to the light of Allah, the light of the Qur'an, the light of the Messengers.

According to most interpretations, it refers to the light of faith given to a believer.  Allah OWNS this light and calls this light HIS own. So the light within and the light around us are both provided by Allah. Allah is the ultimate source of all light.

﴿كَمِشْكَاةٍ﴾

The light is in a niche/indent/arch.  It is only open in one direction so the purpose of the niche is to capture, focus and spread the light to the surroundings. The niche represents the chest of the believer.

﴿فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ﴾

Misbah is from the same root word as Subh (Morning).

Misbah is a tool that tries to imitate/recreate the morning. It is a lamp that burns brightly and simulates the morning. It refers to the Nur of our Imaan i.e. the light placed within our hearts. This Nur of Imaan consists of our fitrah combined with Allah's wahy and marifat.

﴿الْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ﴾

 The light is shining in a clear glass. Ancient lamps had flames to produce light. They were covered by a glass to protect the flame from being put out, and also to amplify/intensify the light to spread it further.

﴿الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ﴾

The glass is so pure, refined, brilliant and shiny that it seems like it has its own light. It seems like a pearly white star.

1.Some authorities recite the word Durriyyun with a Dammah on the Dal and without a Hamzah, which means pearls, i.e., as if it were a star made of pearls (Durr). 

2.Others recite it as Dirri'un or Durri'un, with a Kasrah on the Dal, or Dammah on the Dal, and with a Hamzah at the end, which means reflection (Dir'), because if something is shone on the star it becomes brighter than at any other time.

This is a reference to the heart /qalb of the believer. Our heart is inherently brilliant and pure. But when people continuously perform sins, the heart becomes dirty and black.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. But if (the sin) increases, (the black spot) increases. That is the Ran that Allah mentions in His Book: “Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.” [83:14] (Sunan Ibn Majah)

So far, the whole imagery is indoors: A lamps in a glass lamp, placed in a niche. Now Allah will change the imagery to outdoors.

﴿يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَـرَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ﴾

Its fuel is derived from a blessed tree. It is an olive tree. Olive oil is extremely valuable. Allah even swears by olives in the Quran. The light of the olive oil is the brightest and clearest. Moreover, the oil comes out of the olives naturally on its own. Olive oil has innumerable uses and can be used externally, internally, as food, fuel and as a medicine.

There is no limit to its potential as it is Mubarak.
Barakah= blessed= It means increase/growth, increase beyond expectations, and also refers to something that stays in its place. So, the tree is constantly growing, it is stable, and whatever the tree produces is beyond expectations.

﴿لاَّ شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلاَ غَرْبِيَّةٍ﴾

When the sun rises its light reaches the tree from the east and when it sets its light reaches it from the west, so the sunlight reaches it morning and evening, so it is not counted as being in the east or in the west.

It is not in the eastern part of the land nor in the Western part of the land but it is in a central position where it gets sun from the beginning of the day until the end.

This is a tree in a plain open area in the desert which is not shaded by any other tree or mountain or cave, nothing covers it, but rather it stands by itself. This is best for its oil as it is bathed by light from all directions and at all times. This produces the purest of oil.

Another implied meaning of 'neither from the East or the West' is that the tree is so pure that it is not from this world. It is from a different realm.

﴿يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ﴾

This pure, refined, flammable oil would almost light up on its own even though it has not been touched or ignited by the fire yet.

One interpretation is that this refers to the pure fitrah saleema of our Ruh which has an inherent capability to be drawn towards the truth. "Every child is born upon fitrah"(Hadith). This pure fitrah is bestowed to everyone at the time of his birth.
Our Ruh is not from this world: it is neither from the East or the West, rather it came from Aalam e Arwah. This fitrah is waiting to be ignited by revelation. Some people spoil their pure fitrah through consistent sins so this oil becomes contaminated and is not ignited easily.

﴿نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ﴾

When the Nur placed within the heart of the believer joins the Nur of the revelation from Allah=> light upon light. 
There is already Nur in our heart, which represents our potential and it is waiting to be ignited. When it comes into contact with knowledge/revelation/shariah, it become Nur upon Nur. This can also be called "Sharah Sadr" i.e. expansion of the chest (with Nur). If we continue in actions and obedience to Allah, those actions further add Nur to our heart.

If the glass becomes full of dirt, then light will be prevented from entering or going out, so our heart will be suffocated by our sins. We need to clean our glass regularly to let the light penetrate, otherwise dirt will settle on our hearts.
How to keep our heart clean? Remembrance/Zikr of Allah with our tongue and heart. Making dua consistently. Avoiding lagw acts and sins that blacken the heart. 

﴿يَهْدِى اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ﴾

Allah guides ALL the way to His Noor, whoever He wishes, and whoever wishes to attain that noor. So, our desire to attain that noor can attract Allah's desire to bless us with noor. 
Laam ل represents Ghayat غايت(end). Allah did not use ilaa الى but he used laam. Allah is telling us that He will guide us ALL the way to HIM (the ultimate Noor). 

﴿وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الاٌّمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلَيِمٌ﴾

Allah gives examples for people, and Allah already knows everything.
e.g. Imagine a teacher who has to explain a new and difficult concept to a class. He uses examples to make the concept easy for students. He is not in need of those examples for his own understanding, but he uses examples to make things easy for students.

Allah is reiterating here that HE has complete ilm about everything, and He just gives examples to come down to our level and enable us to understand. The true meaning of Nur is beyond us, but Allah explains it so we can understand some of it. Moreover, Allah says He gives it for people i.e. ALL of us. Qur'an is not for a select few but it has been made accessible and easy for all seekers.

[Such niches are] in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings(24:36)

Having likened the heart of the believer and what it contains of guidance and knowledge to a lamp lit with good oil shining in a clear glass, Allah then states where it belongs, which is in the Masjids, the places on earth that are most beloved to Allah. The Masjids are His houses where He Alone is worshipped. We need to develop a relationship with the houses of Allah.

Buyoot does not only refer to Masjids, but can refer to any place where Allah is being mentioned, even if they are our homes. These homes shine like stars for the inhabitants of the sky and Allah raises them. These places are the source of Nur.

RELATION OF THIS AYAH WITH SURAH NUR:

Surah Nur is full of legal rulings. This Ayah is placed in the middle of all the legal rulings, and it reiterates the fact that we cannot understand legal rulings without spirituality.  When our heart is strong, we are able to understand the hikmat behind the rulings of Qur'an.