His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His Light is like a niche in which is a lamp; the lamp is in glass; the glass is as if it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west. Its oil would almost glow, even if fire did not touch it. Light upon Light. Allah guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allah strikes examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.﴾

"The 'Light' in the speech of the Arabs: is the lights perceived by sight, and it is used metaphorically for what is correct from meanings and is evident. It is said: 'A speech that has light,' and from it is 'the illuminating book.' And from it is the saying of the poet:

'Lines as if upon them is the light of the morning sun and the pillar of dawn.'

And Allah, the Exalted, is not like anything; it is clear that He is not like the lights perceived. There remains for the verse no meaning except that He intended: Allah is the Possessor of the Light of the heavens and the earth, meaning by His power their lights have illuminated, and their affairs have been set right, and their creations have been established. The speech is for the clarification of the mind, as you say: the king is the light of the nation, meaning by him is the sustenance of its affairs and the rectification of its entirety. The matter in the king is metaphorical, and it is in the attribute of Allah, the Exalted, a pure reality; for He is the One who originated the existents and created the intellect as a guiding light; because the emergence of existence occurred by it, just as the emergence of the visible occurs by light. Blessed is Allah, there is no Lord besides Him.

And a group said: The meaning is: The religion of Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The meaning is: The guide of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. And the first is more comprehensive of meanings and clearer with reflection.

And Abdullah ibn Ayash ibn Abi Rabiah and Abu Abdur-Rahman as-Sulami read: 'Allah illuminated' with the opening of the noon and the doubled waw and the opening of the ra, meaning that He did it.

It has been narrated that when this verse was revealed, the Jews were astonished at its interpretation and objected to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, by saying: How is He the Light of the earth and the heavens between us and Him? Then this verse was revealed: ﴿The example of His Light is like a niche﴾, meaning: The matter is not as you thought, but rather it is a Light in that He is the sustainer of all things and their creator and originator; the example of His Light is such and such.

And the interpreters differed regarding the pronoun in 'His Light' to whom it returns. Ka'b al-Ahbar and Ibn Jubair said: It returns to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, meaning: The example of the Light of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. And Ubayy ibn Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, and Ibn Jubair and Ad-Dahhak said: It returns to the believers. And in the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka'b: 'The example of the Light of the believers.' It has been narrated that in his reading it is 'The example of the Light of the believer.' And it has been narrated that in it is 'The example of the Light of whoever believes in Him.' And Al-Hasan said: It returns to the Qur'an and faith. Makki ibn Abi Talib said: And upon these sayings, it is paused at his saying: 'and the earth.'

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And these are sayings regarding the return of the pronoun to whom there has been no mention of him, and in them is a cutting of the intended meaning of the verse.

And a group said: The pronoun in "His light" refers back to Allah, the Most High. Then this group differed regarding the intended meaning of the light that is attributed to Allah, the Most High, as a creation to the Creator, just as you say: the sky of Allah, and the she-camel of Allah. Some of them said: It is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. Some of them said: It is the believer. Some of them said: It is faith and the Qur'an. These statements are consistent with the meaning. It is as if the Jews, when they interpreted "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth" with the meaning of light, were told: It is not so, but rather it is a light in that it is the sustainer of everything and its guide. The example of His light is in Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, or in the believer, or in the Qur'an and faith, like a niche, which is a non-penetrating opening in which a lamp is placed and the like.

And these three statements correspond in the comparison of a part of the example to a part of the represented. According to the saying of those who said: "The one represented is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him" - and this is the saying of Ka'b al-Khayr - the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, is the niche, or his chest, and the lamp is prophethood and what is connected to it from his actions and guidance, and the glass is his heart, and the blessed tree is the revelation, and the angels are the messengers of Allah to him and the cause that connects to him, and the oil is the evidences, proofs, and signs that are contained in the revelation.

And according to the saying of those who said: "The one represented is the believer" - and this is the saying of Ubayy ibn Ka'b - the niche is his chest, the lamp is faith and knowledge, the glass is his heart, the tree is the Qur'an, and its oil is the evidences and wisdom that it contains. Ubayy said: He is in the best state walking among people like a living man walking in the graves of the dead.

And for those who said: "The one represented is the Qur'an and faith," the meaning of the speech is: The example of His light - which is faith in the heart of the believer - in his heart is like a niche, meaning: like this statement. And this saying is not in comparison to the first two, because the niche does not correspond to faith.

And the verse can have another meaning in which there is no comparison of a part of the example to a part of the represented, but the comparison occurs in a whole to a whole, [and that is to mean: The example of the light of Allah, which is His guidance and the perfection of His creation of every creature and His shining proofs in general] is like this statement of the light that you take on this attribute, which is the most eloquent of the attributes of the light that is in front of people, meaning: So the example of the light of Allah in clarity is like this which is your ultimate, O mankind.

And "the niche": is the opening in the wall that is non-penetrating, as said by Ibn Jubayr, and Sa'id ibn Iyas, and the majority of the interpreters. It is more encompassing for the light, and the lamp in it is more illuminating than in others. And Mujahid said: The niche is the column on which the lamp is placed. And Abu Musa said: The niche is the iron or the lead in which the wick is inside the glass. And Mujahid also said: The niche is the iron from which the lamp is hung. And the first is the most correct of these sayings.

