Hundred Questions - Where did Light come from
Where did Light come from
Q16 How did the beginning of light come about? Where did it come from?
A16 It is not necessary that everything should have a beginning and should come into being in a specific time, and should then start working; for there are many things that have no beginning at all. That is, they always exist without any beginning. Man always thinks and questions according to the environment in which he has been brought up and according to the habit that is formed under the influence of the limited space and time of this external world. Through the traditions pertaining to the rudimentary education of religion, or through the exoteric aspect of the parables, which need ta'wil, he has come to know that in the very beginning there was none except God, the exalted, and considers such a priority as His supreme attribute. In reality however, such an attribute is against His sacred essence and exalted glory that we should include Him in the category of creatures and describe Him with a common creaturely attribute, such as saying "God was the first". If you reflect upon this statement seriously you will realize that in this statement, by associating the concept of God with the concept of existents and creatures, is created the problem of the inclusion and participation of God with the creatures, and then by a comparative concept, temporal priority is given to His Essence. This is an example of how the common people consider insignificant creaturely attributes to be the attributes of God.
In the light of the above explanation it is necessary to know that according to the fundamental divisions [of existence] there are two worlds: the world of creation and the world of command (7:54). The world of creation is contingent and the world of command is eternal. Contingent is that which does not exist always, rather it comes into existence within the limit of time; and eternal is that which, contrary to the contingent, always exists. According to these definitions, light is not contingent rather it is eternal. Therefore, it always exists. And the question of its beginning does not arise for a thing which always exists.
Now as for the question: "Where did light come from?", the answer is that it is from the world of command, i.e. the spiritual world, which is eternal. Another name of light is spirit, which was breathed into Adam (May peace be through him), the fountainhead of which is the world of command, as mentioned in the Qur'an: "And (O! Prophet) they ask you concerning the Spirit. Say: Spirit (is not from the world of creation, but) from (the world of) command of my Lord, and of knowledge you have been vouchsafed but little, (therefore, you cannot understand the reality of Spirit)" (17:85). This Qur'anic description of the spirit is that of the perfect Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit, due to which the angels had prostrated to Adam (May peace be through him) (15:29). It is this Spirit which is called the Spirit of God and it is because of this Spirit that Jesus (May peace be through him) is regarded as the Spirit of God (ruhu'llah) (4:171) and it was this Divine Spirit which was working in the pure personality of the holy Prophet as the spirit of the Qur'an (ruh-i Qur'an) and the Divine Light (nur-i Yazdan) (42:52). Thus, the Spirit and the Light are one and the same reality, which is eternal. It has neither a beginning nor an end, for it is from the world of command.
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