Words and meaning
One Light — Many Darknesses
Allāh سبحانه وتعالى says:
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“Allāh is the Walī (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Awliyāʾ (supporters and helpers) are Ṭāghūt; they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.”
[Al-Baqarah 2:257]
ظُلْمَةٌ — darkness
ظُلُمَاتٌ — darknesses
نُورٌ — light
أَنْوَارٌ — lights
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Badr حفظه الله pointed out a beautiful precision in this āyah:
Allāh سبحانه وتعالى uses النُّورِ — “the light” in the singular, because the truth is one.
But He uses الظُّلُمَاتِ — “the darknesses” in the plural, because the paths of misguidance are many.
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“Allāh is the Walī (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Awliyāʾ (supporters and helpers) are Ṭāghūt; they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.”
[Al-Baqarah 2:257]
ظُلْمَةٌ — darkness
ظُلُمَاتٌ — darknesses
نُورٌ — light
أَنْوَارٌ — lights
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Badr حفظه الله pointed out a beautiful precision in this āyah:
Allāh سبحانه وتعالى uses النُّورِ — “the light” in the singular, because the truth is one.
But He uses الظُّلُمَاتِ — “the darknesses” in the plural, because the paths of misguidance are many.