Light Is Only for Believers

A‘ūdhu bi-Llāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

“وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ ۖ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ”

(Qur’an 57:19)

“Wa Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū Billāhi Wa Rusulihi~ ‘Ūlā’ika HumuAş-Şiddīqūna ۖ Wa Ash-Shuhadā’u `Inda Rabbihim Lahum ‘AjruhumWa Nūruhum”

“And those who have believed in Allah and His messengers – those are [in the ranks of] the supporters of truth and the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is saying for those who believe. There is a reward for them. There is a reward and thawāb in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. There is also light. People who have īmān and are in Islām, Allāh ﷻ surely gives them light on their faces. The more orders they perform, the more their rewards increase and their light also increases.

The kāfir has no light. Therefore, he does many things and strives to look more beautifully. But when there is no light, there is no beauty. There is only darkness. To have the light of īmān, he must believe in Allāh ﷻ. He must believe in the existence of Allāh ﷻ. He must accept that since this light, this secret only comes like that. The kāfir, atheist and those who don’t believe in Allāh ﷻ have is no light.

There is a very easy way for this light to come, but shayṭān won’t let them. Two words with the tongue. If you say, “لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله”, [Lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh Muḥammadun Rasūlu llāh], that light is coming to you. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, “كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ”, “There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales.”

Two words that are very light. They are very light to be said with the tongue. But on the “Mizān”, the scales on the Day of Judgment, they are heavy. They are heavy there. It weighs the scales and takes a person to paradise. If he doesn’t say that, no matter how much he chases after nonsense saying “I am this, I am that”, it will be of no use.

Shayṭān strives to deprive people of this blessing as much as he can. He strives for that all the time. Most people go after him. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Who wants light: the more worship he does, the more his light increases. Without that, without īmān, there is no light. This is something that Allāh ﷻ has given only and especially to believers. The light is something that Allāh ﷻ has created. And it is especially for believers. It is not for kāfirs. They are deprived of it in dunyā and it is worse for them in akhirah.

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ strengthen our īmān, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

16 June 2025/ 20 Dhu l-Hijjah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul