Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 140
Islam as the Ultimate Goal of Religious Teachings 139 … Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from a blessed tree — an olive — neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not… (S u rah al-N u r; Ch. 24: V. 36) With this illustration of Allah’s light starts the mention of the exalted attributes of the Holy Prophet sa. The description culminates in the phrase 'neither of the east nor of the west. ' God created the sun as a source of light for the east and the west alike. Spiritually, Muhammad sa is the means for relaying God’s light to all mankind. In this respect he holds a glorious status like unto the sun, which illuminates both the east and the west together. The sun seems to be the ultimate source of light but if one ponders deeper, one will find that it owes its quality of light to the Creator. One can safely conclude therefore that the ultimate source of all light is God. In a like manner, Prophets as play the role of the sun in conveying the light of God to His servants.