Abstract:
The Qur’an describes the Prophet as سِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا (an “illuminating lamp”). But what is prophetic illumination? If the Prophet is described through the language of light, what can light itself teach us about his mission?
Over the past century, modern physics has transformed our understanding of light. Could those discoveries offer a fresh way to reflect on the Qur’an’s greatest metaphor of guidance, نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ (“Light upon Light”)?
On the shared birth anniversary of the Prophet and Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, we will explore what it means to be illuminated rather than merely informed, awakened rather than merely persuaded, and ultimately, what it means to live in the light of the Prophet.
