What if everything we see is but a shadow, a mere reflection of a deeper reality that we cannot grasp with our senses? What if the light we chase, the beacon we follow, is not guiding us toward truth, but rather, is blinding us from it?
Surah Al-Baqarah, verses 17-18, tells the story of those who lit a fire, only to have Allah take away their light, leaving them in layers of darkness, unable to see:
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
Their parable is that of one who kindled a fire, and when it had lit up all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in layers of darkness, unable to see.صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not come back.There are two key elements in this verse: the kindling of fire and the withdrawal of light. Our ability to “see” is not just a function of our physical eyes, the lens through which we view the world around us. The true sight, the illumination we need, comes from the “eyes of the soul,” those inner eyes that perceive the light, or noor, that comes from Allah.
You see, two things are necessary for true vision: an eye and light. The physical eye allows us to perceive the material world, but there is another form of vision, a vision of the soul, that sees beyond the material. Just like we cannot see microorganisms with the naked eye, but can observe them through a microscope, the deeper truths of the universe require a different kind of lens. If noor is taken away to observe through the lens of the soul, how will you find the guided path? This series will ensure to make you aware of how light and eye are two distinct yet intertwined concepts.
This ayah speaks of those who kindled a fire meaning who raised their nafs and followed it’s guide, then when their nafs enlightened the world for them Allah took their Noor, or light of soul so they are again left in layers of darkness. They see the material reality, the hidden truths of the universe yet the fail to see the supreme God Allah. They become so much knowing of material world that they forgot, or as Allah says ( Al Hashr :19) :
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
Do not be like those who forget Allah, so He makes them forget their own souls. It is they who are the transgressors.
The light that guides, and the light that blinds, are not as distinct as we may think.
9th Century- Baghdad
“If the eyes emitted rays, why do we not see in darkness?
Why don’t objects appear in perfect clarity the moment our eyes open?
How do we see a shadow—if light, and not our eyes, is the source of vision”
Questions, endless and restless, swirl in his mind. He surrounds himself with manuscripts from Greece, Persia, and India. On one hand, he holds Euclid’s ‘Optics’—an ancient authority on light. In the other, he writes furiously, challenging the old wisdom.
” It is evident—light travels in a structured, straight path. If it did not, shadows would not fall in perfect order, sunlight filtering through a narrow hole would scatter unpredictably, and vision itself would not follow a pattern. The Greeks were mistaken. The eye does not send out rays. Light does not come from us—it comes to us, moving in straight lines, forming the very foundation of sight.”
This was Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq Al-Kindi—the first of the Muslim philosophers to unlock the secrets of illumination.
Similar to the Al Kindi’s story was of Al Haytham’s. In the 11th century, he was called upon by Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
“You have been summoned, O young man, by the great Sultan of Cairo, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. The Nile floods threaten our lands, and you have pledged to construct a dam to tame its waters.”
Al-Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham of Basra, a man of reason and learning, had studied the works of Aristotle and Al-Kindi. He believed knowledge could conquer nature itself. But upon surveying the mighty Nile, reality struck—such a feat was impossible. It was too late to refuse the Sultan’s command.
For his failure, he was imprisoned. Stripped of freedom, stripped of honor—left with nothing but solitude and shadows.
And in that moment of darkness, he saw the light. Quite literally. The answer that had eluded scholars for centuries revealed itself in a silent prison cell. Light did not scatter chaotically—it moved in straight lines, entering the eye just as it entered a darkened room. Al Haytham, had witnessed the fundamental truth of vision. He refined this discovery into a device he called ‘Al-Bayt al-Muẓlim’—the dark chamber. Today, we call it the pinhole camera, or ‘camera obscura’—a model that would change our understanding of sight forever.
What you've read so far is merely a glimpse—a single spark in an ocean of mysteries. These brilliant minds paved the way for what you see today, for the very act of vision itself.
But what lies ahead… will challenge everything you think you know.
So, sit tight. Open your mind. And don’t blink… you wouldn’t want to miss what comes next.
Surah An-Nur (24:40) …"
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ
"One whom Allah has not granted any light… has no light."
Again and again, the Qur'an intertwines light and sight. But why? If our eyes do not emit light, why does the divine revelation so often link vision with illumination?
To truly understand this, we must first look at the words used for 'eyes' in the Quran. Three distinct terms emerge: AIN, BASR, and NAZAR."
"AIN"—the physical eye, the organ itself. It’s what we 've been talking about so far.
"BASR"—not just sight, but the perception of truth. Going to be the last of part of series
"NAZAR"—the eye of reason, the ability to ponder, to reflect. No doubt, it will be a rollercoaster journey for you to learn about this one.
The Quran calls those with knowledge and intellect to NAZAR—to reflect upon the creation of Allah. This word isn't just about Muslims, its for everyone who uses the logic to understand that why certain things happen in a certain way - who indeed question before submission. Yet, the deepest vision is not with the eyes but with the heart. This is Baseerah—the eye of the soul, the inner sight of the Qalb.
إِإِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
You cannot guide whomever you wish, but [it is] Allah [who] guides whomever He wishes, and He knows best those who are guided. ( 28: 56)
The Prophet ﷺ and all previous prophets were sent as a messenger, to deliver the truth—but guidance, that inner light, is from Allah alone. It is not earned, nor studied; it is bestowed, a gift from the One beyond time and space.
Throughout history, mystics, sages, and scholars have sought this divine radiance. From the esoteric to the Sufis, many have spoken of an inner vision, a sight beyond sight—the opening of the third eye. But what is this eye? Is it a gate to enlightenment, or merely an illusion leading to deception? You’ll soon discover…
To be continued…