PARABLE [i]:

Guidance to humankind
[Quran 24:35-36]

Presented by HAJI MOHAMAD HANIM MOHAMAD ISA

 ً‫ور ِه َك ِم أش َكا ٍة ِفٌ َها ِمصأ َباح ۚ أال ِمصأ َبا ُح ِف‬ ِ ‫ض ۚ َم َث ُل ُن‬ ِ ‫ت َو أاْلَرأ‬ ِ ‫َّللا ُ ُنو ُر ال هس َم َاوا‬‫ه‬
َ ‫اج ُة َكأ َ هن َها َك أو َكب ُدرِّ يٌّ ٌُو َق ُد ِمنأ َش َج َر ٍة ُم َب‬
‫ار َك ٍة َز أٌ ُتو َن ٍة ََل َشرأ ِق هٌ ٍة َو ََل‬ ُّ ۚ ‫اج ٍة‬
َ ‫الز َج‬ َ ‫ُز َج‬
‫ور ِه َمنأ‬ ‫ور ۚ ٌَ أه ِدي ه‬
ِ ‫َّللاُ لِ ُن‬ ٍ ‫أسسأ ُه َنار ۚ ُنور َعلَ ٰى ُن‬ َ ‫ُضً ُء َولَ أو لَ أم َتم‬ ِ ٌ ‫َغرأ ِب هٌ ٍة ٌَ َكا ُد َز أٌ ُت َها‬
‫اس ۚ َو ه‬
‫َّللاُ ِب ُك ِّل َشًأ ٍء َعلٌِم‬ ِ ‫َّللاُ أاْلَ أم َثا َل لِل هن‬
‫ٌَ َشا ُء ۚ َو ٌَضأ ِربُ ه‬
Allaahu Nourus-samaawaati wal-ard. Masalu Nou-rihee ka-Mishkaatin-feehaa Misbaah; Al-Misbaahu fee
Zujaa-jah; az-zujaajatu ka’annahaa kawkabun durriyyuny-youqadu min Shajaratim-mubaara-katin-Zaytounatil-
laa Sharqiy-yatinw-wa laa Garbiyyatiny-yakaadu Zaytuhaa yuzeee-u wa law lam tamsas-hu naar; Nou-run alaa
Nour. YahdiLLaahu li-Nourihee many-yashaaa’; wa yazribuLLaahul-amsaala linnaas; waLLaahu bi-kulli shay’in
Aleem.
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is as if there were a niche and
within it a lamp, the Lamp enclosed in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed
tree, an olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire
scarce touched it, light upon light! God doth guide whom He will to His Light. God doth set forth
parables for men: and God doth know all things.

‫ال‬
ِ ‫ص‬َ ‫َّللاُ أَنأ ُترأ َف َع َوٌ أُذ َك َر ِفٌ َها اسأ ُم ُه ٌُ َس ِّب ُح لَ ُه ِفٌ َها ِب أال ُغ ُدوِّ َو أاْل‬
‫ت أَ ِذ َن ه‬
ٍ ‫ِفً ُبٌُو‬
Fee buyoutin azinaLLaahu an-turfa’a wa yuzkara feehas-muhou yusabbihu lahou feehaa bil-guduwwi wal-
aasaal –
(Lit is such a light) in houses, which God hath permitted to be raised to honor; for the celebration, in
them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),-
[Quran 24:35-36]
This is probably the richest parable in the Quran
in which Allah has used many symbols to
illustrate how human heart is illuminated with
the guidance from the wisdom of the scriptures.
Let us analyze each of the symbols and terms
used in this parable: [ii]

Light: [iii] The Quran has extensively used the symbol

of light for guidance from faith, wisdom, and
knowledge; which Allah has revealed in the scriptures.
The Qur’aan says that the Torah, the Gospel and all
the scriptures before it are guidance and manifest
light from the creator.
Lamp enclosed in Glass: It is the symbol of
scripture which is the source of the guidance i.e. the
Light. The light emitted by the lamp doesn't come
from outside rather it is already hidden inside the
lamp and its oil, till kindled by an outside source;
similarly the illumination to human heart comes from
within, when guided by the scripture of the Allah.
Glass as it was a brilliant star: This could mean
that Allah's scriptures (the lamp) are protected by
Allah from corruption.

Lit from a blessed Tree neither of east nor of

west: This could mean that the just like oil gives
every lamp the capacity to light up, the capacity of
every human heart to receive guidance from Allah is
not limited to people from east or west. Allah can
guide whom he chooses and without any intercession
from others.

Niche: is the heart of a person. A lamp gives light

when it is lit up; similarly the human heart is
illuminated when it receives guidance from the Allah.
 Moral of this parable
is that the guidance is not limited to people from east
or west. Every human heart has the natural capacity
to receive it, only if Allah wills and touches the heart
with the Light from the scriptures. And if a person's
heart is thus illuminated by Allah, that person will
spread this light to other human beings and illuminate
the environment with goodness.
Notes & References
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[i] A parable is a narrative of imagined events used to illustrate or convey a
moral or spiritual lesson. Quran uses parables to convey its message. Quran
says "And these similitude we put forward for humankind, but none will
understand them except those who have knowledge"(29:43)

[ii] This is our humble effort to understand this parable. Given the richness of
this parable, we understand that there can be better interpretations.

[iii]2:257 Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out
from darkness into Light. 4:174 O humankind! Verily there has come to you
a convincing proof from you Lord, and We sent to you a manifest Light 5:15-
16 Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a Light and a plain Book.
Wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of
peace and He brings them out of darkness by His will into Light and guides
them to Straight Way. 5:44 Verily we sent down Torah therein was guidance
and Light (5:44) We sent Jesus son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had
come before him, and We gave him the Gospel, in which was Light and
Guidance

thank you