The worldly life is the abode of afflictions and is full of desires and doubtful matters, so one should be patient, as this patience proves the true love that one has for Allah The Almighty in times of afflictions and one’s contentment with the decree of Allah The Almighty, even if it is different from what he likes. There should be light to purify the soul to be worthy of entering the Home of Peace with the righteous. There should be light that removes darkness and marks the way so that the believer will be steadfast when afflictions befall him and obedient in fulfilling the orders of Allah The Almighty and avoiding what He forbade.
The believer remains strong and steadfast as he is totally convinced of the principles that he adopts. There is nothing greater than being connected to Allah The Almighty through patience and prayers as Allah The Almighty elevates the rank of the believer, forgives his sins and lights his way because of them. Prayers and patience are sources of both spiritual and material light:
1. Spiritual light is a divine light that can be recognized by the person's insight. An example of this kind of light is the light of faith, Quran, guidance, reason, heart, knowledge, acts of obedience such as the prayers, repentance and the light of old age.
2. Material light is a tangible light that can be seen by the eye and its effect becomes apparent on the faces of the believers and makes them more shining in this life and the Hereafter.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
• {Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration.} [Quran 48:29]
• {It is He Who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light} [Quran 10:5]
• {Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He Wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.} [Quran 24:35]
The opinions of the scholars of Tafseer (exegesis) regarding the interpretation of {Allah Is the Light of the heavens and the earth}:
• ‘Ali ibn Abu Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said that this means The One Who Guides the people of the heavens and the earth.
• Ibn Jurayj narrated that Mujaahid and Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them, said that this part means that Allah The Almighty manages the matters in the heavens and the earth as well as their stars, sun, and moon.
• Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, may Allah be pleased with him, said that this part means the believer in whose heart Allah The Almighty has placed faith and the Quran, so Allah The Almighty gave the example of this believer and started by mentioning His Light then the light of the believer. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, may Allah be pleased with him, used to recite this part as: {The example of the light of the one who believed in Him.} And, Ibn ‘Abbaas may Allah be pleased with them both, also read this part just like him.
• Adh-Dhahhaak recited this part as: {Allah is The One Who lighted Heavens and earth}
• As-Suddi said that it is with the light of Allah The Almighty that the Heavens and the earth became lighted.
• It was narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet when praying at night, used to say: "Allahumma laka Al-Hamd. Anta Qayyoom As-Samawaati wa Al-Ardhi wa man feehin, Anta Noor As-Samaawaati wa Al-Ardhi wa man feehin, wa lak Al-Hamd. (O Allah! Praise be to You! You are The Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. You are The Light of the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. Praise be to You).”
The scholars' opinions regarding the interpretation of "{Light upon light} ":
• Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said that this part means the faith of the slave and his deeds.
• Mujaahid and As-Suddi said that this means the light of fire and the light of oil.
• As-Suddi said that when the light of fire and oil gather, they produce light and none of them can produce light without the other. This is similar to the light of the Quran and the light of faith when they gather -- none of them can exist without the other.
• Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the believer moves from one light to the other as his speech is light; his deeds are light, his entrance is light, his exit is light, and his final destiny on the Day of Judgment is to Paradise.
In this verse, Allah The Almighty presents the example of His guiding light in the heart of the believer as the light of the lamp that is lit from a blessed oil. Allah The Almighty knows in advance those who deserve to be guided among people and those who are wilfully disobedient. It is because of the justice of Allah The Almighty that He does not treat Muslims like the transgressors, or treat those who fear Him like the wicked ones. On the contrary, Allah The Almighty judges them according to the deeds that they do and the faith that they have.
Al-Albaani said, "Faith and disbelief are optional matters that the slave can decide as Allah The Almighty does not force any one to follow either of them.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So whoever wills -- let him believe; and whoever wills -- let him disbelieve."} [Quran 18:39] This is something that is observed and known as an indisputably established fact. If this had not been the case, then reward and punishment would have been futile and Allah The Almighty is Far Exalted above this.”
