M6:1860 — آنچنان که از صقل نور مصطفی / صد هزاران نوع ظلمت شد ضیا

Translation: Just as from the polish of Mustafa's light, Hundreds of thousands of forms of darkness turned into radiance. Meaning: This verse asserts that the pure, illuminating truth brought by Prophet Mustafa transformed countless types of darkness and ignorance into light and awareness, ushering in a new era.

This verse is a gem that illuminates the transformative nature of the prophetic mission and its profound impact on the world. I contend that thoqol (ثقل) here does not signify heaviness, but rather polish, brilliance, and untarnished purity. The light of Prophet Mustafa is a light devoid of any impurity, a light that is itself the locus of ultimate clarity. What does this light accomplish when it shines? It transforms "hundreds of thousands of forms of darkness into radiance." All manner of darknesses, ignorances, deviations, archaic rigidities, and ossified beliefs that had dominated souls and the world are suddenly converted into light and awareness. This is no mere superficial change; it is an existential metamorphosis.

This is the very point I have emphasized repeatedly: with every prophet, a new era begins. This is not merely a chronological or historical shift; it is a change in the ontological essence of the world. The prophet arrives and "swallows up all that came before, casting a new shadow and covering over them." It is as if a sun has risen, obliterating all past shadows. Outmoded thoughts, obsolete ethics, and defunct standards; all are transformed under the radiant glow of this new light.

These prophets, and preeminently Prophet Mustafa, "turn darkness into light" and "the old into new." This 'newness' differs fundamentally from the conventional newness we perceive in our temporal world. This newness partakes of the same "salt-marsh of meanings" (نمکسار معانی) that is eternally "new from pre-eternity to post-eternity" (از ازل آن تا ابد اندر نوی‌ست). Oldness stems from time, from the passage of days. But the realm of which I speak transcends time, residing in dahr; therefore, oldness holds no meaning there. Prophetic light, too, originates from this realm of meaning, leading to continuous creation, perpetual renewal, and eternal brilliance in the world of forms.

This newness is of the nature of dispelling malāl (melancholy or weariness). Malāl arises from oldness, from repetition, from failing to perceive that the world renews itself every moment. But the light of Mustafa opens the inner eye to grasp this moment-by-moment renewal, and from it, malāl vanishes. Just as the sun rises, shadows, both short and long, all merge and attain a state of "one-color-ness" (یک‌رنگی). The light of truth dissolves multiplicity within itself and reveals unity. In this world, we are often mushrik (polytheists or those who see multiplicity). Prophetic light, however, gradually guides us towards monocular vision and tawhid. This verse ultimately underscores the unparalleled power of prophets to fundamentally alter human perception and existence, sweeping away the dust of oldness and multiplicity from the face of truth.

Key takeaways

• "The polish of Mustafa's light" refers to the immaculate clarity and brilliance of the Prophet's truth, free from any impurity.
• The prophetic mission, especially that of Prophet Mustafa, inaugurates a "new era" bringing fundamental transformations in human thought, ethics, and standards.
• Prophetic light "turns darkness into light" and "the old into new"; this transformation is existential, not merely temporal.
• This "newness" is akin to the "salt-marsh of meanings" which is eternally fresh, beyond the reach of oldness, as it transcends time.
• This light opens the inner eye to perceive the world's moment-by-moment renewal, liberating us from the malāl (weariness) of repetition and oldness.
• Under this light, multiplicities dissolve into unity, and the world achieves true "one-color-ness," guiding us from multi-sightedness to singular vision.