# Darkness and light

> The verses in which ẓulumāt and nūr appear together. The darkness is always plural and the light is always one.

- **Source:** https://quran.so/topics/darkness-and-light
- **Translation:** Sam Gerrans — The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

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.

## 13 verses

### Al-Baqarah 2:17

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-baqarah/verse-17

**Arabic:** مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَاراًۚ فَلَمَّٓا اَضَٓاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ ف۪ي ظُلُمَاتٍ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ

**Transcription:** Mathaluhum kamathali allatheeistawqada naran falamma adaat ma hawlahuthahaba Allahu binoorihim watarakahum fee thulumatinla yubsiroon

Their 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.

### Al-Baqarah 2:257

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-baqarah/verse-257

**Arabic:** اَللّٰهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُواۙ يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِۜ وَالَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُٓوا اَوْلِيَٓاؤُ۬هُمُ الطَّاغُوتُۙ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ اِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِۜ اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ اَصْحَابُ النَّارِۚ هُمْ ف۪يهَا خَالِدُونَ۟

**Transcription:** Allahu waliyyu allatheena amanooyukhrijuhum mina aththulumati ilaannoori wallatheena kafaroo awliyaohumuattaghootu yukhrijoonahum mina annoori ilaaththulumati ola-ika as-habuannari hum feeha khalidoon

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.

### Al-Ma'idah 5:16

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-maidah/verse-16

**Arabic:** يَهْد۪ي بِهِ اللّٰهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِ بِاِذْنِه۪ وَيَهْد۪يهِمْ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَق۪يمٍ

**Transcription:** Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittabaAAa ridwanahusubula assalami wayukhrijuhum mina aththulumatiila annoori bi-ithnihi wayahdeehim ilasiratin mustaqeem

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.

### Al-An'am 6:1

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-anam/verse-1

**Arabic:** اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذ۪ي خَلَقَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَۜ  ثُمَّ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ

**Transcription:** Alhamdu lillahi allatheekhalaqa assamawati wal-ardawajaAAala aththulumati wannoorathumma allatheena kafaroo birabbihim yaAAdiloon

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.

### Al-An'am 6:122

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-anam/verse-122

**Arabic:** اَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتاً فَاَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُوراً يَمْش۪ي بِه۪ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَاۜ   كَذٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِر۪ينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

**Transcription:** Awa man kana maytan faahyaynahuwajaAAalna lahu nooran yamshee bihi fee annasikaman mathaluhu fee aththulumatilaysa bikharijin minha kathalika zuyyinalilkafireena ma kanoo yaAAmaloon

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.

### Ar-Ra'd 13:16

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-ar-rad/verse-16

**Arabic:** قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضِۜ  قُلِ اللّٰهُۜ  قُلْ اَفَاتَّخَذْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِه۪ٓ اَوْلِيَٓاءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِاَنْفُسِهِمْ نَفْعاً وَلَا ضَراًّۜ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْاَعْمٰى وَالْبَص۪يرُۙ  اَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُۚ  اَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلّٰهِ شُرَكَٓاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِه۪ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْۜ  قُلِ اللّٰهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

**Transcription:** 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

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.”

### Ibrahim 14:1

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-ibrahim/verse-1

**Arabic:** الٓـرٰ۠ كِتَابٌ اَنْزَلْنَاهُ اِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِ بِـاِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ اِلٰى صِرَاطِ الْعَز۪يزِ الْحَم۪يدِۙ

**Transcription:** Alif-lam-ra kitabunanzalnahu ilayka litukhrija annasa mina aththulumatiila annoori bi-ithni rabbihim ila siratialAAazeezi alhameed

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,

### Ibrahim 14:5

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-ibrahim/verse-5

**Arabic:** وَلَقَدْ اَرْسَلْنَا مُوسٰى بِاٰيَاتِنَٓا اَنْ اَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِاَيَّامِ اللّٰهِۜ اِنَّ ف۪ي ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ

**Transcription:** Walaqad arsalna moosa bi-ayatinaan akhrij qawmaka mina aththulumatiila annoori wathakkirhum bi-ayyamiAllahi inna fee thalika laayatinlikulli sabbarin shakoor

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.

### An-Nur 24:40

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-an-nur/verse-40

**Arabic:** اَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ ف۪ي بَحْرٍ لُجِّيٍّ يَغْشٰيهُ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِه۪ مَوْجٌ مِنْ فَوْقِه۪ سَحَابٌۜ ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍۜ اِذَٓا اَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرٰيهَاۜ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللّٰهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ نُورٍ۟

**Transcription:** 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

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.

### Al-Ahzab 33:43

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-ahzab/verse-43

**Arabic:** هُوَ الَّذ۪ي يُصَلّ۪ي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلٰٓئِكَتُهُ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِۜ وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِن۪ينَ رَح۪يماً

**Transcription:** Huwa allathee yusalleeAAalaykum wamala-ikatuhu liyukhrijakum mina aththulumatiila annoori wakana bilmu/mineena raheema

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.

### Fatir 35:20

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-fatir/verse-20

**Arabic:** وَلَا الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلَا النُّورُۙ

**Transcription:** Wala aththulumatuwala annoor

Nor the darknesses and the light,

### Al-Hadid 57:9

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-al-hadid/verse-9

**Arabic:** هُوَ الَّذ۪ي يُنَزِّلُ عَلٰى عَبْدِه۪ٓ  اٰيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِۜ وَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِكُمْ لَرَؤُ۫فٌ رَح۪يمٌ

**Transcription:** Huwa allathee yunazzilu AAalaAAabdihi ayatin bayyinatin liyukhrijakummina aththulumati ila annooriwa-inna Allaha bikum laraoofun raheem

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.

### At-Talaq 65:11

- **Source:** https://quran.so/surah-at-talaq/verse-11

**Arabic:** رَسُولاً يَتْلُوا عَلَيْكُمْ اٰيَاتِ اللّٰهِ مُبَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَ الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِۜ  وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللّٰهِ وَيَعْمَلْ صَالِحاً يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْر۪ي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهَارُ خَالِد۪ينَ ف۪يهَٓا اَبَداًۜ قَدْ اَحْسَنَ اللّٰهُ لَهُ رِزْقاً

**Transcription:** 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

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.

---
Retrieved: 2026-10-13
Quran.so — https://quran.so — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — When quoting, name the translator.