• {And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.} [Quran 6:122]
• {O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will [then] give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you will walk and forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 57:28] (The light of faith and piety)
In a Hadeeth (narration) on the authority of Ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that the Prophet said: "Allah The Almighty created His creation in darkness then threw on them some of His light. The one who had then a share of this light is guided and the one who did not will go astray." [Saheeh] [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi and Al-Haakim]
It is a divine light that expands the heart, reassures the soul, and lights the way of guidance for the believer in a way that enables him to differentiate between truth and falsehood. This light protects the believer and prevents him from committing sins, leads him to good deeds and prohibits him from committing immorality and wrongdoing. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the Remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error.} [Quran 39:22]
In fact, there is a great difference between people who waste their days and nights without attaining any reward and others who use their time in worship, which no matter how great it is, would be little when compared to the Right of Allah The Almighty over them. Allah The Almighty praises those people by Saying (what means):
• {Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. They used to sleep but little of the night, And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness, And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.} [Quran 51:15-19]
• {They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend. And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.} [Quran 32:16-17]
In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that the Prophet said: "The one who reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, will have light up to the following Friday." [Saheeh] [Al-Haakim and Al-Bayhaqi]
In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that the Prophet said: "The one who reads Surat Al-Kahf on Friday, will have light that fills the distance between him and Al-Bayt Al-‘Ateeq (the Ka‘bah)." [Saheeh] [Al-Bayhaqi] (The light of the Quran)
In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that the Prophet said: "Gray hair (which results from old age) is the light of the believer. Every single gray hair that one has while being a Muslim will gain him a reward and will cause him to be elevated one degree." [Al-Bayhaqi]
Fadhaalah ibn ‘Ubayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet said: "Gray hair (that results from old age) is light in the face. So, whoever wants, let him pluck his own light." [Ibn ‘Adiyy and Al-Bayhaqi] (The light of old age)
Among things that help one attain spiritual beauty are:
• Following the Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet regarding repentance, supplication, Ruqyah (healing with the Quran) and other rulings.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."} [Quran 66:8]
The Prophet used to supplicate Allah The Almighty saying: "Allahumma Zayyin-na bizeenat Al-Eemaan wa ij‘alna Hudaatan Muhtadeen (O Allah! Adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us those who guide and are guided)." [Saheeh] [An-Nasaa’i and Al-Haakim on the authority of ‘Ammaar ibn Yaasir, may Allah be pleased with him]
As for Ruqyah (healing with the Quran), it was narrated on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet saw a maid that had a black part on her face, and said: "Make Ruqyah for her as she is afflicted by an evil eye." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Nowadays, we see this on the faces of many Muslim women, especially at times of pregnancy or because of being exposed to direct sun rays. If these Muslim women had followed the Sunnah of the Prophet it would have been better for them than using ointments or bleach that harms the skin.
• Good morals, gentleness, and bashfulness are also included in spiritual beauty.
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet said: "Adhere to leniency. Leniency adorns whatever includes it and disgraces whatever is void of it." [Saheeh] [Muslim on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her]
In a Hadeeth on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that the Prophet said: "Obscenity is not to be found in any thing but that it disgraces it and bashfulness is not to be found in any thing but it adorns it." [Saheeh] [Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and At-Tirmithi]
• Perfect compliance with Sharee‘ah as it is beneficial in its smallest parts.
Muslims should avoid any parties who change the religion according to their own fancies. They modify the Hadeeths so that they achieve their goals. Some of them made the impermissible exposure of women’s beauty lawful, while others satisfied the corrupt people and removed Hijab along with the chastity and purity that it represents. Consequently, women started to go out dressed but appearing naked, inclined (to evil) and making others incline towards it.
These people say that Allah The Almighty is Beautiful and loves beauty, but they disregard the dire consequences of an evil end. Why do not they consider the divine Call of Allah The Almighty as He Says (what means): {O children of Aadam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We Have Made the devils allies to those who do not believe.} [Quran 7:27]
In fact, the appearance of the believing women who are adherent to their religion and the Sunnah of the Prophet indicates their faith and the effect of faith appears on their body, especially the face. Believing women beautify themselves by chastity and virtue; avoid doubtful matters and vice; understand their underlying harms and thus, they behave rationally, and beautify themselves moderately.
