The Light of the Prophetcompiled by GF Haddad ©From Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's book:"The 555 beautiful names of the Prophet"with concerning ahadith, prophetic sayings, traditions72. al-Nur: The Light.There are three verses in the Qur'an which mention the Prophet as a light.Allah said: "From Allah has come to you a Light and a Book manifest." (5:15)Qadi `Iyad said: "He [the Prophet] was named a Light because of the clarity of his case and the fact thathis Prophecy was made manifest, and also because of the illumination of the hearts of the believers andthe knowers of Allah with what he brought."Suyuti in Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Fayruzabadi in the Tafsir Ibn `Abbas entitled Tanwir al-miqbas (p. 72),Shaykh al-Islam, Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, the Mujaddid of the sixth century, in his Tafsir al-kabir (11:189), Qadi Baydawi in his Tafsir entitled Anwar al-tanzil, al-Baghawi in his Tafsir entitled Ma`alimal- tanzil (2:23), Imam al-Shirbini in his Tafsir entitled al-Siraj al- munir (p. 360), the author of Tafsir Abi Sa`ud (4:36), and Thana'ullah Pani Patti in his Tafsir al-mazhari, (3:67) said: "What is meant by aLight is: Muhammad, Blessings and peace upon him."Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in his Tafsir jami` al-bayan (6:92) said: "There has come to you a Light from Allah:He means by the Light: Muhammad, Blessings and peace upon him, by means of whom Allah hasilluminated the truth, brought forth Islam, and obliterated idolatry. Therefore he (the Prophet) is a lightfor those who have been enlightened by him and by his exposition of truth."al-Khazin in his Tafsir (2:28) similarly says: "There has come to you a Light from Allah means:Muhammad, Blessings and peace upon him. Allah called him a light for no other reason than that one isguided by him (Muhammad) in the same way that one is guided by light in darkness."al-Nasafi in his commentary entitled Tafsir al-Madarik (1:276) and al-Qasimi in his Mahasin al-ta'wil(6:1921) similarly say: "There has come to you a Light from Allah: this is the light of Muhammad,Blessings and peace upon him, because one is guided by him. Similarly he has been called a lamp(siraj)."Imam Ahmad al-Sawi similarly said in his supercommentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn (1:258): "There hascome to you a Light from Allah: that Light is the Prophet, Blessings and peace upon him. He wasnamed a light because he enlightens the sight and guides it to the correct path; and also because he isthe root of every light whether material or spiritual." We will return to the latter statement below inshaAllah.Sayyid Mahmud al-Alusi in his commentary entitled Tafsir Ruh al-Ma`ani (6:97) similarly says: "Therehas come to you a Light from Allah: that is, an immense light which is the Light of Lights and the Electamong all Prophets, Blessings and peace upon him."Isma`il al-Haqqi in his supercommentary on Alusi entitled Tafsir ruh al-bayan (2:370) similarly said:"There has come to you a Light from Allah and a Book that makes all things manifest: It is said that themeaning of the former is the Messenger, Blessings and peace upon him, and the latter is the Qur'an...The Messenger is called a Light because the first thing which Allah brought forth from the darkness of oblivion with the light of His power was the light of Muhammad, Blessings and peace upon him, as he
(the Prophet) said: The first thing Allah created is my light." This narration is addressed below.Of particular note is the fact that the Mu`tazilis insisted that the Light in verse 5:15 referred only to theQur'an and not to the Prophet. Alusi said in the continuation of the passage quoted above: "Abu `Ali al-Jubba'i said that the light concerns the Qur'an because the Qur'an discloses and brings forth the paths of guidance and certitude. al-Zamakhshari [in al-Kashshaf 1:601] also contented himself with thisexplanation." Further elaboration on these two sources is given by Shah `Abd al-`Aziz al-Multani in hisal-Nabras (p. 28-29): "al-Kashshaf proclaims itself Father of the Mu`tazila... Abu `Ali al-Jubba'i is theMuhammad ibn `Abd al- Wahhab of the Mu`tazila of Basra." The similarity of the Mu`tazila with theWahhabis and "Salafis" of modern times is pointed out by Imam Kawthari in many places in hisMaqalat, where he shows that as in the case of the Mu`tazila, the Wahhabis' denial of the characteristicsof the awliya' camouflages a denial of those of the Prophets.There is a notable explanation among Ahl al-Sunna which ascribes the meaning of the Prophet to boththe Light and the Book. al-Sayyid al-Alusi said in Ruh al-ma`ani (6:97): "I do not consider it far-fetched that what is meant by both the Light and the Manifest Book is the Prophet, the conjunction being in the same way as what was said by al-Jubba'i [in that that both the Light and the Book were theQur'an]. There is no doubt that all can be said to refer to the Prophet. Perhaps you will be reluctant toaccept this from the viewpoint of expression (`ibara); then let it be from the viewpoint of subtleallusion (ishara)."al-Qari said in Sharh al-shifa' (1:505, Mecca ed.): "It has also been said that both the Light and theBook