WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.139 You know, it's funny. I was thinking this morning 00:00:01.139 --> 00:00:03.560 about how much of our language, just our everyday 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:05.540 coffee shop language, is completely obsessed 00:00:05.540 --> 00:00:07.900 with light. Oh, absolutely. It is everywhere 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:09.880 once you really start to notice it. Right. We 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.320 get a bright idea. We want to be clear about 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:15.080 something. Someone's smart. They're brilliant. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.519 And if a situation is suspicious, it's shady. 00:00:18.859 --> 00:00:21.399 Exactly. It's like we can't help ourselves. I 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:23.679 don't know, addicted to the metaphor. Well, it's 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.359 wired into us. I mean, biologically, we're heliotropic. 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:28.960 We literally turn toward the light. We need it. 00:00:29.019 --> 00:00:31.239 Sure. But what's so fascinating is when you move 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:34.539 past biology and, you know, casual language and 00:00:34.539 --> 00:00:37.799 you look at theology. Specifically at the foundational 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.780 texts of Christianity and Islam. Okay. Suddenly 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:43.640 light isn't just a metaphor for being smart or 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:46.399 something. It gets heavier. Much heavier. In 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:48.799 these traditions, light becomes like the primary 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:50.820 language for talking about what you can't describe. 00:00:51.179 --> 00:00:54.020 It's how these texts try to explain reality, 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:59.140 truth, and ultimately God. And that is exactly 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:02.020 where we're going today. We are doing a deep 00:01:02.020 --> 00:01:04.799 dive into what is, you could argue, the most 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:08.319 universal symbol in all of human history. We've 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:10.180 got our sources right here. We're talking the 00:01:10.180 --> 00:01:12.760 Gospel of John, the first epistle of John from 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:14.739 the Bible. And then we're going to jump into 00:01:14.739 --> 00:01:17.239 Surah Al -Burata and the famous Surah An -Nur 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:20.299 from the Quran. And we have some pretty serious 00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:23.200 scholarly commentary to help us get into the... 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:27.980 the greek and arabic nuances which is key precisely 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:30.700 and the mission here is to put them side by side 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:32.540 because we noticed something really interesting 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:36.340 in the research phase you have these two massive 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:39.540 world religions and they are using the exact 00:01:39.540 --> 00:01:42.920 same word light To talk about the divine. Yeah, 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:45.319 it's a classic case of, you know, same but different. 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:47.319 The similarities are stunning, but then there 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:50.260 are these very subtle, very specific theological 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:52.739 differences that, well, they change the whole 00:01:52.739 --> 00:01:54.219 picture. So the big question we're trying to 00:01:54.219 --> 00:01:57.500 answer is, how do these texts use light to define 00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:00.060 God? Maybe more importantly, because we always 00:02:00.060 --> 00:02:01.719 want to get to the so what. What does that mean 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:03.599 for how we're supposed to treat each other? Because, 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.079 and this is a bit of a spoiler alert, the texts 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.539 are very clear on this. You can't claim you love 00:02:08.539 --> 00:02:11.310 the light and then, you know. treat people horribly 00:02:11.310 --> 00:02:13.849 i love that the theology has to have ethical 00:02:13.849 --> 00:02:16.069 consequences it has to okay so before we get 00:02:16.069 --> 00:02:17.830 to behavior let's start with the definition we're 00:02:17.830 --> 00:02:19.330 gonna kick things off with the christian perspective 00:02:19.330 --> 00:02:24.110 specifically the johannine writings now that's 00:02:24.110 --> 00:02:25.930 just a fancy way of seeing books written by john 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:29.349 right right the gospel of john and the letters 00:02:29.349 --> 00:02:32.189 of john and if you want light imagery in the 00:02:32.189 --> 00:02:35.110 new testament john is your guy i mean the other 00:02:35.110 --> 00:02:38.699 gospels matthew mark luke They start with genealogies, 00:02:38.699 --> 00:02:41.120 birth stories. Shepherds, mangers, that kind 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.300 of thing. Yeah. But John, he starts in the cosmos. 