This is an example that Allah has given of the believer who was dead, meaning, wandering
in confusion and misguidance. Then, Allah brought life to him, by bringing life
to his heart with faith, guiding him to it and guiding him to obeying His Messengers,
﴿لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ
كَمَن﴾
(And set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men.) for he became guided
to where he should go and how to remain on the correct path. The light mentioned
here is the Qur'an, according to Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi and Ibn Abi Talhah reported
from him. As-Suddi said that the light mentioned here is Islam. Both meanings are
correct.
﴿مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ﴾
(Like him who is in the darkness) of ignorance, desires and various types of deviation,
﴿بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ﴾
(From which he can never come out) for he is unable to find a way out from what
he is in. In Musnad Ahmad, it is recorded that the Prophet said;
«إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقَهُ فِي
ظُلْمَةٍ، ثُمَّ رَشَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نُورِهِ، فَمَنْ أَصَابَهُ ذَلِكَ النُّورُ
اهْتَدَى، وَمَنَ أَخْطَأَهُ ضَل»
(Allah created creation in darkness, then He showered His Light upon them. Whoever
was struck by that light is guided, whoever it missed is astray.) Allah said in
other Ayat,
﴿اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ
يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ
الطَّـغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَـتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ
النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ ﴾
(Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into
light. But as for those who disbelieve, their friends are Taghut, they bring them
out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will
abide therein forever.) ﴿2:257﴾, and
﴿أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبّاً عَلَى وَجْهِهِ
أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيّاً عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴾
(Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright
on the straight way) ﴿67:22﴾, and
﴿مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى
وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ
﴾
(The parable of the two parties is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the
hearer. Are they equal when compared Will you not then take heed) ﴿11:24﴾, and,
﴿وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ
- وَلاَ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلاَ النُّورُ - وَلاَ الظِّلُّ وَلاَ الْحَرُورُ - وَمَا يَسْتَوِى
الاٌّحْيَآءُ وَلاَ الاٌّمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ
مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ - إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ ﴾
(Not alike are the blind and the seeing. Nor are darkness and light. Nor are the
shade and the sun's heat. Nor are the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom
He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves. You are
only a warner.) ﴿35:19-23﴾ There are many other Ayat on this subject. We explained
before why Allah mentioned the light in the singular sense and the darkness in the
plural sense when we explained the Ayah at the beginning of the Surah,
﴿وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ﴾
(And originated the darknesses and the light.) ﴿6:1﴾ Allah's statement,
﴿زُيِّنَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ
يَعْمَلُونَ ﴾
(Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.) means,
We made their ignorance and misguidance appear fair to them, as Allah decreed out
of His wisdom, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him alone without partners.
﴾
﴿وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا
فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ
إِلاَّ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ - وَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ قَالُواْ لَن
نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ
يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُواْ صَغَارٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ
شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَمْكُرُونَ ﴾
(123. And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot
therein. But they plot not except against themselves, and they perceive (it) not.)
(124. And when there comes to them a sign they say: "We shall not believe until
we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah received." Allah knows
best with whom to entrust His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah and a
severe torment will overtake the criminals for that which they used to plot.)