Lynglimt

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Had you seen her, you would have
Fallen down thunderstruck.

Abu Nuwas
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Fjerne lynglimt i horisonten
Oplyser den indre nattehimmel

Et glimt af Din skønhed

Stjerner falder dånende ned fra himlen
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And when Musa presented himself upon Our promise, and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord! Show me Your Self, so that I may see You"; He said, "You will never be able to see Me, but look towards the mountain - if it stays in its place, then you shall soon see Me"; so when his Lord directed His light on the mountain, He blew it into bits and Musa fell down unconscious; then upon regaining consciousness he said, "Purity is to You! I incline towards You, and I am the first Muslim."

{Qur'an, Surat al-A'raf, The Heights; 7:143}
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It is He Who shows you the lightning, for fear and for hope, and raises the heavy clouds. And the thunder proclaims His purity with praise, and the angels out of fear of Him; and He sends the bolt of lightning - it therefore strikes upon whom He wills, whilst they are disputing concerning Allah; and severe is His seizure.

{Qur'an, Surat al-Ra'd, Thunder; 13:12-13}
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Is it the lightning that illuminates the darkness at night,
Or the lamps of a hermit lavishly pouring oil on the twisted wick?

Imru' al-Qays
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Did Layla's fire shine at Dhu Salam,
or did lightning flash at Zawra' and 'Alam?

Ibn al-Farid
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Did memories of neighbours at Dhu Salam
make you mix your streaming tears with blood,
Or was it the wind blowing from Kazima,
or did lightning flash in the darkness at Idam?

Imam al-Busiri, Qasida al-Burda
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Is it a lightning that strikes in Ubayriq?
Or do I see a lantern in Najd prairies?
Or is it Layla of 'Amir who unveiled
In the dark, and thus made the night bright as day?

Ibn al-Farid
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Barq (lightning) is a light that flashes in an initiate during the first steps of the journey toward sainthood. This is the first invitation to those seeking nearness to God. The scholars of truth have related the emergence of lightning to the verse (20:9-10), Has there come to you the tiding of Moses' experience? He saw a fire and said to his family: "Wait here! I see a fire afar off", and have concluded that such a flash of light means the beginning of Prophethood for Prophets and of sainthood for saints.

Fethüllah Gülen, Barq (Lightning)

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