We are looking onto fourth part of the lecture series titled “The Literary Elegance of the Noble Qur’an” Yesterday, we spoke about a literary device in Arabic called Iltifāt — shifting from one grammatical perspective to another. For example:
- Speaking in the third person and then shifting to the second person,
- Speaking in the second person and then shifting to the first person.
This form is very common in Arabic, but comparatively rare in Tamil. We gave examples and explained why such shifts are made. Yesterday, we cited three verses. If you examine more verses, you will understand fully what Iltifāt means.
What is Literature?
Before that, we must understand what “literature” is. Many people do not grasp its essence.
Suppose there is food. If we serve it on a plain aluminum plate, it is still the same food. If we package it beautifully, decorate it attractively, and present it elegantly — it is still the same food. But the second presentation attracts people.
In earlier times, sugar and lentils were wrapped in paper. Today they are packed in colorful, sealed packets to protect them from dust and insects. The sugar is the same. But the packaging creates attraction. We tear the packet and throw it away. We eat the sugar — not the packaging. Yet the packaging draws us.
Similarly, when conveying a message, it should be presented in an engaging way.
In star hotels, even a hand towel is folded stylishly. Cucumber slices are arranged artistically. The benefit is the same whether cucumbers are piled up or arranged beautifully. Pongal tastes the same whether plain or garnished with cashews. But garnish creates desire.
That added presentation — that aesthetic layer — is literature.
Instead of saying something plainly, expressing it in a way that stimulates thought and gives pleasure to the listener is literary beauty.
Poetic Illustration
For example, instead of saying: “Women pray Fajr before sunrise,”
An islamic song by EM Hanifa says:
“After the sea bathes and before the sun rises, she bathes her body, performs ablution, and prays Subh.”
The sun rising from the sea is described as “the sunbathing in the sea.” Remove that imagery, and it simply means “before sunrise.” The core meaning remains, but the packaging adds attraction. Poets often add imagery — like saying, the breeze plays in the river, combs its hair in the creepers, and walks gently. If you remove all that, it simply means “a breeze is blowing.” The imagery is packaging.
Islam removes falsehood and obscenity from literary tradition but retains what is good and beneficial, presenting truth beautifully.
Iltifāt – Shifting Perspective
In speeches, a speaker may say: “When Karunanidhi ruled, injustice happened…”
Then suddenly shift: “Karunanidhi, we warn you!”
He moves from third person to second person. This happens in Tamil, though rarely. In Arabic, it is frequent — and the Qur’an uses it powerfully.
Example 1 – Surah Aal-Imran (3:9)
The du‘ā begins: “Our Lord, you will gather mankind on a Day about which there is no doubt.”
Then it ends: “Indeed, Allah does not break His promise.”
Grammatically, it could have said: “You do not break Your promise.”
But instead, it shifts from “You” to “Allah.”
Why? It adds depth.
It is like saying: “Chief Minister, you must help us. It is the duty of the Chief Minister.”
Instead of “It is your duty,” we say “It is the Chief Minister’s duty” — emphasizing the responsibility of the position.
Similarly: “Allah does not break His promise.”
By invoking the divine name, it emphasizes that breaking promises is incompatible with being Allah.
Example 2 – Surah Aal-Imran (3:195)
Allah says: “I will forgive… I will admit them into gardens…”
Then concludes: “And with Allah is the best reward.”
Instead of saying “with Me,” He says, “with Allah.” Why?
Because the reward coming from “Allah” carries a greater magnitude. It reminds us of divine status and greatness.
Example 3 – Surah An-Nur (24:12)
Regarding the slander against Aisha (RA), Allah says:
“When you heard it, why did not the believing men and believing women think well of one another?”
Instead of: “Why did you not think well?”
He says: “Why did the believing men and believing women do not think well?”
This shift emphasizes: A true believer would not engage in slander.
It connects moral behavior with the identity of being a believer.
Rain Verses – Multiple Examples
In many verses (6:99, 35:9, 27:60, 31, 35:27), the pattern appears:
- “He sends down rain from the sky.”
- Then: “We bring forth vegetation.”
It could remain consistent: “He sends rain and He brings forth vegetation.” But it shifts to “We.”
Why? Here is the literary imagination:
When Allah sends rain, His mercy descends. It is as if He draws near. Rain reaches the earth; crops grow; life emerges. The shift to “We” conveys nearness and majesty together.
Rain falls — and it is as though divine mercy has arrived with it.
This is not literal descent of Allah, but a literary expression of closeness.
Literary Beauty – The Added Flavor
This shift adds aesthetic sweetness. The message remains:
- Do not slander.
- Allah sends rain.
- Allah will gather mankind.
- Allah rewards believers.
But the presentation enhances emotional impact.
Like packaging increases value perception, literary shifts increase rhetorical weight.
About “Rain”
When rain descends and reaches here, then “I” must speak. Once Allah sends the rain and it reaches the earth, instead of continuing to say “He makes it grow,” the wording shifts to “We cause it to grow.” It gives the sense that along with the rain, Allah’s nearness has come here. It creates a literary imagination — as if Allah has drawn near with His mercy and is now causing things to sprout directly here.
