النُّورُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
An-Noor
The Light
An-Noor comes in the Verse of Light, 24:35, and it is mentioned once in the Quran. Al-Sa'di reads the light there in two ways, the light that is seen and the light of guidance, and Ibn Abbas, in Ibn Kathir, put the Name in a single word: Guide.
Key verse
﴿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. His light is like a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is in a crystal, the crystal is like a shining star, lit from ˹the oil of˺ a blessed olive tree, ˹located˺ neither to the east nor the west, whose oil would almost glow, even without being touched by fire. Light upon light! Allah guides whoever He wills to His light. And Allah sets forth parables for humanity. For Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.
The scholar's text
(اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ النور 24: 35
(Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is in a crystal, the crystal is like a shining star, lit from ˹the oil of˺ a blessed olive tree, ˹located˺ neither to the east nor the west, whose oil would almost glow, even without being touched by fire. Light upon light! Allah guides whoever He wills to His light. And Allah sets forth parables for humanity. For Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.) An-Nur 24:35
Note: The verse quoted above is 24:35, the Verse of Light; the original gave its number as 24:25.
It is mentioned 1 time in the Holy Quran
(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) النور 24: 35
ملاحظة: الآية المذكورة هي آية النور (النور 24: 35)، وجاء رقمها في الأصل 24: 25.
ورد في القرآن الكريم مرة واحدة.
The Light That Is Seen, and the Light of Guidance
Al-Sa'di explains the Light of the heavens and the earth in two kinds. The first is the light that is seen: He Himself is light, His veil is light, and by Him the Throne, the Kursi, the sun, the moon and Paradise give light. The second is the light of meaning, which also returns to Allah: His Book is light, His law is light, and faith and knowledge in the hearts of His messengers and believers are light. Without His light, he says, darkness would pile up, and wherever His light is missing there is darkness and confinement.
Arabic: النور الحسي والمعنوي
قال السعدي في ﴿ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ﴾: «الحسي والمعنوي، وذلك أنه تعالى بذاته نور»، وحجابه نور، و«وبه استنار العرش، والكرسي، والشمس، والقمر، والنور، وبه استنارت الجنة». ثم قال: «وكذلك النور المعنوي يرجع إلى الله، فكتابه نور، وشرعه نور، والإيمان والمعرفة في قلوب رسله وعباده المؤمنين نور. فلولا نوره تعالى، لتراكمت الظلمات، ولهذا: كل محل، يفقد نوره فثم الظلمة والحصر».
Guide of the Heavens and the Earth
Ibn Kathir opens his commentary with the early explanations. Ibn Abbas said: the Guide of those in the heavens and the earth. Mujahid and Ibn Abbas, in another report, said He manages what is in them, their stars, their sun and their moon. Anas said that his Lord says: My light is My guidance, and Ibn Jarir chose that explanation. Ubayy ibn Ka'b read the parable as the believer who carries faith and the Quran in his breast: the verse begins with His own light, then the believer's.
Arabic: هادي أهل السماوات والأرض
نقل ابن كثير عن ابن عباس: «يقول: هادي أهل السماوات والأرض»، وعن مجاهد وابن عباس: «يدبر الأمر فيهما، نجومهما وشمسهما وقمرهما»، وعن أنس: «إن إلهي يقول: نوري هداي»، واختاره ابن جرير. وقال أبي بن كعب في المثل إنه المؤمن الذي جعل الله الإيمان والقرآن في صدره: «فبدأ بنور نفسه، ثم ذكر نور المؤمن».
Light Upon Light
﴿أَوْ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ﴾Or ˹their deeds are˺ like the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves upon waves, topped by ˹dark˺ clouds. Darkness upon darkness! If one stretches out their hand, they can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light!
Al-Sa'di applies the parable to the believer. His natural disposition is like the clear oil, ready for what Allah teaches and for the deeds He laid down. When knowledge and faith reach it, it catches like the wick of the lamp, and the light of his nature, of faith and of knowledge gather in one heart: light upon light. Allah guides to His light whoever He wills, and al-Sa'di explains whom: those He knows to be pure and to grow by it. The next parable, 24:40, is its opposite: whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light, because the self has no good in it except what its Lord gives it.
