Why Are Faith and Kufr Likened to Light and Darkness?
Among the Quranic examples is likening faith to light and Kufr to darkness in some verses. It seems that these verses seek to show the two paths of faith and Kufr.
The Quran says in verse 257 of Surah Al-Baqarah: “Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into the light. As for those who disbelieve, their guides are idols, they bring them out from the light into darkness. They are the companions of the Fire and shall live in it for ever.”
This verse shows that the faithful had been in darkness but reached light while the disbelievers were in light but their rebellion and disobedience led them to darkness.
It should be noted that given their creation, before becoming a faithful or a disbeliever, human beings are in light on one side and in darkness on the other. What that means is that in their Fitrat (nature), they have the inclination to move toward God and Tawheed (monotheism) but do not know the truths of Tawheed and how to obey God. If they become faithful persons, God leads them to divine teachings and teaches them the truths of the religion, thus they leave darkness and reach light. However, if they become disbelievers, the light of their Fitrat disappears and they plunge into darkness.
Likening faith to light and Kufr to darkness is a very meaningful comparison. Light is the source of life, growth, development and perfection. It is reassuring and enlightening and brings peace and calm. Darkness, on the other hand, signifies death, ignorance, aberration and fear. That is what faith and Kufr are like.
Another point here is that this verse and similar verses refer to Zulumat (darknesses) whereas they refer to one light. It shows that on the path of the truth there is no duality or dispersion as it is all unity and unanimity. The path of the truth is a straight path between two points and is always one.
The path of Kufr and disbelief, on the other hand, is one of dispersion, discord and disunity.
