The Qur'an never says darkness in the singular when it sets it against light. It says ẓulumāt, darknesses, and against them it puts nūr, a single light. That asymmetry holds in all 13 verses.
Seven of them are the same sentence: God brings people out of the darknesses into the light (2:257, 5:16, 14:1, 14:5, 33:43, 57:9, 65:11). The movement is always in that direction and always done to someone, never by them.
The rest use the pair to compare. Darkness and light are made, like the heavens and the earth (6:1). They are asked to be weighed against each other and cannot be (13:16, 35:20). And twice the darkness is described from inside: a man who kindled a fire and had his light taken away, left unable to see (2:17), and darkness in a fathomless sea, wave over wave over cloud, a hand held up and not seen (24:40).
How this list was made
Every verse carrying both a form of ظُلُمَات (ẓulumāt, darknesses) and a form of نُور (nūr, light), in muṣḥaf order.
Every verse the rule matches is in the list.
Al-Baqarah2:17Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire: — when it had illuminated what was round about him, God took away their light and left them in darkness; they do not see.
مَثَلُهُمْكَمَثَلِالَّذِياسْتَوْقَدَنَاراًۚفَلَمَّٓااَضَٓاءَتْمَاحَوْلَهُذَهَبَاللّٰهُبِنُورِهِمْوَتَرَكَهُمْف۪يظُلُمَاتٍلَايُبْصِرُونَ١٧
Mathaluhum kamathali allatheeistawqada naran falamma adaat ma hawlahuthahaba Allahu binoorihim watarakahum fee thulumatinla yubsiroon
God is the ally of those who heed warning; He brings them out of darkness into the light. And those who ignore warning: their allies are idols; they bring them out of the light into darkness. Those are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide eternally.
اَللّٰهُوَلِيُّالَّذ۪ينَاٰمَنُواۙيُخْرِجُهُمْمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِۜوَالَّذ۪ينَكَفَرُٓوااَوْلِيَٓاؤُ۬هُمُالطَّاغُوتُۙيُخْرِجُونَهُمْمِنَالنُّورِاِلَىالظُّلُمَاتِۜاُو۬لٰٓئِكَاَصْحَابُالنَّارِۚهُمْف۪يهَاخَالِدُونَ۟٢٥٧
Allahu waliyyu allatheena amanooyukhrijuhum mina aththulumati ilaannoori wallatheena kafaroo awliyaohumuattaghootu yukhrijoonahum mina annoori ilaaththulumati ola-ika as-habuannari hum feeha khalidoon
Whereby God guides him who seeks His approval to the ways of peace, and brings them out of darkness into the light by His leave; and He guides them to a straight path.
يَهْد۪يبِهِاللّٰهُمَنِاتَّبَعَرِضْوَانَهُسُبُلَالسَّلَامِوَيُخْرِجُهُمْمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِبِاِذْنِه۪وَيَهْد۪يهِمْاِلٰىصِرَاطٍمُسْتَق۪يمٍ١٦
Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittabaAAa ridwanahusubula assalami wayukhrijuhum mina aththulumatiila annoori bi-ithnihi wayahdeehim ilasiratin mustaqeem
Praise belongs to God who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and the light! Then those who ignore warning ascribe equals to their Lord.
اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰهِالَّذ۪يخَلَقَالسَّمٰوَاتِوَالْاَرْضَوَجَعَلَالظُّلُمَاتِوَالنُّورَۜثُمَّالَّذ۪ينَكَفَرُوابِرَبِّهِمْيَعْدِلُونَ١
Alhamdu lillahi allatheekhalaqa assamawati wal-ardawajaAAala aththulumati wannoorathumma allatheena kafaroo birabbihim yaAAdiloon
Is one who was dead and to whom We gave life and for whom We appointed a light wherein he walks among men like one in darkness from which he cannot come out? Thus is made fair to the false claimers of guidance what they do.
اَوَمَنْكَانَمَيْتاًفَاَحْيَيْنَاهُوَجَعَلْنَالَهُنُوراًيَمْش۪يبِه۪فِيالنَّاسِكَمَنْمَثَلُهُفِيالظُّلُمَاتِلَيْسَبِخَارِجٍمِنْهَاۜكَذٰلِكَزُيِّنَلِلْكَافِر۪ينَمَاكَانُوايَعْمَلُونَ١٢٢
Awa man kana maytan faahyaynahuwajaAAalna lahu nooran yamshee bihi fee annasikaman mathaluhu fee aththulumatilaysa bikharijin minha kathalika zuyyinalilkafireena ma kanoo yaAAmaloon
Say thou: “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say thou: “God.” Say thou: “Have you then taken, besides Him, allies which have not power to do themselves benefit or harm?” Say thou: “Is the blind equal to the seeing? Or is darkness equal to the light?” If they have ascribed to God partners that created the like of His creation, then the creation appears the same to them. Say thou: “God is creator of all things, and He is the One, the Vanquishing.”