00:02:44.620 --> 00:02:46.939 It's very Star Wars opening crawl, isn't it? 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.659 It really is. The prologue to the Gospel of John, 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:52.400 Chapter 1, it opens with, In the beginning was 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.780 the Word, the Logos. But then almost right away 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.520 he switches metaphors to light. I think you have 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.159 the text there. I do, yeah. This is John 1 .4 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:04.960 -5. In him was life, and that life was the light 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.849 of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness 00:03:07.849 --> 00:03:10.469 and the darkness has not overcome it. And that 00:03:10.469 --> 00:03:13.789 phrase, the darkness has not overcome it, is 00:03:13.789 --> 00:03:17.030 so critical. The Greek word can mean overcome, 00:03:17.129 --> 00:03:20.270 but it can also mean comprehend or master. It 00:03:20.270 --> 00:03:23.389 sets up this cosmic conflict on page one. So 00:03:23.389 --> 00:03:26.469 it's not just like a lamp in a cozy room. This 00:03:26.469 --> 00:03:29.289 is an active force. Exactly. It's an invasion. 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:31.590 The sources we looked at described the coming 00:03:31.590 --> 00:03:34.409 of Jesus as an invasion of light into a dark 00:03:34.409 --> 00:03:37.490 world. And the text identifies Jesus explicitly 00:03:37.490 --> 00:03:40.210 as this light. He calls himself the true light 00:03:40.210 --> 00:03:42.389 that gives light to everyone. Okay, so let's 00:03:42.389 --> 00:03:44.639 pause there. In the Christian framework, This 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.259 is the incarnation we're talking about. We're 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:47.719 not just talking about a guy with some bright 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:49.639 ideas. Right. And that is the core distinction. 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.340 In Christian theology, Jesus is the embodiment 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:55.099 of God's light. The scholars call it God's glory 00:03:55.099 --> 00:03:58.180 made flesh. So when John talks about light, he's 00:03:58.180 --> 00:04:00.360 talking about a person. He's saying the abstract 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.560 truth of God became visible and, well, knowable 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:05.780 in a human being. That is a wild concept, wrapping 00:04:05.780 --> 00:04:07.719 the infinite in skin. But then we have the first 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:10.840 epistle of John, 1 John, which just... It takes 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.080 it even further. It has what might be the most 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.639 absolute statement in the whole Bible about God's 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:19.879 nature. 1 John 1 .5 God is light. In him there 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.060 is no darkness at all. God is light. That just 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:25.259 hits differently than God has light. It's an 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:27.560 equation. It is. And we have to be careful here 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:29.920 because the commentary warns us not to misread 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.089 it. This isn't a physics lesson. John is not 00:04:33.089 --> 00:04:35.050 saying God is made of photons. Right. He's not 00:04:35.050 --> 00:04:37.389 a giant flashlight in the sky. No, exactly. It's 00:04:37.389 --> 00:04:39.610 an ontological metaphor. OK, ontological. That's 00:04:39.610 --> 00:04:41.250 a bit of a five dollar word. Let's unpack that. 00:04:41.370 --> 00:04:44.069 Yeah, sure. Ontology is just the study of being 00:04:44.069 --> 00:04:47.410 of what something is at its core. So when the 00:04:47.410 --> 00:04:50.209 text says God is light, it's talking about his 00:04:50.209 --> 00:04:52.699 very nature. It's equating light with. absolute 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:55.759 holiness, purity, and truth. Which also says 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:57.779 something about the darkness then. If God is 00:04:57.779 --> 00:05:00.199 light, then darkness isn't just nighttime. Exactly. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.980 The darkness here is moral. It's sin. It's falsehood, 00:05:03.980 --> 00:05:07.839 hatred. And the text adds that qualifier. In 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.279 him, there is no darkness at all. It's absolute. 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:12.579 There's no shadow side to this God. It brings 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:15.660 up this image of total transparency. I noticed 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:17.680 in our source deck, there was a note on the Eastern 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:20.019 Orthodox tradition. They seem to take this God 00:05:20.019 --> 00:05:22.160 is light thing to another level. Oh, the Orthodox 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.019 tradition is fascinating on this. They talk about 00:05:24.019 --> 00:05:26.259 the uncreated light. It comes from the transfiguration 00:05:26.259 --> 00:05:28.639 story in the Gospels. That's where Jesus goes 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.579 up the mountain and suddenly starts glowing. 