This is a huge and meaningful subject, so we will touch on some basic ideas as well the locations of these mentions in the Quran, whose binary theme it graphically illustrates.
LIGHT نور is associated with: day, illumination, truth, eternity, wholeness, healing, goodness, the Quran, guidance, opening, peace, straight path (note that light rays follow a straight path), love, hope, trust, faith, sincerity, guarding the sacred, eternal values vision بصير (inner light which is a separate word).
DARKNESSES ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ is associated with ignorance, concealment, hiding, closure, sickness of the soul, evil, tearing apart, falsehood, crooked path, crime, loss and misleading, oppression and injustice, misery, hopelessness, despair, hate, hypocrisy, betrayal, violence, violating what is sacred, worldly values.
Why is light mentioned as singular but darknesses plural? Because light, as used in the Quran, is One and Whole, but darknesses are scattered and plural, dispersing and separating.
Good vs. Evil, Allah vs. Taghut
We can see from the above comparison that in the Quran, light generally represents what is Good and beneficial and darknesses generally represent what is Harmful/Evil. The word “evil” alone, as we understand it, does not apply in all cases. For example, the “darknesses” of night and the womb are necessary and beneficial. Another example is ignorance, which itself has no bad intent but can be harmful. Willful ignorance, however, can become an evil thing, as in the case of people calling the Quran, or all Muslims, “evil” without knowing anything about them or their religion. To “say about Allah that which you do not know” is frequently admonished against in the Quran. Yet it is not the ignorance itself to blame, but rather the false claim of knowledge. It is the darknesses of bad intentions, which are then acted upon, for which we can be held accountable.
Note that there are other words such as dya’ which are used for “light,” but we focus here on the word nūr itself (and the derived form muneer), which is applied to Allah the Exalted Himself, to His revelations and guidance, and to matters of good and evil.
The dichotomy between good and evil is most clearly represented in the 14 mentions in 12 ayat where darknesses and light are mentioned together as a pair. The first such aya is here:
Allah is the Ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve – their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein. (2:257)
This aya highlights two things. First, the second mention reverses the order of light and darknesses given in the first mention. In fact, “darknesses” is usually mentioned before light; the only other instance where light comes first is in 6:122. The reversal shows us that this exchange can go either way: from darknesses to light or vice versa, indicating that light is something one must maintain. It’s not the case that being guided to the light is a permanent state with no possibility of slipping back into darknesses. We must keep following that guidance with our efforts, and this involves both prayer/ fasting/ other strictly “religious” practices, and fighting for justice, helping others in need, and other actions in Allah’s way, that are not specifically designated as “religious.” But it is also true that Allah the Exalted supports those, especially if it involves difficulty or sacrifice. And the reward of feeling good can help keep us on that path.
Second, it tells us that whom one’s allies are will affect whether one is in the true light – for God’s allies – or in real darknesses – for Taghut’s allies. And who or what is Taghut? According to Ibn Jareer al-Tabari,
The correct opinion concerning Taaghoot, in my view, is that it refers to everyone who arrogates to himself a position that is befitting only for Allaah, and so is worshipped instead of Him, either by forcing others to worship him or by accepting their willing worship. The one that is thus worshipped may be a human being, or a shaytaan (devil), or an idol, or a statue, or some other being.
Islamqa
My issue with this opinion is that an idol, statue, or certain other things do not “arrogate,” that is, make false or indeed any claims by themselves, but rather it is the worshiper who makes these claims. The same can be said of the worship of others such as prophets, who themselves did not ask to be worshiped at all.
Of course there are those who set themselves up as gods to be worshiped, or in a less religious sense, rule by dictatorship, kingship, or other totalitarian/ autocratic title, demanding total obeisance and using often torture and/or an extreme prison system to create an unjust oppressive regime. The Middle East is ruled by some of those. If they torment or oppress people of faith and conscience, then they too are Taghut.
