On Nov. 13, 2012, people
around the world will celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. Although the
holiday is mainly observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, I believe that Muslims
can also experience personal growth during Diwali by reflecting on its spiritual
significance. Light is Diwali's central symbol, and Muslims can therefore open
new channels of interfaith dialogue by examining the importance of light within
Islam.
In Islam light can be a
mark of God's presence. One of Allah's 99 Beautiful Names is An-Nur, meaning
"The Light," and many prophets such as Musa (PBUH) and Muhammad
(PBUH) reported seeing blinding lights while communicating with Allah. Light also
symbolizes goodness; the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reported that the angels,
wholly good beings created by God for a multitude of purposes (including
cataloging mankind's deeds and asking Allah to bless the virtuous, among
others) are made from light. Finally, light represents Allah's gifts of divine
guidance and human intellect to all people, not just Muslims. Indeed, the Quran
specifically mentions that the Jewish and Christian scriptures were each
"a light and guidance" unto the people (Quran 5:44-46), and that every
community in world history received messengers who provided "clear
[guiding] light" and "convincing proof" encouraging them to
serve God and forbid evil (Quran 4:174 and 16:36).
Islam's conceptions of
light are by no means unique; many other religions have similar constructions
of light representing God's presence, goodness, or Divine revelation. So how is
Diwali relevant to Muslim spiritual growth? The answer lies in one of the most
enigmatic mentions of light in the Quran which involves a surprising parallel
to Diwali practices.
Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, which
means "row of lamps," and one of the festival's signature events
involves the lighting of many small lamps to signify the triumph of good
(represented by light) over evil (represented by darkness). The mystical
Quranic verse known as Ayat-an-Nur (the verse of light) explains the light of
God through an extended metaphor about the lighting of a lamp. The verse can be
translated as:
"Allah is the Light of
the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a
lamp -- the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star -- lit
from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights
up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light! Allah guides to His
Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has
knowledge of all things." (Quran 24:35)
Quran scholars have debated
the meaning of this verse since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The
multitude of symbols -- the window, the lamp, the glass, the star, the tree,
the oil -- allow for a plethora of interpretations of the extended metaphor.
Interestingly, one of the only areas of consensus is that the lamp imagery is a
reference to the practices of other faith traditions (Bowering 2001). Although
the verse's meaning is elusive, it describes a picture that is possible to
visualize. If one has ever experienced Diwali, it's even possible that the
picture of a shining lamp in one's mind's eye based on this verse would look
similar to the festival's celebration!
In my opinion, this could
mean that Allah enjoins Muslims to see God's light in all things, including the
possibility of gaining knowledge from other religions. The olive tree is
usually a symbol of peace, and its description as "neither eastern nor
western" implies that peace is a universal goal for all of mankind. Every
time Muslims use God's gift of reason to increase our own understanding of
truth, we are casting out the darkness of ignorance in favor of the light of
knowledge. Also, every time we use existing knowledge as a foundation for
increased learning and contemplation, we can compound "light upon
light." We may already understand our own faith, but as long as we have
hearts that contain "a lamp" -- a burning passion for more knowledge
-- we should strive to gather knowledge from anywhere, including from other
religious traditions.
For Muslims, Diwali can be
a time to reflect on complex spiritual and theological questions. We should
view the festival not only as a chance to learn more about Islam, but also as
an opportunity to deepen our understanding of other faiths' practices and
religious imagery. The common symbolism of light is therefore an excellent
platform for interfaith dialogue and deep philosophical discussion.
The darks of ignorance,
bigotry, and religious intolerance may be present in our society, so it is our
duty to counter these with the lights of truth, reason, and inter-religious
understanding. The Quran also states, "Virtue and evil are not equal. If
you repel evil deeds with virtuous ones, you will certainly find that your
enemies will become your intimate friends." (Quran 41:34). As we build
positive relationships with one another through celebrations like Diwali, we
can also continue to repel evil by making light upon light.
Works Cited
Bowering, Gerhard. "The Light Verse: Qur'anic Text and Sufi Interpretation." Oriens. 36. (2001): 113-144 (accessed November 8, 2012).
Bowering, Gerhard. "The Light Verse: Qur'anic Text and Sufi Interpretation." Oriens. 36. (2001): 113-144 (accessed November 8, 2012).
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