refer to Muhammad, because just as he is a tremendous light and the source of all lights, he isalso a book that gathers up and makes clear all the secrets." He also said (1:114, Madina ed.): "Andwhat objection is there to predicate both nouns to the Prophet, since he is in truth an immense Light dueto the perfection of his appearance among all light, and he is a Manifest Book since he gathers up thetotality of secrets and he makes evident all laws, situations, and alternatives."Allah said: "The likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a Lamp (the lamp in a glass, the glass as itwere a glittering star) kindled from a Blessed Tree, an olive that is neither of the East nor of the West,whose oil wellnigh would shine, even if no fire touched it; Light upon Light." (24:35)Suyuti said in al-Riyad al-aniqa: Ibn Jubayr and Ka`b al- Ahbar said: "What is meant by the secondlight is the Prophet because he is the Messenger and the Expositor and the Conveyor from Allah of what is enlightening and manifest." Ka`b said: "Its oil wellnigh would shine because the Prophetwellnigh would be known to the people even if he did not say that he was a Prophet, just as that oilwould send forth light without a fire."Ibn Kathir comments on this verse in his Tafsir by citing the report through Ibn `Atiyya whereby Ka`bal-Ahbar explained Allah's words: yakadu zaytuha yudi'u wa law lam tamsashu nar as meaning:"Muhammad is nearly manifest as a Prophet to people, even if he did not declare it."Qadi `Iyad said in al-Shifa' (English p. 135): Niftawayh said regarding the words of Allah: "Its oilalmost gives light when no fire has touched it" (24:35): "This is the likeness that Allah has made of HisProphet. He said that the meaning of the ayat was that this face almost indicated his Prophethood even before he had received the Qur'an, as Ibn Rawaha said:Even if there had not been clear signs among us,His face would have told you the news."Among those who said that the meaning of mathalu nurihi -- the likeness of His Light -- is the ProphetMuhammad, upon him blessings and peace: Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in his Tafsir (18:95), Qadi `Iyad in al-Shifa', al-Baghawi in Ma`alim al-Tanzil (5:63) in the margin of al-Khazin, from Sa`id ibn Hubayr andal-Dahhak, al- Khazin in his Tafsir (5:63) Suyuti in al-Durr al-manthur (5:49), Zarqani in Sharh al-
mawahib (3:171), al-Khafaji in Nasim al-riyad (1:110, 2:449).al-Nisaburi in Ghara'ib al-Qur'an (18:93) said: "The Prophet is a light and a light-giving lamp."al-Qari in Sharh al-shifa' said: "The most apparent meaning is to say that what is meant by the light isMuhammad."Allah said: "O Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner,and as one who invites to Allah by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading Light." (33:45- 46)Qadi al-Baydawi said in his Tafsir: "It is the sun due to His saying: We have made the sun a lamp; or, itcould be a lamp."Ibn Kathir states in his Tafsir: "His saying: and a light- giving lamp, that is: your status shows in thetruth you have brought just as the sun shows in its rising and illuminating, which none denies exceptthe obdurate."Raghib al-Asfahani in al-Mufradat (1:147) said: "The word [lamp] is used for everything thatillumines."al-Zarqani in Sharh al-mawahib (3:171) said: "He was named lamp because from the one lamp take themany lamps, and its light is no wise diminished."`Abd Allah ibn Rawaha al-Ansari -- the great-grandson of the poet Imru' al-Qays -- said of the Prophet:law lam takun fihi ayatun mubinalakana manzaruhu yunabbi'uka bi al-khabariEven if there were not, concerning him, clear and evident signs, yet the sight of him would have toldyou the news.Ibn Hajar narrated it in al-Isaba (2:299) and said: "This is the most beautiful verse of poetry by whichthe Prophet was ever praised." Ibn Sayyid al-Nas said of him in Minah al-madh (p. 166):He was killed as a martyr on the day of Mu'ta in Jumada 8 before the conquest of Mecca. On that dayhe was one of the commanders. He was one of the poets who did good and who used to fend off harmfrom Allah's Messenger. It was concerning him and his two friends Hassan (ibn Thabit) and Ka`b (ibnZuhayr) that was revealed the verse: "Except those who believe and do good deeds and remember Allah abundantly." (The Poets 26:227).Hisham ibn `Urwa narrated from his father that the latter said: I never saw anyone more aggressive or faster in his poetry than `Abd Allah ibn Rawaha. I heard Allah's Messenger say to him one day: "Recitesome poetry appropriate to the moment, while I look at you." He rose up then and there and said:inni tafarrastu fika al-khayra a`rifuhuwallahu ya`lamu anna ma khanani al-basaruanta al-nabiyyu wa man yuhramu shafa`atahuyawma al-hisabi laqad azra bihi al-qadarufa thabbat allahu ma ataka min hasanintathbita musa wa nasran kalladhi nusiruI foresee for you immense good, of this I am certain.Allah knows that my sight never betrayed me.You are the Prophet, and whoever is deprived of your intercessionOn the Day of Reckoning, his destiny is disgrace.May Allah make firm all the good that He gave you,With a firmness like Musa's and the same victory.
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