The word taghūt is a superlative form derived from the same root as tugh’yan or tagha which means to transgress the boundaries of right and wrong, both intuitively known by our Fitrah or innate sense (conscience), and made clear in the Quran as well as previous Divine revelations. Taghut is similar to jabbar or jabbarut, meaning “mighty,” but the ultimate “might” is only for Allah, hence leaders are responsible to submit to Him and rule by His commandments. If they pursue power over justice and reverence for Allah, then they are Taghut.
One’s worship of taghut can also be something like obsession with celebrities, where people idolize and look up to them as a role model, focused on the details of their lives. If Muslims do this, they must examine if their love of the celebrity is greater than their love for Allah and His messenger (as an exemplar), and why they feel this way, or if it has affected their behavior in a way contradictory to their faith. And make the effort to reconnect with Allah’s guidance.
Another example is a politician who fears the jabbarut or “might” (in money and political clout) of the Zionist lobby (their Taghut) more than Allah, and so votes to send arms to Israel to massacre Palestinian children. The consequences of an act are also part of the equation of justice. In these examples, we see the plural of darknesses as a cascade of losses, such as loss of conscience, loss of self-control, loss of perhaps one’s familial relationships, loss of one’s compassion or humanity, or loss of one’s true direction in life. Blinded by the love of this worldly life, people may not realize the darknesses and losses they are sinking in until it’s too late.
One could say Taghut is something one deems to have a “position” or power “that is befitting only for Allaah,” to use Al-Tabari’s phrase above. So in the case of autocratic regimes, they have set themselves up to be followed out of fear, but such a following is “befitting only for Allaah.” Who alone is to be feared.
Such regimes punish political enemies as well as criminals using punishments other than what is given by Allah, such as throwing people from balconies or dropping them from aircraft, or sawing them to pieces with a bone saw. Of course, these extreme methods are done covertly, in secret, but Allah knows what we do in secret and can expose the criminals, thus delegitimizing their authority for those guided by Allah’s light. He warns us of “the Day when secrets will be put on trial.” (86:9)
Rather the true Muslim leader should rule with justice and shura or “mutual consultation.” Autocrats use their power to oppress those they feel threatening their power, thus political enemies but not criminals in the usual sense. Unlike the early Islamic leaders, these autocrats were never chosen by their people, but rather imposed, and they do not rule by justice, but by seeking above all to maintain their power structure. This in itself is to rule according to the “darknesses” of power-seeking and Taghut instead of by the light and guidance of Allah the Just and All-Merciful. And it’s not only about power but also its companion, wealth, where excess love and hoarding of it weighs a person down into darknesses.
This is because Allah commands justice to prevail and sharing of wealth be not just limited to a percentage but sufficient “so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you.” (59:7) As in, say, Saudi Arabia, where the majority of the country’s wealth is a “perpetual distribution” among the Al-Saud family.
Surveillance and following people outside the country to enforce dictatorial retribution is strictly prohibited in the Quran, and is an example of darknesses and working covertly. “And do not spy on or backbite each other” (49:12) is an admonition against surveillance from simple spying to extensively harassing and “tailing” people, often using technology to target individuals. And dictatorial power itself is not Islamic:
The [true Cause or] “way” [of Allah] is only against those who oppress the people and behave tyrannically upon the earth without right. For them, there shall be a painful punishment. (42:42)
As Muslims guided by Allah’s light in the Quran, we cannot in good faith submit to the thulumat or “darknesses” of such Taghut leaders, but it’s possible that those who live under these regimes cannot escape from them or have the wherewithal or vision to create a viable alternative. Yet it remains incumbent upon those who are able, to plan such an alternative regime and cooperate over time to overthrow or remove the oppressor. This is a requirement for the believers.
Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah , and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak. (4:76)
The Arab Spring was such an attempt and succeeded in part, except that powers outside their jurisdiction, namely the U.S. and its covert agencies (including other foreign agencies) conspired to undermine those successes entirely. But we should never give up in the fight for justice, because that is precisely what Muslims are called to do.
