Sign 7 of 12 · Light and shade · Qur'an 24:35
Light upon light
The niche, the lamp, the glass, the olive.
Signs · Light upon light
“God is the light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche with a lamp in it; the lamp is in glass, the glass like a shining star, lit from a blessed olive tree… its oil almost glows though no fire touches it. Light upon light” (24:35, our rendering).
The science. Light in a vacuum travels at exactly 299,792,458 metres a second; sunlight takes about 8 minutes 19 seconds to reach us.
Three faiths. The Temple lamp burned with “pure olive oil… to cause a lamp to burn continually” (Exodus 27:20, JPS 1917); “In Thy light do we see light” (Psalm 36:10). “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5, WEB). Three lamps: a mosque's niche, a synagogue's eternal light, a church's sanctuary lamp.
Pause and ponder
Look again. What else have you looked past?
Wonder, not proof: we never say a verse “predicted” science. Why not? · Science: Physics · Index entry I06
