Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The metaphor of His Light is that of a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, the glass like a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, its oil all but giving off light even if no fire touches it. Light upon Light. Allah guides to His Light whoever He wills and Allah makes metaphors for mankind and Allah has knowledge of all things.
{Qur'an; Surat al-Nur 24:35}
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the Prophet was asked, "Have you seen your Lord?" and he said, "I saw him as a Light."
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O Allah, place within my heart light; and upon my tongue light; and within my ears light; and within my eyes light; and place above me light; and beneath me light; and on my right light; and on my left right; and in front of me light; and behind me light; and place light within my soul; and augment light for me; and greaten light for me; and grant me light and make me light. O Allah, bestow upon me light; and place light in my tendons; and light in my flesh; and light in my blood; and light in my hair and light in my skin. O Allah, place light for me in my grave and light in my bones. And increase me in light and increase me in light and increase me in light. And grant me light upon light.
Prayer of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The first thing created by God in the heart of one for whom He wishes happiness is light. Then this light becomes brightness, then rays, then a moon, then a sun. And when the light appears in the heart, this world and what is in it grows cold to his heart. And when it [the heart] becomes a moon he renounces the next world and what is in it. And when it becomes a sun he sees neither the world and what is in it nor the next world and what is in it: he knows nothing but God. And his body is light and his heart is light and his speech is light, 'Light upon light, God guides whom He will to his light' [Qur'ān 24 (al-Nūr):35].
Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Sufism - The Formative Period
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There is nothing brighter than the sun, for through it all things become manifest. Yet if the sun did not to down at night, or if it were not veiled by the shade, no one would realize that there is such a thing as light on the face of the earth...They have apprehended light through its opposite...The difficulty in knowing God is therefore due to brightness; He is so bright that men's hearts have not the strength to perceive it. ...He is hidden by His very brightness.
Imam al-Ghazali
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