Surah al-Nur , 24...'Sirajan Munira', The Shining Light

THE SURAH TAKES its title from the following:

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 setteth forth for mankind similitudes, for Allah is Knower of all things. (35) 

Scholars, such as the eleventh-century philosopher Abu-Hamid al-Ghazali, understood this 'light' or nur, to be the true quintessential light or the definitive source of all light in the universe. He goes on to explain that to describe God as Light puts HIM above everything else in existence and points to HIS power to create living matter out of dark nothingness. The evidence of God's existence and power is so overwhelming and pervasive in the physical universe as well as in our own everyday lives, that only the ignorant or the arrogant can be blind to it. Others interpret 'light' as guidance God infuses into the hearts of believers that gives them the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and give them a strong belief and confidence in their faith and what they profess to be true.

The Qur'an is one aspect of that nur  which illuminates man's way towards God. It has been described as such on several occasions in the Qur'an: " So believe in Allah and His messenger and the light which We have revealed. And Allah is Informed of what ye do " (al-Taghabun: 8). and,: " O mankind! Now hath a proof from your Lord come unto you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light; "(an-Nisa: 174)

On closer reflection, the two meanings of the word nur  will be found to be complementary. As one marvels at the light observed in the physical world, it leads to guidance being imbued inside one's heart, drawing one closer to God. Those who fail to be aware of God and deny or ignore HIS power will be deprived of the privilege of God's Light and guidance, no matter how materially fortunate or advanced or successful they may be. The surah asserts that: " Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. "(40)


" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali








Shaykh Ninowy on ''Bringing Sirajan Munira, 'The Shining Light', into Your Life'' ,

FEB 27/2012: The distinguished scholar and spiritual guide, al-Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Ninowy visited SeekersHub Toronto (http://www.SeekersHub.org/) and delivered a beautiful, memorable talk on the meanings of "The Shining Light" (al-Siraj al-Munir). This is one of the descriptive names of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), given to him in the Qur'an.

...26:50   "...information is not the point, transformation is the point "

...29:00   "..are you becoming more Muhammadi? "

...30:20   " Unity does not mean conformity. We can see one thing but means two  different ways to us"







Commentary and reflection by Imam Zia,

Session 6.1

Session 6.2

Session 6.3

Session 6.4

.." Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. "

I have a personal experience here, and the meaning of this verse really dawned upon me like a load of stone. It was some 10 years back when I was mad about scuba diving. It was a late late evening pleasure dive somewhere off the coast of Terengannu,  in open sea off Perhentian Island. As always, I ran out of 'air'  faster than the rest [ anxiety and over breathing ]and had to surface earlier than the rest of my friends. Thinking that our boat men would be there waiting for me at the surface, I motioned my diving buddy to continue with the rest. On reaching the surface, the boat men  were gone for some shelter at a nearby islet, as there was a storm building up. My 'transient fear' was tremendous. Myself bobbing about up and down in a vast, stormy sea with darkness all around and the fearful unknown below me....The verse below encapsulates my,  then, sense of loss and fear! :

.." Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light. "

politicians, ministers, CEO's COO's , ambassadors, shakers and movers of society, princes and princesses, sultans, kings and queens...oftentimes we overestimate our self importance and our positions in this life, until it is too late...by then it is curtain : Man Rabbuka?

Dr Nik Howk

Surah al-Nur , 24...On Salam, Veils, Decency and Privacy..

The surah goes on to outline some rules of social etiquette which Muslims should observe, not only in their daily interactions with members of the the external community but also within their own homes as well. One of these area of etiquette concerns the protocol which should be observed by Muslims when entering the homes of other people for, as places of rest and privacy, their sanctity should be respected. The surah teaches that among the first thing one must do upon entering someone's house is to announce one's presence, greet those inside it and obtain permission to enter and that these formalities should be observed when entering the house from the outside but also when moving from room to room within it.

With a similar rationality for preserving decency and discouraging corruption and promiscuity in society, the surah also urges modesty and a strict sexual morality in the relationship between men and women. Although these rules and regulations were not new to Islam [ as earlier religions had also advocated and promoted them ], the difference was that Islam set them out more succinctly and elaborated on them with more detail. Islam also provided rulings on various aspects of dress, personal hygiene, and the wearing of jewelry as well as guidelines on the use of such thing as perfume and cosmetics, and the subtle features that make a person adorable or attractive. In contrast to these high standards of decency and morality, some cultures, which profess to be religious, stand for the extreme opposite, exporting permissive sexual morality, vulgarity, nudity, pornography, indulgence and perversion.