And His saying, exalted is He: "In a glass" is because it is a transparent body. The lamp in it is brighter than that in other than glass. And "the lamp": is the wick with its fire. Al-Kisai inclined - as narrated from Abu Amr al-Dani - the alif from "mishkat" so he broke the kaf that he accepted. And Nasr ibn Asim read: "In a glass" with a فتح (fathah) on the zay, and "the glass" likewise, and this is a language.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿Like a shining star﴾ means in illumination and light. This can imply two meanings: either he means that it is with the lamp like that, or he means that it is in itself for its purity and the quality of its essence like that. This interpretation is more eloquent in cooperation on the light. Al-Dhahhak said: The shining star is the flower. And Nafi, Ibn Amer, and Hafs read: "shining" with a ضم (dhammah) on the dal and a shaddah on the ya. For this reading, there are two possibilities: either the star is attributed to the pearl for its whiteness and purity, or its origin is "durriyy" with a hamzah from "dura" which means to push, and the hamzah was softened. And Hamzah and Abu Bakr from Asim read: "durriyy" with the hamzah, and it is a فَعيل (fa'il) from "dura," meaning that it pushes some of itself, or meaning that it has what pushes away its concealment. And فَعيل (fa'il) is a form that is not found in names except in their saying: "marīq" (for the sparrow) and in "surriah" if it is derived from "sir." And Abu Ali supported this reading while others weakened it. And Abu Amr and Al-Kisai read: "dirriyy" on the pattern of فَعيل (fa'il) with a كسرة (kasrah) on the fa, from "dar". This is plausible. And Qatadah read: "darri'" with a فتح (fathah) on the dal and the hamzah. Abu al-Fath said: This is rare, and only "the knife" is preserved from it with a shaddah on the kaf. And Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Abu Rajaa, and Nasr ibn Asim read: "darriyy" with a فتح (fathah) on the dal without hamzah.

And Hamzah, Al-Kisai, Abu Bakr from Asim, Talhah, Al-Amash, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ibn Wathab, and Isa read: "tuwqad" with a ضم (dhammah) on the ta, meaning the glass. And Abu Amr, the people of Kufa, Al-Hasan, and Ibn Muhaysin read: "tawqad" with a فتح (fathah) on the ta and the waw and a shaddah on the qaf and a ضم (dhammah) on the dal, meaning the glass. And Abu Amr also, and Ibn Kathir read: "tawqad" with a فتح (fathah) on the ta and the dal, meaning the lamp. And Asim - as narrated from Ismail - read: "yuqad" with a raised ya, meaning: the lamp is lit. Abu al-Fath said: And Al-Sulami, Al-Hasan, Ibn Muhaysin, Salam, and Qatadah read: "yawqad" with a فتح (fathah) on the ya and the waw and the qaf with shaddah and a raised dal, its origin is: "yatawqad."

And His saying, exalted is He: "From a tree" means: from the oil of a tree, and "the blessed": is the one that grows. And "the olive" is one of the greatest fruits in growth and the abundance of branches and greenery, especially in Sham, and the pomegranate likewise. The evidence is clear for that. And the saying of Abu Talib mourning Musafir ibn Abu Amr ibn Umayyah ibn Abd Shams:

I wish I knew Musafir ibn Abu Amr, and I wish the sorrowful would say it. Blessed is the dead stranger as the pomegranate and the olive are blessed.

'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: ﴿No eastern nor western﴾ The majority read it with a lowering, in conjunction with "olive tree." And Al-Dhahhak read: "No eastern nor western" with a raising. The interpreters differed in its meaning. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as narrated by Al-Tabari, said: Its meaning is that it is a tree in a grove that is surrounded by it, so it is not exposed from the direction of the east nor from the direction of the west. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This statement is not correct to me from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him; because existence necessitates that the tree which has this characteristic would have its branches extending. Al-Hasan said: This tree is not from the trees of this world, but it is a parable that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, struck for His light. If it were in this world, it would either be eastern or western. Ibn Zayd said: He intended that it is from the trees of the Levant; because the trees of the Levant are the best of trees, and from the blessed land. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Ikrimah, and Qatadah, and others said: The meaning of His saying, glorified and exalted is He: ﴿No eastern nor western﴾ is that it is in an exposed area of the earth, where the sun reaches it all day long, rotating around it, so it is not exclusive to the east to be called eastern, nor to the west to be called western. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: ﴿Its oil almost lights up even if fire does not touch it﴾ is an exaggeration in a quality of its qualities and its beauty and excellence. The majority read: "touch it" with a 'ta' from above, and Ibn Abbas and Al-Hasan read with a 'ya' from below. And His saying: ﴿Light upon light﴾ means that all of this is a complement to this light that is represented by it, and in this place the parable is complete. Then He, blessed and exalted is He, mentioned His guidance to His light whom He wills and makes happy among His servants, and mentioned His favor in striking actions for the servants so that they may take heed and reflect leading to faith.