قُلْمَنْرَبُّالسَّمٰوَاتِوَالْاَرْضِۜقُلِاللّٰهُۜقُلْاَفَاتَّخَذْتُمْمِنْدُونِه۪ٓاَوْلِيَٓاءَلَايَمْلِكُونَلِاَنْفُسِهِمْنَفْعاًوَلَاضَراًّۜقُلْهَلْيَسْتَوِيالْاَعْمٰىوَالْبَص۪يرُۙاَمْهَلْتَسْتَوِيالظُّلُمَاتُوَالنُّورُۚاَمْجَعَلُوالِلّٰهِشُرَكَٓاءَخَلَقُواكَخَلْقِه۪فَتَشَابَهَالْخَلْقُعَلَيْهِمْۜقُلِاللّٰهُخَالِقُكُلِّشَيْءٍوَهُوَالْوَاحِدُالْقَهَّارُ١٦
Qul man rabbu assamawatiwal-ardi quli Allahu qul afattakhathtummin doonihi awliyaa la yamlikoona li-anfusihimnafAAan wala darran qul hal yastawee al-aAAmawalbaseeru am hal tastawee aththulumatuwannooru am jaAAaloo lillahi shurakaakhalaqoo kakhalqihi fatashabaha alkhalqu AAalayhim quliAllahu khaliqu kulli shay-in wahuwa alwahidualqahhar
alif lām rā A Writ We have sent down to thee, that thou bring forth mankind out of darkness into the light, by the leave of their Lord, to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy,
الٓـرٰ۠كِتَابٌاَنْزَلْنَاهُاِلَيْكَلِتُخْرِجَالنَّاسَمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِبِـاِذْنِرَبِّهِمْاِلٰىصِرَاطِالْعَز۪يزِالْحَم۪يدِۙ١
Alif-lam-ra kitabunanzalnahu ilayka litukhrija annasa mina aththulumatiila annoori bi-ithni rabbihim ila siratialAAazeezi alhameed
And We sent Moses with Our proofs: “Bring thou thy people forth out of darkness into the light, and remind thou them of the days of God.” In that are proofs for every one patient and grateful.
وَلَقَدْاَرْسَلْنَامُوسٰىبِاٰيَاتِنَٓااَنْاَخْرِجْقَوْمَكَمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِوَذَكِّرْهُمْبِاَيَّامِاللّٰهِۜاِنَّف۪يذٰلِكَلَاٰيَاتٍلِكُلِّصَبَّارٍشَكُورٍ٥
Walaqad arsalna moosa bi-ayatinaan akhrij qawmaka mina aththulumatiila annoori wathakkirhum bi-ayyamiAllahi inna fee thalika laayatinlikulli sabbarin shakoor
Or like darkness in a fathomless sea: there covers it a wave, above which is a wave, above which are clouds: — darknesses one above another! — when he holds out his hand, he scarcely sees it. And he for whom God has made no light, there is for him no light.
اَوْكَظُلُمَاتٍف۪يبَحْرٍلُجِّيٍّيَغْشٰيهُمَوْجٌمِنْفَوْقِه۪مَوْجٌمِنْفَوْقِه۪سَحَابٌۜظُلُمَاتٌبَعْضُهَافَوْقَبَعْضٍۜاِذَٓااَخْرَجَيَدَهُلَمْيَكَدْيَرٰيهَاۜوَمَنْلَمْيَجْعَلِاللّٰهُلَهُنُوراًفَمَالَهُمِنْنُورٍ۟٤٠
Aw kathulumatin fee bahrinlujjiyyin yaghshahu mawjun min fawqihi mawjun min fawqihisahabun thulumatun baAAduhafawqa baAAdin itha akhraja yadahu lam yakad yarahawaman lam yajAAali Allahu lahu nooran fama lahu minnoor
He it is that performs the duty for you, as do His angels, that He might bring you out of darkness into the light; and He is merciful to the believers.
هُوَالَّذ۪ييُصَلّ۪يعَلَيْكُمْوَمَلٰٓئِكَتُهُلِيُخْرِجَكُمْمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِۜوَكَانَبِالْمُؤْمِن۪ينَرَح۪يماً٤٣
Huwa allathee yusalleeAAalaykum wamala-ikatuhu liyukhrijakum mina aththulumatiila annoori wakana bilmu/mineena raheema
Nor the darknesses and the light,
وَلَاالظُّلُمَاتُوَلَاالنُّورُۙ٢٠
Wala aththulumatuwala annoor
He it is that sends down to His servant clear proofs, that He might bring you out of darkness into the light; and God is to you kind and merciful.
هُوَالَّذ۪ييُنَزِّلُعَلٰىعَبْدِه۪ٓاٰيَاتٍبَيِّنَاتٍلِيُخْرِجَكُمْمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِۜوَاِنَّاللّٰهَبِكُمْلَرَؤُ۫فٌرَح۪يمٌ٩
Huwa allathee yunazzilu AAalaAAabdihi ayatin bayyinatin liyukhrijakummina aththulumati ila annooriwa-inna Allaha bikum laraoofun raheem
A messenger reciting to you the manifest proofs of God, that He might bring forth those who heed warning and do righteous deeds out of darkness into the light. And whoso believes in God and works righteousness — He will make him enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein forever. God has made good for him his provision.
رَسُولاًيَتْلُواعَلَيْكُمْاٰيَاتِاللّٰهِمُبَيِّنَاتٍلِيُخْرِجَالَّذ۪ينَاٰمَنُواوَعَمِلُواالصَّالِحَاتِمِنَالظُّلُمَاتِاِلَىالنُّورِۜوَمَنْيُؤْمِنْبِاللّٰهِوَيَعْمَلْصَالِحاًيُدْخِلْهُجَنَّاتٍتَجْر۪يمِنْتَحْتِهَاالْاَنْهَارُخَالِد۪ينَف۪يهَٓااَبَداًۜقَدْاَحْسَنَاللّٰهُلَهُرِزْقاً١١
Rasoolan yatloo AAalaykum ayatiAllahi mubayyinatin liyukhrija allatheena amanoowaAAamiloo assalihati mina aththulumatiila annoori waman yu/min billahiwayaAAmal salihan yudkhilhu jannatin tajreemin tahtiha al-anharu khalideena feehaabadan qad ahsana Allahu lahu rizqa
