Surah An-Nur (النور) • The Light

Ayat an-NurThe Light Verse · Quran 24:35

Also written Ayat al-Nur · The Verse of Light · Allahu nurus samawati wal ard · آية النور

24:35

۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشْكَوٰةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ ٱلْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

al-lahu nūru l-samāwāti wal-arḍi mathalu nūrihi kamish'katin fīhā miṣ'bāḥun l-miṣ'bāḥu fī zujājatin l-zujājatu ka-annahā kawkabun durriyyun yūqadu min shajaratin mubārakatin zaytūnatin lā sharqiyyatin walā gharbiyyatin yakādu zaytuhā yuḍīu walaw lam tamsashu nārun nūrun ʿalā nūrin yahdī l-lahu linūrihi man yashāu wayaḍribu l-lahu l-amthāla lilnnāsi wal-lahu bikulli shayin ʿalīmun

Allāh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allāh guides to His light whom He wills. And Allāh presents examples for the people, and Allāh is Knowing of all things.

— Saheeh International

God is the Light of the heavens and earth. His Light is like this: there is a niche, and in it a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, a glass like a glittering star, fuelled from a blessed olive tree from neither east nor west, whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it- light upon light- God guides whoever He will to his Light; God draws such comparisons for people; God has full knowledge of everything-

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Allâh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp: the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allâh guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allâh sets forth parables for mankind, and Allâh is All-Knower of everything.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 18Page 354medinan

What is Ayat an-Nur about?

Ayat an-Nur, the Light Verse, is verse 35 of Surah An-Nur, the surah that takes its name from it. "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." The verse then gives a parable for His light: a niche holding a lamp, the lamp in a glass, the glass like a brilliant star, lit from a blessed olive tree that is neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even without fire; "light upon light". Allah guides to His light whom He wills. Commentators have read the lamp as guidance in the heart of the believer, or as the Quran, or as the light of faith itself. It is one of the most discussed verses in Islamic thought and one of the most common in calligraphy.

When is it recited?

  • Studied and reflected on for its parable; often chosen for calligraphy and recitation at gatherings.

Sources: Quran 24:35. Reviewed by Ummatey editorial, October 2026.

Word by Word

۞ ٱللَّهُal-lahuAllah
نُورُnūru(is the) Light
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِl-samāwāti(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِۚwal-arḍiand the earth
مَثَلُmathalu(The) example
نُورِهِۦnūrihi(of) His Light
كَمِشْكَوٰةٍۢkamish'katin(is) like a niche
فِيهَاfīhāin it
مِصْبَاحٌۖmiṣ'bāḥun(is) a lamp
ٱلْمِصْبَاحُl-miṣ'bāḥuthe lamp
فِىfī(is) in
زُجَاجَةٍۖzujājatina glass
ٱلزُّجَاجَةُl-zujājatuthe glass
كَأَنَّهَاka-annahāas if it were
كَوْكَبٌۭkawkabuna star
دُرِّىٌّۭdurriyyunbrilliant
يُوقَدُyūqadu(which) is lit
مِنminfrom
شَجَرَةٍۢshajaratina tree
مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍۢmubārakatinblessed
زَيْتُونَةٍۢzaytūnatinan olive
لَّاlānot
شَرْقِيَّةٍۢsharqiyyatin(of the) east
وَلَاwalāand not
غَرْبِيَّةٍۢgharbiyyatin(of the) west
يَكَادُyakāduwould almost
زَيْتُهَاzaytuhāits oil
يُضِىٓءُyuḍīuglow
وَلَوْwalaweven if
لَمْlamnot
تَمْسَسْهُtamsashutouched it
نَارٌۭۚnārunfire
نُّورٌnūrunLight
عَلَىٰʿalāupon
نُورٍۢۗnūrinLight
يَهْدِىyahdīAllah guides
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah guides
لِنُورِهِۦlinūrihito His Light
مَنmanwhom
يَشَآءُۚyashāuHe wills
وَيَضْرِبُwayaḍribuAnd Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAnd Allah sets forth
ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَl-amthālathe examples
لِلنَّاسِۗlilnnāsifor the mankind
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
بِكُلِّbikulliof every
شَىْءٍshayinthing
عَلِيمٌۭʿalīmun(is) All-Knower