Indeed, one has only to look at the role played by the mass media tod ay to understand how it is being used as a powerful tool to promote indecency and encourage loose standards of morality such that it strongly threatens to destroy not only the very foundations of the family but also society as well.

Islam looks at marriage as a religious obligation, and directs members of society to seek lawful and decent relationships, avoid the breakdown of the family and, more generally, to protect society from social disintegration.  It is comforting and reassuring to know that the Qur'an gives such care and attention to these basic aspects of human life, subjects which occupy more than a third of the surah, especially verses 27 -34 , and verses 58 - 61 :

O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own without first announcing your presence and invoking peace upon the folk thereof. That is better for you, that ye may be heedful. (27) And if ye find no-one therein, still enter not until permission hath been given. And if it be said unto you: Go back, then go back, for it is purer for you. Allah knoweth what ye do. (28)(It is) no sin for you to enter uninhabited houses wherein is comfort for you. Allah knoweth what ye proclaim and what ye hide. (29) Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do. (30) And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (31) And marry such of you as are solitary and the pious of your slaves and maid-servants. If they be poor, Allah will enrich them of His bounty. Allah is of ample means, Aware. (32) And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste till Allah give them independence by His grace. And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), write it for them if ye are aware of aught of good in them, and bestow upon them of the wealth of Allah which He hath bestowed upon you. Force not your slave-girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity. And if one force them, then (unto them), after their compulsion, lo! Allah will be Forgiving, Merciful. (33) And verily We have sent down for you revelations that make plain, and the example of those who passed away before you. An admonition unto those who ward off (evil). (34)

O ye who believe! Let your slaves, and those of you who have not come to puberty, ask leave of you at three times (before they come into your presence): Before the prayer of dawn, and when ye lay aside your raiment for the heat of noon, and after the prayer of night. Three times of privacy for you. It is no sin for them or for you at other times, when some of you go round attendant upon others (if they come into your presence without leave). Thus Allah maketh clear the revelations for you. Allah is Knower, Wise. (58) And when the children among you come to puberty then let them ask leave even as those before them used to ask it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you. Allah is Knower, Wise. (59) As for women past child-bearing, who have no hope of marriage, it is no sin for them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show adornment. But to refrain is better for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower. (60) No blame is there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the sick nor on yourselves if ye eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your fathers' brothers, or the houses of your fathers' sisters, or the houses of your mothers' brothers, or the houses of your mothers' sisters, or (from that) whereof ye hold the keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin shall it be for you whether ye eat together or apart. But when ye enter houses, salute one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and sweet. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you, that haply ye may understand. (61) 

" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali





Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia :

Session 3.1
ayat 21 onward..

Session 3.2

Session 3.3

Session 4.1

Session 4.2

..on hijab


Session 5.1

..on hijab
Session 5.2

...on hijab

Session 5.3

....and yet still on hijab ...


Session 5.4

Surah al-Nur [ Light ], 24...On Sexual Scandal and Burden of Proof

Full recitation of surah al-Nur,
Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais and Shaykh Shuraim,

THE SURAH BEGINS by setting out punishment for illicit sexual relations [ zina ] between men and women and declares unlawful marriage to adulterous women. It also emphasizes the gravity of offenses such as slandering virtuous women. It explains the rule for what is known in Islamic law as ' mutual cursing' between husbands and wives who accuse each other of adultery. As the surah sets out these principles and regulations, it also explains that they have been laid down as part of God's grace, wisdom, and mercy to man and not as a set of isolated orders without purpose.

In this context the surah refers to the occasion during the prophet's life when his wife 'A'ishah was slandered in an incident, known as hadith al-ifk, involving a Muslim called Safwan ibn al- Mu'attal. This incident served to expose the hostile undercurrent which had permeated throughout the early Muslim community, and against which the Qur'an had warned when it said: "Assuredly ye will be tried in your property and in your persons, and ye will hear much wrong from those who were given the Scripture before you, and from the idolaters. But if ye persevere and ward off (evil), then that is of the steadfast heart of things. "(al- Imran : 186)

There is nothing more abhorrent or socially damaging than the spreading of rumours against honorable and decent women and as such rumor-mongering are a real threat to society. On this particular occasion, a prominent opponent of Islam named 'Abdullah ibn Ubay, perpetrated the monstrous lie that the Prophet's wife, 'A'ishah, had been intimate with one of her fellow Muslims during a journey. This slander caused her untold distress.