And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous. (9:36)
“Disbelievers” here is kafiroon literally “those who cover up truth.” Why would people cover up truth? Because they know they are doing something wrong or immoral. The word “collectively” is important, as in the Arab Spring, and what caused its ultimate failure was a failure of unity within the collective power, where groups began infighting which was utilized by their enemies. Had they remained strong with one another, and alert to the tricks of the enemy, they could have succeeded.
Now is actually a moment of weakness caused by the horrific genocide in Gaza and indeed against all Palestinians, where world opinion has shifted away from the U.S. hegemony and Israeli propaganda to sympathize with Palestinians, and to that end, many struggle in various ways against their own governments to effect an end to the oppression. The few who’ve taken up the fight militarily, such as Hamas and the Houthis, have found significant gains against unimaginable odds. But far more collective efforts are needed against such a formidable foe, both to expose their evil and to take steps to create consequences for the evildoers.
This is truly a war where on the Israeli side are darknesses – genocide, torture, forcibly expelling people from their homes and lands, targeting the most innocent who are children and women, all this without right, as Palestinians who are the rightful owners of the land were robbed, killed, controlled and severely oppressed by Israel. And on the Palestinian side is light – defending their mosques, lives, Islam, and other people of faith, and their peaceful way of life against invaders, keeping up their faith in Allah unwaveringly. Their example alone has brought many people to Islam. That is the power of light and unity vs. the failure of darknesses, scattered to the winds. (18:45)
The parable of the deeds of those who disbelieve in their Lord is that of ashes fiercely blown away by wind on a stormy day. They will gain nothing from what they have earned. That is ˹truly˺ the farthest one can stray. (14:18)
Disbelief or rejection of faith and of Allah’s ayat/verses is equated with thulumat or “darknesses.” Whereas all of God’s revelations are described as light (alnūr) or enlightening (muneer); guidance itself is light. Knowledge also, in ayat Al-Nūr, is inferred to be an aspect of Allah’s light. The highest form of knowledge is with Allah, and for humans, knowledge of Allah and His revelations is the highest attainable knowledge. Which doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also learn from any other kind of beneficial knowledge we can, but it means Allah is the ultimate source and giver of all knowledge. So those who cover up truth also cover up knowledge, and all forms of light, which includes truth, thus the statement that they try to put out Allah’s light.
They want to extinguish God’s [guiding] light with their utterances: but God will not allow [this to pass], for He has willed to spread His light in all its fullness, however hateful this may be to all who deny the truth. (9:32)
In the ayat of Surat Al-Hadeed (Iron) 57 that mention nūr, we find the first instance showing nūr as something given to the believers in the Hereafter, as if it was the “currency” of value there, in 57:12:
On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], “Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally.” That is what is the great attainment. (Al-Hadid 57:12)
This is immediately followed by a contrasting aya showing those hypocrites who did not earn the “currency” of light.
On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment. (Al-Hadid 57:13)
This shows us how our deeds and intentions, what is in the hearts, in this life affect the Hereafter. For those who trusted in Allah/God sincerely and did righteous deeds in His Way, their deeds will “convert” to the “celestial” currency of light by Allah’s grace. For those who only made a pretense of faith for worldly reasons such as reputation, business deals, power, etc., and whose deeds reflected superficiality in matters of faith, their deeds will become worthless in the Hereafter, when suddenly they realize it’s too late to fix their insincerity. So light has actual value in the Hereafter, where it is so valuable that without it one is lost. Such is the value of our good deeds in the next life.
Mentions of Darknesses and Light
Altogether, there are 43 mentions of nūr in 33 ayat in 20 suras + 6 mentions in 6 ayat in 5 suras of muneer = 49 mentions of the root nūr (in two forms, excluding nar “fire”) in 39 ayat in 25 suras (two suras shared between nūr and muneer). There are 14 mentions of thulumat or darknesses paired with nūr in 12 ayat in 10 suras, and 29 mentions of nūr without “darknesses.” And there are seven (7) ayat mentioning “darknesses“ alone, for a total of 21 mentions of darknesses in the Quran. The mentions are summarized:
The number 49 represents all mentions of the root for nūr referring specifically to “light,” noting that, of all things, nar which in Arabic means “fire,” is also apparently derived from the same root! (One can think of it like the English word to set “alight” meaning to set on fire. In Arabic too there’s that connection.) And fire is mentioned far more than nūr or “light.” The word in Arabic alnūr, nūr, and other derived forms excluding nar are included in these counts.