It is not that Allah physically comes. This is a literary imagination — done for beauty, for rhetorical charm. If it were accidental, it would not happen this way. No one shifts pronouns unintentionally like that. Allah deliberately uses this expression. He says, “He sends down rain from the sky,” and once the rain reaches the earth, He says, “We cause it to grow.” This shift creates a sense of closeness.
Instead of saying, “He sent rain and He caused it to grow,” saying, “We caused it to grow,” adds attraction and depth. It intensifies the sense of nearness.
Surah Al-Hujurat (49:7)
“Know that among you is the Messenger of Allah…”
The verse continues:
“If he were to obey you in many matters, you would fall into hardship. But Allah has made faith beloved to you, beautified it in your hearts, and made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you.”
Then it concludes: “Those — they are the rightly guided.”
Notice the shift.
It begins addressing “you.” It describes your condition — faith beautified in your hearts, disbelief made hateful. Logically, it could end by saying:
“You are the rightly guided.”
But instead, it says: “Those are the rightly guided.” Why?
If it said “you,” it would imply everyone addressed automatically qualifies. But not everyone qualifies. Only those who possess those qualities — loving faith, hating disbelief and sin — are rightly guided.
So by saying “those,” it subtly teaches that guidance belongs to those with these qualities — not to everyone automatically.
About “Light” (Nur) and the Prophet ﷺ
Allah describes the Prophet ﷺ as “light.”
For example:
- Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:15–16): “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.”
- Surah Al-Ahzab (33:46): “A luminous lamp.”
Some people, because they do not understand literary language, take this literally and claim the Prophet ﷺ was physically light — that he emitted physical illumination, that shadows did not fall from him, that darkness would disappear around him.
This is misunderstanding.
What is light? Light allows distinction.
In darkness, you cannot distinguish a rope from a snake. With light, everything appears as it truly is.
Light makes:
- A hand appear as a hand,
- A tree as a tree,
- A mosque as a mosque,
- A ditch as a ditch.
Light reveals truth.
Before the Prophet ﷺ, people worshipped stones. He came and distinguished: “This is stone. This is not God.” That is the function of light.
Thus, calling him “light” means he clarifies truth from falsehood — not that he is made of physical light.
It is like calling a brave man “a lion.” We do not mean he has claws and fur. We extract one quality — bravery — and apply it metaphorically.
Likewise, “light” refers to his guidance.
Refuting the Shadow Myth
Some fabricated narrations claim:
- The Prophet ﷺ had no shadow.
- Even under sunlight, no shadow appeared.
- The earth swallowed impurities from him.
- He was created first from divine light before anything else.
These are fabricated.
Authentic hadith in Bukhari (382) reports Aisha (RA) saying:
She would lie down in front of the Prophet ﷺ while he prayed. When he went into prostration, he would touch her foot with his finger, and she would withdraw it. She mentions that there was no lamp in their house — it was dark. If he were physically luminous, there would have been no need for touching her foot to signal prostration. His physical brightness would have illuminated the room.
Another hadith in Muslim: Aisha (RA) says she woke at night and did not find him beside her. She searched in the dark and found him in prostration by touching him.
Again — darkness. No glowing illumination.
Thus, the claim of physical light is false.
Prophet ﷺ Himself Asked for Light
In Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ made the supplication:
“O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight, light in my hearing, light on my right, light on my left, light above me, light below me…”
If he were inherently made of light in a literal sense, why would he ask for light?
This “light” refers to guidance, clarity, insight — not physical radiance.
Fabrication: First Creation Was the Prophet’s Light
Some claim Allah first created the Prophet’s light before anything else.
This has no authentic chain. Scholars like As-Suyuti state such narrations are fabricated.
The Qur’an clearly states:
- Humans were created from clay (6:2, 32:7–8, 35:11).
- The Prophet ﷺ is a human like you, except revelation comes to him (18:110).
If he were created from primordial light before creation, why would Allah command him to say:
“I am only a human like you; it is revealed to me that your God is One.”
The disbelievers objected: “What kind of Messenger is this? He eats food and walks in markets!” (25:7)
They saw him as human — eating, marrying, living normally.
If he were visibly luminous and shadowless, they would not have objected in that way.
Logical Contradictions
Some celebrate the Prophet’s birthday annually — implying a human birth. Yet simultaneously claim he existed as primordial light before creation. These claims contradict each other.
The Qur’an clearly affirms human origin from clay and sperm. The Prophet ﷺ was born to Abdullah and Aminah like any human child. To exaggerate beyond those risks elevating him beyond prophethood into divinity — which Islam rejects.
Conclusion
The term “light” in the Qur’an is literary.
It means:
- Guidance
- Clarification
- Distinction between truth and falsehood
It does not mean physical light. Failure to understand literary expression leads to theological deviation.
Understanding literary devices protects correct belief.
Insha Allah, we will explore more examples in the upcoming posts.