The Prophet was utterly dumbfounded by this accusation and spent several days in complete bewilderment, believing in his wife's innocence but unable to prove it. The matter was finally and decisively put to rest [until the end of time no less] by immortal and powerful words of the following surah which not only exonerated 'A'ishah from this evil crime but also chastised those who had seemingly doubted her innocence. 

The story evoked several lessons for the Muslims, expressed in the following verses:

Wherefor, when ye heard it [ the scandalous rumor ], said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny. (16)

Lo! those who love that slander should be spread concerning those who believe, theirs will be a painful punishment in the world and the Hereafter. Allah knoweth. Ye know not. (19)

and, 

Lo! as for those who traduce virtuous, believing women (who are) careless, cursed are they in the world and the Hereafter. Theirs will be an awful doom (23)

Thus the controversy was laid to rest, but not before it had left some scar.


" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali







Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia :

Session 1.2

Session 1.3

Session 1.4

Session 2.1

Session 2.2

..an escape route for an 'untenable' marriage arising from an alleged scandal...
..four witnesses...otherwise 80 of the best for the complainant/s 
..sex scandal and character assassination [ sounds very familiar and contemporary ]


Session 2.3

Session 2.4

....your excellency !,four witnesses please, otherwise leave your' bed' and dna testing aside and bear down and prepare yourself for 80 of the best!

Surah al-Nur [ Light ], 24...Life and Light

Recitation of ayat 35 to 38, by Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais,

AL-NUR, the title of this surah, is one of God's exalted names and appears in verse thirty five. Just as God is the source of all life and creation, HE is also the source of light, physical as well as metaphorical. The universe is like a shadow that cannot exist without a body; if the latter goes the former fades away or disappears altogether. The universe only exist because God is there, controlling it and running its affairs. The light which enables life to continue originates with God Almighty. Hence, all that we know and see and feel in this world is, in its own right, living proof of the existence of God.

The Arabic term, nur, can be found in several sayings of Prophet Muhammad. When, in 619 AC, he was rejected by the people of Ta'if, east of Makkah, he turned to God for help , saying:

I take refuge in the light of Your face which has illuminated the darkness and put right the affairs of this life and of the light to come. I appeal to You that You shall not send Your wrath upon me or be angry with me. The pleasure is Yours until You are well pleased. There is no power without God.

When the Prophet used to get up to pray during the night, he was known to recite the following prayer: "Lord, praise be to You. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. praise be to You. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.." He was also reported to have said: "Your Lord knows no night or day; the light of the Throne comes from the light of His face. "

We shall return to this topic shortly, but let us first look at the opening verse of the surah: "(Here is) a surah which We have revealed and enjoined, and wherein We have revealed plain tokens, that haply ye may take heed  " (1). Unique to this surah, this is a solemn opening statement which underlines the seriousness of the injunctions and instructions that are to follow. Attention to this fact is drawn twice more  in verses 34 and 46:

And verily We have sent down for you revelations that make plain, and the example of those who passed away before you. An admonition unto those who ward off (evil). (34)

Verily We have sent down revelations and explained them. Allah guideth whom He will unto a straight path. (46) 

The special attention accorded seems to be due to the subject matter of the surah itself which deals with relations between men and women in society; introduces penalties for some sexual crimes and a number of social rules and regulations for mixed-sex environment and behavior; establishes some of the lawful and the unlawful modes of social behavior in Muslim society and contains a whole host of instructions relating to personal privacy and the etiquette governing behavior not only in other people's homes but inside one's own as well.

The aim of these social and personal rules and regulations is to maintain the integrity and decency of Muslim social life and to protect society against corruption and disintegration. Islam has been remarkably successful in achieving this goal and one has only to look at modern societies to see to what extent promiscuity and lack of moral cohesion have eaten into its fabric giving indecency and immorality a different and more acceptable status. Coupled with this, religion has been completely sidelined, leaving the door wide open for social ethics and norms that attach no importance to honor or moral integrity to creep in without effective challenge.

" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]





Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia,
Session 1.1

Surah al-Nur [ Light ], 24....Prologue

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 setteth forth for mankind similitudes, for Allah is Knower of all things. (This lamp is found) in houses which Allah hath allowed to be exalted and that His name shall be remembered therein. Therein do offer praise to Him at morn and evening. Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned;  

[ al-Nur : 35-37 ]

We , Muslims in general, are always encouraged to reflect, think and ponder about ourselves, our environment and our cosmos. In fact the universe is the 'Second Book', the first being the Qur'an, that we need to 'read' and 'recite' . Contemporary Muslims have lagged behind in reading and reflecting on the 'universe', and rightfully we have been punished for centuries now for this neglect. This is not to say that we have been reading our Qur'an as well. On balance we have now become a 'neither here nor there' ummah ! But this is another big subject to dwell on....

The universe aside, on the question and 'nature' of Allah, we are not encouraged to dwell very long. We may find ourselves perplexed and lost! It is easy to be lost....

HE is very much beyond our dimension. Even thinking in terms of dimension is already a misnomer and a misrepresentation of HIM. HE remained 'dimensionless', HIS existence and Arash are beyond our realm. HE has no ending nor beginning. HE is , in his own words:

...the One! Allah, 
the eternally Besought of all! 
He begetteth not nor was begotten. 
And there is none comparable unto Him. 
[  surah al-Ikhlas , 112: 1-4  ]

But alas, not thinking correctly at all, rudderless without true divine guidance and revelation, we Muslims could end up like the Christians: Prophet Jesus become God. One in Three, Three in One, whatever they may mean. Buddha , a philosopher par excellent, become venerated. In the worse case scenario, for a billion or so misquided souls, any big rock, molehills or mountain could well become the objects of worship !


Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. 
[  al-Baqarah , 2 : 255 ]

But there are always exceptions to the general rule. For one man, his very questioning,intellectual  and methodical approach in thinking  based on 'hard science',about 'Allah's nature',  lead him to Islam. Listen to the late Prof Muhammad al-Mahdi :


Scientific proof to the existence of God...
PART 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5pI-HUoDQ
PART 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn0A7Lx6HG0
PART 3 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdeUDudqTgU
Part 4   : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyW9r9LZ-U0
Part 5   : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KESZpu-q-JU
Part 6   : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1Bne5AkSM


Creation of the Universe....
http://www.islamic-world.net/videos/creation/creation_highlight.htm



Biodata of Prof Muhammad al-Mahdi :
http://www.islamic-world.net/institute/founder.php








........But for 99.99 % of us, we do not need complex equations  and non-particulate physics to know HIM. We just need to appreciate the beauty, 'syncronicity' , spontaneity, and wonders of  creation to remind us of HIM and submit :

http://www.youtube.com/embed/mcbHKAWIk3I


And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record. (al-An'am : 59) 

Key To The Garden : The Shahadah....

After three dizzying hours with Hichens et al [ in the previous blog article ] and his arrogance, let us get back to the al-Ghaiba and re-strenghten our aqidah with a basic review of our shahadah, which at minimum we Muslims say at least nine times in the course of a day , within the ambit of our obligatory prayer. 

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi on The Shahadah:


Part 1,

0:51:10       Imam Abu Hanifah to the 'evolutionists' of his time :....'' only fools believe this ! ''
0:53:20       First proof of creation is creation itself......
0:55:10       In a time before time, in the valley of Arafat..."Alastu biRabbikum?.....Balaa shahidna! "
1:02:50       Even the Musyrikun believe in Allah and called Him, Allah....
1:11:35      No 'ilah' except Allah.......'no object of worship except Allah'




Part 2,

0:06:10     Ibadah....'submission, love and fear '
0:08:00     Two conditions: ikhlas and within syariah
0:12:20     Three motivating factors....love, fear , and hope....
0:22:00     Minor and major 'shirk'....
0:28:15     'Doa'...as an essence of worship
0:30:00     'Shirk' in 'Doa'...........
0:48:20     Talisman
1:00:48     Black magic is the essence of 'shirk'...
1;10:05     Saints and grave worshiper...
1;22;00     Syafaah....Syafaah Rasullullah
1:27:00     Syafaah for Abu Talib ?
1:57:00     this one is specifically for all those g25 'dan mereka2  yang sewaktu dengannya'


Part 3,