On December 12, 2014, the IIIS was honored to host a group of teachers from London. Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Shomali lectured about “light” in the Qur’an.
His reference was to verse 35 of Surah Nur (light):
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌعَلَى نُورٍ
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp —the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star— lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light.
Dr. Shomali stated that everyone has been given some light to begin their journey with, enough to start the journey. Referring to this verse, he explained that it is our decision whether to use this light to move towards higher levels of light, or lower levels of light, if we do not take Allah as our guardian.
Dr. Shomali stated that although the light of some of the creation may not be visible to us now, such as the light of the Earth, but all will be clear on the Day of Judgment, where God says the Earth will shine with God’s light. He explained that we can feel the light in the face of the pious in our worldly life, but on the Day of Judgment it will be obvious, even to the hypocrites, who will request to take some of the pious peoples’ light.
He continued to explain the other parts of this verse as well.
