A044
Surah: 005 - Ayah: 044
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5:44
It is necessary for a wise mumin to study carefully the way in which the essential characteristic of the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur'an is mentioned in verses (5:44-48), so that it can be understood that in zahir (exoteric aspect) of the original Torah, there was guidance and in its batin (esoteric aspect) there was light. Here by batin is meant spirit and spirituality. The Gospel before the interpolations also had the same position, i.e. there was guidance in its zahir and light in its batin. The key wisdom must be remembered always that the spirit, light and batin (ta'wil) of every heavenly Book is hidden in the Divine teacher. For instance, the Book of Hazrat Musa (Torah) from a ta'wili point of view was hidden in the blessed personality of Hazrat Harun and it is in this sense that the Book of Musa (a.s.) was an Imam and mercy (11:17).
Guidance and Light: If guidance and then light is mentioned in the same verse, then Guidance is related to the Universal Intellect and Natiq and Light to the Universal Soul and Asas. Thus all those guidances which are in the Torah (5:44), the Gospel (5:46) and the Qur'an (24:35), all of them lead towards the Light.
Q216 The question of whether the light was in the literal words of the Torah or in its spirituality is related to verse (5:44). Who are rabbaniyyun (sing. rabbaniyy)? Who are ahbar (sing. hibr)? What is the meaning of being witnesses (shuhada’, sing. shahid) to the Book of God?
A216
- There is light in the spirituality of every heavenly book.
- Rabbaniyyun (rabbis) mean the Imams.
- Ahbar (scholars) mean the dacis.
- The witnesses to Allah’s Book mean those who have seen the entire spiritual form of the Book. They are the carifs, who are the dacis.
Q217 It is mentioned in verses (5:44, 46) that there were light and guidance in the Torah and the Gospel. What is the difference between light and guidance?
A217 The spirituality of the heavenly Book surrounds the personal world. During the spiritual journey, guidance works in all the stages, but the absolute light works [only] in the ultimate destination, as God says: “He guides unto His Light whomever He wills” (24:35). This has two meanings, one exoteric and the other esoteric. Thus, it is evident that first comes guidance and then the absolute light.
This verse has been referred 6 times.