Light Up Your Heart
The idea of light in spiritual sense
In the profound ways of teaching of the noble Quran, Allah teaches us with amazing examples and anaologies. In Sura Noor, Allah describes Himself as Noor I. E. Light. Light and guidance are considered the same. If someone is in darkness, light guides the person out of darkness into light.
This anology is important because light never stays inside. It always travels outside of its origin. And light is truly appreciated when there is darkness.
This kind of light exists in the hearts of mankind. And this light is benefiited by our faith most in the times of darkness. (Difficulties) That's what is mentioned in sura Noor the light that reflects our hearts.
The Guidance v/s Delusion of Light
The depth of our faith will take the face of actual lights on the Day of Resurrection which will help us to navigate through difficult paths till Paradise.
After each person's deeds are taken into account, he or she will be asked to cross the bridge of As-Sirat to reach his or her ultimate destination - heaven or hell. This light will depend on two things:
1.One of that light is the sincerity and ingenuity of faith and love you had towards Allah, your creator.
2.The second light which will emanate from our good deeds we did in this life.
Each person's light will vary because of these two points. Some people will barely have light to see their feet and some will have lights that can light up two cities.
But some people will never have any light. In fact they will be delusional about their light because their surroundings are Islamic, so they assume by default they are guided without any personal effort. But inside them there is darkness of faith. They resemble those who are lost in a deep ocean. Whenever they try to come out of the ocean another wave pushes them down so much that they cannot see their own hands.
The second analogy with which we can describe this delusion is of a mirage. A thirsty person lost in a desert will look at some distance and any shadow will appear as water, but as soon as he reaches the place the realization will soon hit that it is nothing but trick and delusion. This is the same thing with people who put faith other than Allah thinking that they will help them in life's diverse aspects failing to realize that such people(or belief) are a delusion against true guidance.
Similarly, in an Islamic spiritual setting, a person may look like a practicing Muslim, but it is the personal things that decide the genuineness of faith. These people assume they have light. That sense of superiority is a replica of the pride of the devil. And pride is what has made devil the way he is now.
The third analogy is a scenario where a person is completely away from any good spiritual environment. This represents the one who cannot see his or her own hand. At least he realizes that he can't see; he is in a bad state. This realization that one's own self is in darkness is that small little light or hope that faith still lingers in the heart that realizes when one's soul is deprived of good and darkened by evil.
True Light Comes From the Sincerity of Faith
When is the Light Out?
Sins happen. Mistakes happen. But in the end Allah says if He did'nt give light, who else will give?
Even the ability to feel bad about sins is the little bit of light left in our hearts. But this light of guidance also comes with its own terms and conditions. Can you expect this light to shine in this world and the next without any efforts to maintain and increase it from our end? No doubt the source of Light is Allah and nothing else, but it's our human free will that will decide the longevity of this light granted in our hearts.
How does one know that the light is out?
The biggest sign of light being out and expired is when you are drawn to sins and you can see the sin as a beautiful thing. You are attracted to sins just like a moth is attracted to light or insects attracted to fire. Your heart is so attached and drawn towards sins that you actually start justifying as to why you commit the sin! You start finding ways to do that sin with all justification. These kind of people knowingly suffocate the light inside them.
Enrich the Light in You
The light of Allah described above will help us distinguish from the dwellers of paradise and dwellers of hell. This light will help us getting close to Allah on Judgement Day who will grant us Paradise with His infinite mercy, In Sha Allah.
So what's the way to preserve and enrich this light?
Pray your daily prayers as if its your last. Bring that connection with Allah 5 times a day.
Read the Quran, ponder, reflect and act on it. Allah describes himself as Light in the Quran. A light that reflects light. Increase your light with the light given by Allah in the Quran.
Have a wanting, needing, or more so a begging attitude while asking Allah for good in this world and in the next. Hope for His favors and mercy. Hope in Allah that He will open up our hearts and encourage us to follow His teachings.
May Allah strengthen light in our hearts and make us not delusional that our outward deeds we do will compensate the vices in our hearts. May Allah help us strengthen our faith and light to the best of our abilities. Aameen.
