Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (393)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

The first is exemplified by His words, mighty and majestic is He:

39:69 “And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord.”

This refers to the earth shining on the Day of Resurrection with His light, Most High, when He comes to pass judgment.

Another example is the Prophet’s well-known supplication, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “I seek refuge in the light of Your noble face from Your leading me astray. There is no god but You.”

Another report states: “I seek refuge in Your face—or in the light of Your face by which the darkness is illumined.”

Thus, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated that the darkness is illumined by the light of Allah’s face, just as Allah Most High stated that the earth will shine on the Day of Resurrection with His light.

In al-Tabarānī’s al-Mu‘jam and his al-Sunnah, in the book of ‘Uthmān ibn Sa‘īd al-Dārimī, and elsewhere, Ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah Most High be pleased with him, is reported to have said: “With your Lord there is neither night nor day. The light of the heavens and the earth comes from the light of His face.”

This statement of Ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah Most High be pleased with him, comes closer to explaining the verse than the interpretation that He guides the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. As for the interpretation that He illuminates the heavens and the earth, it does not conflict with Ibn Mas‘ūd’s statement. The truth is that He is the Light of the heavens and the earth in all these respects.

In Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere, Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood among us and delivered five statements, saying: ‘Allah does not sleep, nor is it fitting for Him to sleep. He lowers the balance and raises it. The deeds of the night are raised to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night. His veil is light; were He to remove it, the splendors of His face would burn whatever His sight reaches of His creation.’”

In Sahīh Muslim, Abū Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘Have you seen your Lord?’ He replied, ‘Light—how could I see Him?’”

فالأول كقوله ﷿: ٣٩: ٦٩ وَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّها فهذا إشراقها يوم القيامة بنوره تعالى، إذا جاء لفصل القضاء. ومنه قول النبي ﷺ في الدعاء المشهور «أعوذ بنور وجهك الكريم: أن تضلّني. لا إله إلا أنت» . وفي الأثر الآخر «أعوذ بوجهك، أو بنور وجهك الذي أشرقت له الظلمات» . فأخبر ﷺ: أن الظلمات أشرقت لنور وجه الله، كما أخبر تعالى: أن الأرض تشرق يوم القيامة بنوره. وفي معجم الطبراني والسنة له، وكتاب عثمان بن سعيد الدرامي وغيرها: عن ابن مسعود رضي الله تعالى عنه قال «ليس عند ربكم ليل ولا نهار، نور السموات والأرض من نور وجهه» . وهذا الذي قاله ابن مسعود رضي الله تعالى عنه أقرب إلى تفسيره الآية من قول من فسرها بأنه هادي أهل السموات والأرض. وأما من فسرها بأنه منوّر السموات والأرض فلا يتنافى بينه وبين قول ابن مسعود. والحق أنه نور السموات والأرض بهذه الاعتبارات كلها. وفي صحيح مسلم وغيره من حديث أبي موسى الأشعري ﵁ قال «قام بيننا رسول الله ﷺ بخمس كلمات، فقال: إن الله لا ينام، ولا ينبغي له أن ينام، يخفض القسط ويرفعه، يرفع إليه عمل الليل قبل عمل النهار وعمل النهار قبل عمل الليل، حجابه النور لو كشفه لأحرقت سبحات وجهه ما انتهى إليه بصره من خلقه» . وفي صحيح مسلم عن أبي ذر ﵁ قال «سألت رسول الله ﷺ: هل رأيت ربك؟ قال: نور. أنّي أراه» .