"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth," meaning: by His light, those in the heavens and the earth are guided. "The example of His light" which He has given to the believer in his heart, "is like a niche," for which the interpretation of Ibn Umar says: The niche (mishkat) is a cavity in the house that does not go all the way through. "Within which is a lamp," meaning: the light. "The lamp is in a glass," meaning: the lantern. "The glass as if it were a brilliant star," meaning: luminous and large.
Muhammad said: Whoever read (durri) without a hamzah, it is attributed to pearls (durr). And whoever read (durri') with a hamzah and a kasrah on the dal, it is from the brilliant stars (al-darari).
His saying: "Lit" meaning: the lamp, "from a blessed tree, an olive that is neither of the east nor of the west." Qatadah said: It means that neither the shadow of the east nor the west falls upon it; it is exposed to the sun, and it is the clearest and purest of oil. Some of them said: It is on the slope of a mountain. "Its oil would almost glow, even if untouched by fire," meaning the glass, "Light upon light." Mujahid said: It is the light of the glass, the light of the oil, and the light of the lamp. Likewise, the heart of the believer, when the truth becomes clear to him, it becomes light upon light.
﴿الله نور السَّمَاوَات وَالْأَرْض﴾ يَعْنِي: بِنُورِهِ يَهْتَدِي مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَات وَالْأَرْض ﴿مثل نوره﴾ الَّذِي أَعْطَى الْمُؤْمِنَ فِي قَلْبِهِ ﴿كمشكاة﴾ تَفْسِيرُ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: الْمِشْكَاةُ: الْكُوَّةُ فِي الْبَيْتِ الَّتِي لَيْسَتَ بنافذة ﴿فِيهَا مِصْبَاح﴾ يَعْنِي: السِّرَاجَ ﴿الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْقِنْدِيلُ ﴿الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دري﴾ أَيْ: مُنِيرٌ ضَخَمٌ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: من قَرَأَ (دري) بِلَا هَمْزٍ، فَهُوَ مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى الدُّرِّ، وَمَنْ قَرَأَ (دُرِّيءٌ) بِالْهَمْزِ وَكَسْرِ الدَّالِ؛ فَهُوَ مِنَ النُّجُومِ الدراري.
قَوْله: ﴿يُوقد﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمِصْبَاحَ ﴿مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلا غَرْبِيَّةٍ﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَعْنِي: لَا يَفِيءُ عَلَيْهَا ظِلُّ شَرْقٍ وَلَا غَرْبٍ هِيَ ضَاحِيَةٌ لَلشَّمْسِ، وَهِيَ أَصْفَى الزَّيْتِ وَأَعْذَبُهُ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: هِيَ فِي سَفْحِ جَبَلٍ ﴿يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا﴾ يَعْنِي: الزُّجَاجَةَ ﴿يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تمسسه نَار﴾ وَهَذَا مِثْلُ قَلْبِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكَادُ يَعْرِفُ الْحَقَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ فِيمَا يَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مُوَافَقَةِ الْحَقِّ فِيمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ، وَفِيمَا يَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ كَرَاهِيَتِهِ مَا يَنْهَى عَنْهُ ﴿نُورٌ على نور﴾ قَالَ مُجَاهِد: نور الزُّجَاجَةِ وَنُورُ الزَّيْتِ وَنُورُ الْمِصْبَاحِ؛ فَكَذَلِكَ قَلْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِذَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْحَقُّ صَارَ نُورًا عَلَى نور.
