MUSLIMS & THE STRAIGHT PATH: Part - 3-H - Noor - the Light of God

Muslims & The Straight Path  [Published 2010]

Part - 3-H

NOOR - THE LIGHT OF GOD

Quran has talked of ‘Noor’ at several places. Unfortunately, the Muslims have been unable to understand this term as well. In contrast to the term ‘Noor’, the term ‘Zulmat’ has been used. It is clear that in Quranic terminology, ‘Noor’ and ‘Zulmat’ has not been used for ‘day’ and ‘night’ respectively. The word ‘Lail’ has been used for ‘night’ and ‘Nahar’ for day. Likewise, ‘Shams’ has been used for ‘sun’.

Muslims should know that by ‘Noor’, the first creations of God that emanated from the Manifest Self, and who are referred to as ‘Devata’ in the Vedas (word ‘Devata’ signifying ‘light’ or something illuminous) are meant. These Divine Representatives on earth were created prior to the birth of Adam and will continue to remain till the Absolute God decides to end this creation; then all of them will converge back into the Manifest Self.

God is talking of a Noor (light) being sent on earth in clear words in verse 64:8 says:

So believe ye in God and His Apostle and the Noor (Light) We have sent down; and God is Well-Aware of whatsoever ye do.

Clearly it cannot be the light of the material sun. Because God is asking us to believe in God and His Apostle and the Light therefore, Light or Noor is something that people may disbelieve as well but God wants them to believe in the Light or Noor coming down.

Most commentators, unable to find any other definition, say that the Holy Quran is meant by the Light (Noor). But they fail to give any worthwhile proof to substantiate their argument.

We are left with no choice but to believe what the Vedas and Upanishads are saying in this regard, which is also substantiated by the hadees of Prophet where Ali has been mentioned as ‘Noor’ or light.

I and Ali are of one and the same light.

Ali is a part of me, and I am of Ali.

The people are of various stocks but I and Ali are of one stock.

 (Tirmizi, Nisai, Ibne Masuud, Tabarani, Early History of Islam – SS Husain, 1933 ed.)

Fact is that all three of these hadees can be properly understood only through recourse to Vedas and Puranas, which talk of one illuminated power, created by God from the pure tatvas (hence the guarantee of their purity in the Quran), which divided into two equal lights, where were the lights or Noors of Mohammad and Ali (and hence Mohammad saying that both him and Ali are of the same stock), and further went through a process where there were 14 Noors or lights or devatas, all exactly identical to the first before the divisions, who were given the rulership of the 14 spheres by God (hence Mohammad saying that ‘first among us is Mohammad, last is Mohammad, middle is Mohammad, all are Mohammad’).

In fact, we have also seen Mohammad saying that Fatima is a part or portion of him while the Upanishadic description too talks of part of one getting married with the other who was created as the division of the One Power or Noor (which was Brahma). In fact, Upanishads also describe them as Life, as all life teems out of them or is dependent on them (and there is a Quranic verse we have quoted above which says that all things have been confined in a manifesting Imam. These Noors or devatatas were to manifest themselves as humans for our guidance in the time to come, as per the Upanishads.

We have seen in the Gita that Krishna too has talked of salvation only for a man who does good acts and knows that the true path to God is through the Manifest Self i.e. the Noor. Right belief in this relationship of man with the Manifest Self or Noor and the relationship of this Manifest Self with the Absolute God on one side and we humans on the other is utmost important, so much so that time and again Gita has talked of this subject. Quran too confirms that belief in God and His Apostle and Noor is extremely important and goes on to say that if one performs good acts while possessing the right belief about God, he goes to heaven even though if he has committed a few sins which would be wiped out. And those who disbelieveth in God and His signs or the manifest proofs in the form of Imams, there is a sure hell waiting for them (there is no mention of bad deeds here). Read the verses 8-10 of 64 to see what God says:

64:8

So believe ye in God and His Apostle and the Light We have sent down; and God is Well-Aware of whatsoever ye do.

64:9

The day that He will gather you for the day of gathering, that is the day of mutual loss; and whosoever believeth in God and doeth good, He will wipe out from him his sins and admit him into gardens `neath which flow rivers, to abide therein for ever; that is a great achievement.

64:10

And those who disbelieved and belied Our signs, they are the fellows of the fire, to abide therein; and wretched is the destination.

Also see 4:174 which says:

O mankind! Indeed hath come unto you (an undefinable) proof from your Lord, and We have sent down unto you a manifest Light (Noor).

