The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 249
The Holy Prophetsa 249 mercies. His Being is the support of the whole universe and is the refuge of all high and low. He brought every- thing out of the darkness of nothingness and bestowed upon it the robe of existence. There is no other being who exists in his own right and is eternal, or is not the recipient of His grace. The earth and heaven and man- kind and animals and stones and trees and souls and bodies, all owe their existence to His grace. This is general grace mentioned in the verse: اللهُ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ 150 This grace encompasses everything like a circle. For be- ing the beneficiary of this grace, there is no condition attached. As compared with this there is a special grace which has conditions attached and which is bestowed only upon those individuals who have the ability and capacity to receive it, that is to say, on the perfect indi- viduals who are Prophets, the best and highest of whom is Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. As that grace is a fine verity, therefore, God Almighty, after mentioning the general grace, has described the special grace for the purpose of expound- ing the light of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] in an allegory so that it should be easily understood. The translation of the remaining part of the above verse is: That light is exemplified (by the perfect man, the Messenger) as if there were a lustrous niche (by which is meant the breast of the Holy Prophet-peace and blessings of Allah be on him). In the niche, there is a lamp (meaning Divine revelation). The lamp is contained in a crystal 150 Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth al-Nūr, 24:36, [Pub- lisher]