Arabic: نور على نور
طبق السعدي المثل على المؤمن: «أن فطرته التي فطر عليها، بمنزلة الزيت الصافي، ففطرته صافية، مستعدة للتعاليم الإلهية، والعمل المشروع»، فإذا وصله العلم والإيمان اشتعل النور في قلبه كما يشتعل المصباح، «فيجتمع له نور الفطرة، ونور الإيمان، ونور العلم، وصفاء المعرفة، نور على نوره». و﴿يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ﴾: «ممن يعلم زكاءه وطهارته، وأنه يزكي معه وينمو». والمثل الذي بعده ضده: ﴿وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «لأن نفسه ظالمة جاهلة، فليس فيها من الخير والنور، إلا ما أعطاها مولاها، ومنحها ربها».
Out of Darkness Into Light
﴿ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾Allah is the Guardian of the believers: He brings them out of darkness and into light. As for the disbelievers, their guardians are false gods who lead them out of light and into darkness. It is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.
2:257 says what the light does: Allah is the Guardian of the believers, bringing them out of darkness and into light. Al-Sa'di names the darknesses and the light. He brings them out of the darkness of disbelief, sins and ignorance into the light of faith, obedience and knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ asked for it in every direction: “O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and enhance light for me” (Sahih Muslim 763).
Arabic: يخرجهم من الظلمات إلى النور
تبين آية البقرة عمل هذا النور: ﴿ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ﴾، قال السعدي: «فأخرجهم من ظلمات الكفر والمعاصي والجهل إلى نور الإيمان والطاعة والعلم». وكان النبي ﷺ يسأله في كل جهة: «اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَسَارِي نُورًا وَفَوْقِي نُورًا وَتَحْتِي نُورًا وَأَمَامِي نُورًا وَخَلْفِي نُورًا وَعَظِّمْ لِي نُورًا» (صحيح مسلم 763).
Their Light Shining Ahead of Them
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾O believers! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, so your Lord may absolve you of your sins and admit you into Gardens, under which rivers flow, on the Day Allah will not disgrace the Prophet or the believers with him. Their light will shine ahead of them and on their right. They will say, “Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us. ˹For˺ You are truly Most Capable of everything.”
The light reaches its end on the Day of Judgment. 39:69 says the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and al-Sa'di explains it: the lights people know will have gone, and the earth shines with His light when He comes to judge between them. 66:8 describes the believers' own light shining ahead of them and on their right, and their prayer, Our Lord, perfect our light for us. Al-Sa'di says Allah answers it, and ties all of it to sincere repentance, the command the verse opens with.
Arabic: نورهم يسعى بين أيديهم
وغاية هذا النور يوم القيامة: ﴿وَأَشْرَقَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا﴾، وذكر السعدي أن الأنوار الموجودة تذهب يومئذ، ثم قال: «فتشرق عند ذلك الأرض بنور ربها، عندما يتجلى وينزل للفصل بينهم». وفي آية التحريم: ﴿نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا﴾، قال السعدي: «حين يسعى المؤمنون يوم القيامة بنور إيمانهم، ويمشون بضيائه، ويتمتعون بروحه وراحته، ويشفقون إذا طفئت الأنوار، التي لا تعطى المنافقين، ويسألون الله أن يتمم لهم نورهم فيستجيب الله دعوتهم»، وكل ذلك من آثار التوبة النصوح التي بدأت بها الآية.
From the Sunnah
I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Did you see thy Lord? He said: (He is) Light; how could I see Him?
سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ قَالَ نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَسَارِي نُورًا وَفَوْقِي نُورًا وَتَحْتِي نُورًا وَأَمَامِي نُورًا وَخَلْفِي نُورًا وَعَظِّمْ لِي نُورًا
O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and enhance light for me
Sahih Muslim 763: from the Prophet's ﷺ supplication, as Ibn Abbas reported it
Related Names
Questions about An-Noor
What does An-Noor mean?
The Light, in 24:35. Ibn Abbas explained it as the Guide of all who are in the heavens and the earth.
Where is An-Noor in the Quran?
An-Noor is mentioned once in the Quran: the Verse of Light, 24:35.
Who is the parable of the lamp about?
The believer's heart, al-Sa'di says: his nature is the clear oil, and knowledge and faith light it, light upon light.
Did the Prophet ﷺ see his Lord?
Abu Dharr asked him, and he answered: “(He is) Light; how could I see Him?” (Sahih Muslim 178).