According to the interpretation of the Holy Ahlul-bayt – ‘Burhan’, i.e., the Manifest Proof means the Holy Prophet who appeared with the Holy Quran and the ‘Noorun-Mubeena’, i.e., the Clear Light, stands for the guidance through Imamat granted by the Divine Grace, after the conclusion of the apostleship with the Holy Prophet. Kindly remember that the Gita too talks of Manifest Proofs of God all through and has also talked of the Devatas (Noor).

‘Burhan’ – Proof, and ‘Noor’ – Light sent down by God is the same that Quran explains in a simile 24:35-38 which manifested in the niche in some particular houses allowed by God to be raised about all and authorized His Holy Name to be remembered therein, wherein He is glorified night and day by such people whom no temporal business engages their hearts or distracts them from His remembrance. No light of the guidance of God can ever reach but through the medium of these holy ones. These holy ones cannot but be of those of the lineage chosen by God which excellence reaches its zenith and the summit is the divinely purified ones by God Himself (Reverence 33:33). This fact is testified by the sixth Holy Imam Jafar ibn Mohammad as-Sadiq, who said:

“Bena Orefallah” – Through we (Ahlul-bayt) God is known

“Bena Obedallah” – And through us, is God worshipped.

Another verse of Quran that also talks of light or Noor is 24:35:

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth; the similitude of His Light is as a niche which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass; the glass is as it were a star shining bright, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil where of almost gloweth forth (of itself), and (even) though fire toucheth it not; Light upon Light: God guideth unto His Light whomsoever He willeth; and God setteth forth parables for people; and God is All-Aware of all things.

Again, note that olive tree is mentioned, whereas Upanishads and Gita too talk of a special tree. Quran talks of neither eastern nor western region where Light upon Light will shine while Vedas talk of a Middle Country or Middle Kingdom (which is neither in east nor in the west). Quran talks of Light being created from Light and all Lights owing their glow to the Absolute God and the Upanishads describing how One Power (or Light) got divided into two, how another part of one of the two got united with the other of the two and likewise more powers (lights) got created, ultimately taking the count to fourteen.

God has declared that the Holy Prophet spoke nothing but only that which was revealed to him (53:3,4). The shining of light upon light refers to the successive line of the Holy Imams issued from the seed of Ali and Fatima, one holy Imam immediately succeeding the other until the end of the world. The Light of Knowledge in the heart of the Holy Prophet, is so safe as in the glass, (i.e., Ali ibn Abu Talib), it is referred to in (56:77-79) – saying that the Holy Quran is a protected Book and none shall touch it save the purified ones; and who are the purified ones (see 33:33).

It is said that God Himself guides towards His Light whosoever He pleases, which clearly indicates that anyone and every one, can never have the guidance without God is graciously granting it according to the justification or the qualification of the sincerity in the quest for it in each individual aspirant. And mere common sense suffices for any one to know that no impure soul could ever be imagined to have the approach to the Light of God. This factor is made clear in 2:257 and in 2:256, the condition for earning the guidance is laid saying:

Whosoever disbelieveth in the Devil and believeth in God, he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle or the rope or the (means), there is no break for it. (i.e., handle, the rope, or the means).

 A sincere and intelligent reflection would lead us to the handle or the rope, following whom one can surely get out of the abyss of darkness into light, and they can be no others but those purified by God Himself (33:33) for as the perfectly purified ones by God Himself they and only they could be the manifestation or the reflections of the Divine Light in God’s creation. Thus he who will be attached to the holy ones of the House of the Holy Prophet viz. the Ahlul-bayt – would have the grace of God to be enlightened but only to the extent of the degree of the attachment to them. Among his companions, to only Salman, and to none else, the Holy Prophet said: “Salman is of us Ahlul-bayt.”

The Holy Prophet talked of leaving behind two things – Quran and Itrat (Ahlul-bayt) for the guidance of mankind. Relate this with 57:28, which is telling of a “two-fold of His (God’s) Mercy. See:

O ye who believe! Fear ye (the wrath of) God and believe in His apostle; He will give you a two fold of His Mercy, He will appoint for you a light wherein ye shall walk (straight on the right path) and He will forgive you; and God is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

And see 9:32:

Intend they that they put out the Light of God with (the blow of) their mouths, and disdaineth God save that He perfected His Light, though may detest it the infidels.

All attempts have already been made to blow out this “Light of God” while it was shining on the earth, but the God has so “perfected His Light” that it will continue to shine, howsoever the infidels detest it.