Light and its veils
نور · حجابφῶςnūr · ḥijāb · phōs: light; veil
I
al-Ghazālī, Mishkāt al-anwār ¶ 1
The question that starts the Niche: the Light Verse together with the ḥadīth of seventy thousand veils of light and darkness. AI
The Qurʾān here: 24:35
﴿ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشْكَوٰةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ ٱلْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things.
Q 24:35 ↗TanzilPickthall (1930)
Read it in the reader →On: Mishkāt al-anwār ¶1, quoting Q 24:35.
II
al-Ghazālī, Mishkāt al-anwār ¶ 74
Part II opens the parable of niche, glass, lamp, tree and oil, starting from how meanings are held in the moulds of images. AI
Read it in the reader →On: Mishkāt al-anwār ¶74.
III
al-Ghazālī, Mishkāt al-anwār ¶ 124
The veils of pure darkness: false beliefs as cloud over the sun, darknesses one above another. AI
Read it in the reader →On: Mishkāt al-anwār ¶124–125, quoting Q 24:40.
IV
Suhrawardī, Hayākil al-nūr ¶ 13
Suhrawardī: bodies are lit by an accidental light; our souls are manifest to themselves, so they are lights that stand by themselves. AI
Read it in the reader →On: Hayākil al-nūr ¶13 (and the opening prayer, ¶1).
V
Suhrawardī, Taqdīs al-shams ¶ 1
The sun greeted as 'the most luminous', moving in love for the majesty of its Maker. AI
Read it in the reader →On: Taqdīs al-shams ¶1.
VI
Lyrics of Ascent: Rūzbihān Baqlī
Rūzbihān on Majesty that veils and Beauty that unveils, the moth and the flame. AI
Read it at the source ↗On: lyrics-of-ascent.net; translation © its translator, so linked, not shown.