LIGHT and DARKNESS

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These verses warn us about the idols we set up beside GOD. And not just physical idols, because our ego is our biggest idol. Thus, it can be inferred that imbibing Quran in our lives is light and feeding our ego is darkness.

Similarly, treating the people nicely, amicably, is going towards light. Honoring your parents, regarding relatives, orphans and the poor is going towards light. Turning away from these commandments is going towards darkness. Being charitable and especially not following your charity with insult or harm is taking you towards light. Being stingy or belittling people or misbehaving with them is taking you towards darkness.

There are so many other verses which are so simple from which we can infer which of them will take us towards light and which of them will take us towards darkness.

[6:39] Those who reject our proofs are deaf and dumb, in total darkness. Whomever GOD wills, He sends astray, and whomever He wills, He leads in a straight path.

[6:122] Is one who was dead and we granted him life, and provided him with light that enables him to move among the people, equal to one in total darkness from which he can never exit? The works of the disbelievers are thus adorned in their eyes.

[57:9] He is the One who sends down to His servant clear revelations, in order to lead you out of the darkness into the light. GOD is Compassionate towards you, Most Merciful.

But there are also some nuanced verses which can help us towards the same end, working to perfect our light, having it radiate from us. [66:8] O you who believe, you shall repent to GOD a firm repentance.

Your Lord will then remit your sins and admit you into gardens with flowing streams. On that day, GOD will not disappoint the prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will radiate in front of them and to their right. They will say, “Our Lord, perfect our light for us, and forgive us; You are Omnipotent.”

Most of those verses are relating to the messengers mentioned in the Quran. GOD says in 6:34 that the history of My messengers thus sets the precedents for you.

If we start in the rough chronological order of messengers, then the first messenger is our father Adam and we know that his giving in to Satan’s whispering was darkness, and GOD redeeming him was light. The arrogance of Noah’s people, ‘Ãd and Thamûd and refusal to heed their messengers’ warnings was darkness while the saving of Noah and his followers was light. Noah’s son being drowned, despite Noah imploring on his behalf initially, tells us that there is no escaping the darkness if we rebel and maintain our rebellion till death instead of repenting. Shuaib’s tribe’s tendency for not giving full weight and measure and all their corruption represents total darkness. Jonah’s experience with the whale was certainly darkness, but the redemption of the thousands of people he finally went to was beautiful light.

Ways to perfect our light is shown in David’s exemplary piety where although apparently making the right decision in 99 vs. 1 sheep, he still bows down and repents to GOD. The footnote asks us are we that careful.

This shows that in any situation in our life however confident we might feel about the situation it is always smarter and wiser to implore for GOD’s help.

David’s Exemplary Piety

[38:24] He said, “He is being unfair to you by asking to combine your sheep with his. Most people who combine their properties treat each other unfairly, except those who believe and work righteousness, and these are so few.” Afterwards, David wondered if he made the right judgment. He thought that we were testing him. He then implored his Lord for forgiveness, bowed down, and repented.*

*38:24 In this clear example, 99 on one side vs 1 on the other side, David’s extreme care to render the correct judgment caused him to ask forgiveness. Are we this careful?

Solomon’s exemplary devotion when he realizes he’s missed his salat because of horses, and his bidding them goodbye makes us realize that nothing in this world should be more important to us than worshipping GOD on time.

We also see light in Solomon being appreciative of the blessings bestowed upon him when he understands the language of the ants. In Moses’s exemplary patience in the face of Pharoah’s oppression, his full trust in GOD when leading his people towards Egypt when GOD opens a pathway for him and his people through the Red Sea, his courage in urging Pharoah to release his people, his devotion to GOD and trust in GOD. In Jesus’s exemplary humility as seen in the bible when he admonishes a man for calling him good and tells him that goodness is attributed to GOD alone (Mark 10:18). In the believers with Muhammad who stood firm with the messenger and saw the dangerous situation as a chance to augment their faith (33:22).

Our own practices of submission if done correctly would help us graduate to having the perfect light as mentioned in 66:8.

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