So the mentions of light totally exceed the mentions of darknesses, by slightly over two times as many. Including the word muneer, the difference between them is 28 more mentions of light than darknesses. Notice that many of these numbers are multiples of seven, the exceptions being those numbers exclusively relating to the basic form of nūr, both of which are prime: 43 the 14th prime, and 29 the 10th prime. This directly relates to “light,” in the transcendent sense, as being indivisible, like a “prime number,” only “divisible” by itself and One. The number 43 is the reverse of 34 and is a {3,4} number. 29 is also the only prime lunar cycle number for a lunar month. The form muneer is mentioned 6 times in 6 ayat in 6 suras, and six (6) is a perfect number.
Adding the total “darknesses” mentions to the total nūr “light” mentions, we get 49+21=70, a celestial multiple of 7. The number 7 itself is the 4th prime.
This image below shows the location of these mentions in the Quran.
The first most obvious observation is the noticeable absence of these mentions in the 8th House, the House of the the intersection of life and death and also House of the Throne. One might guess that this is because matters of good/evil and guidance/misguidance and even light and darkness are utterly altered at Resurrection and Judgment Day. After all, it is called Judgment Day, not night. This is only the domain of Al-Aziz Al-Hakeem. Darknesses and Light are for our guidance to Alakhira but once there, the time of guidance is finished and the timeless state of reward or punishment arrived.
The 9th house of Ramadan has the most mentions of nūr, 10, two of which are paired with “darknesses.” In this month of Ramadan, it seems fitting that this month would emphasize guidance and focus on Divine revelations as a way out of darknesses.
The lower half contains 25 total mentions of nūr, and the upper half contains 24 mentions of nūr, for a total of 49 mentions. Counting the paired darknesses/ light ayat, 9 are in the lower half of dunya, and 5 are in the upper “celestial” half, for the total of 14. The lower half has only one more than the upper half, so they are fairly evenly divided, 51% to 49%.
For comparison, I made a chart of the mentions of darknesses as well.
The brown highlighted suras have mentions of darknesses paired with mentions of nūr “light,” where the white dots indicate two (2) mentions (of darknesses and light), and those with no dots have one mention. The grey highlighted suras are the 7 mentions of darknesses without a mention of nūr, one of which, Surat Al-An’am 6, contains both two mention of darknesses & light where they are paired, and four (4) mentions in 4 ayat with mentions of darknesses alone without nūr. So this aya contains both colors as shown.
Here four Houses do not have mentions of darknesses: the 4th, 7th, 8th, and 10th. If we add these numbers, the total is 29, which matches the percentage of mentions in the upper hemisphere. The 4th and 10th houses also form a house pair of opposites as you can see. Of course, the paired mentions of darknesses/light are the same here as in the nūr chart above, but this gives them a different look, making them easier to see.
For example we can easily see four pairs of the dark/light combinations. The remaining single “combos” are 6.
Looking at the lower dunya hemisphere, we find a total of 15 mentions of darknesses, including 3 of the pairs. Whereas in the upper celestial hemisphere we find only 6 mentions, and only 1 of the pairs. The upper has 29% of the mentions, while the lower has 71%. Both these percentages are prime numbers.
Comparing the two charts, I noticed a certain balancing between darknesses and light. For example, the most darknesses are mentioned in Surat Al-An’am 6, with 6 mentions total. The chart of nūr also has six mentions of light in the same sura 6. In all the other suras, darknesses are outnumbered by light. Because of course, darknesses in total far outnumber mentions of light, 30% darknesses to 70% light. The 70% coincides with the total of both as 70 mentions altogether.
114 Chambers 