00:05:31.779 --> 00:05:35.980 Yes. The text says his face shone like the sun. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:39.040 Now, a modern reader might say, oh, nice symbol. 00:05:39.180 --> 00:05:41.399 But the Eastern Orthodox theologians say, no, 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:43.930 that was the Tabor light. Tavor being the name 00:05:43.930 --> 00:05:45.649 of the mountain. Right. They believed the disciples 00:05:45.649 --> 00:05:48.850 were briefly allowed to see God's uncreated energy 00:05:48.850 --> 00:05:51.230 with their physical eyes. They weren't seeing 00:05:51.230 --> 00:05:53.509 a reflection. They were seeing the nature of 00:05:53.509 --> 00:05:56.350 God himself. So for them, it's not just a poetic 00:05:56.350 --> 00:05:59.069 idea. It's an experience. Yeah. The actual atmosphere 00:05:59.069 --> 00:06:01.629 of God. Correct. It's not a tool he uses. It's 00:06:01.629 --> 00:06:03.670 his very presence. Okay, so let's hold that image. 00:06:03.850 --> 00:06:07.649 Yeah. In the Christian text, God is light, Jesus 00:06:07.649 --> 00:06:10.329 is that light in human form, and darkness is 00:06:10.329 --> 00:06:12.689 this hostile force that fails to overcome it. 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.819 Now, let's pivot. Let's cross over to Islam because 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:19.740 the Quran has some incredibly famous verses about 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:22.199 light, too. It does. And the centerpiece, you 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.540 just can't miss this, is Surah An -Nur, chapter 00:06:24.540 --> 00:06:27.860 24, verse 35. It's known as Ayat Al -Nur, the 00:06:27.860 --> 00:06:30.439 verse of light. And the imagery here is just 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.680 breathtaking. I mean, listen to this description. 00:06:32.779 --> 00:06:36.259 It's so visual. Allah is the light of the heavens 00:06:36.259 --> 00:06:39.009 and the earth. His light is like a niche in which 00:06:39.009 --> 00:06:41.410 there is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The 00:06:41.410 --> 00:06:44.250 glass is if it were a pearly white star. Lit 00:06:44.250 --> 00:06:47.170 from a blessed olive tree. Light upon light. 00:06:47.310 --> 00:06:49.750 It's stunning poetry, light upon light. It's 00:06:49.750 --> 00:06:51.689 one of the most calligraphed verses in history 00:06:51.689 --> 00:06:54.610 for a reason. But we have to look at what the 00:06:54.610 --> 00:06:56.750 scholars say because there is a very specific 00:06:56.750 --> 00:06:59.230 nuance here compared to John. What's the nuance? 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.759 It sounds pretty similar so far. Well, remember 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.939 how 1 John just says God is light and we called 00:07:03.939 --> 00:07:06.240 it ontological, that it's his substance? Yeah. 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:08.620 Muslim commentators are very careful with this 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:11.639 verse. They stress that it's a parable, a similitude. 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:14.819 Because it says his light is like a niche. Exactly. 00:07:14.819 --> 00:07:17.360 The commentary is clear. Yeah. Don't imagine 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.519 God as a physical thing, a glowing orb. That 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:22.819 would limit the creator. In Islamic theology, 00:07:23.220 --> 00:07:25.720 God is utterly transcendent, unlike anything 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.379 in creation. So if you picture a giant lamp, 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:30.579 you've missed the point. You've missed the point. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:33.720 So when the Quran says, Allah is the light of 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.160 the heavens and the earth, the consensus is that 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:38.300 it means he is the source of all illumination. 00:07:38.860 --> 00:07:41.579 He's the reason anything is visible or knowable. 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:44.579 I like how one of the notes put it, without this 00:07:44.579 --> 00:07:48.240 light, the world is absolute darkness. It's like, 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.959 imagine a pitch black room. The furniture is 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:52.879 all there, but you can't know it. God is the 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:54.620 one who flips the switch. That's a great analogy. 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:58.319 But in Islam, nur, the Arabic word for light. 00:07:58.829 --> 00:08:01.430 almost always has another very specific meaning. 00:08:02.129 --> 00:08:04.949 Guidance. Guidance. So it's about knowledge versus 00:08:04.949 --> 00:08:08.209 ignorance. Yes. The darkness in the Quran isn't 00:08:08.209 --> 00:08:11.370 usually some evil force attacking God. The darkness 00:08:11.370 --> 00:08:14.050 is the state of being lost. It's ignorance. The 00:08:14.050 --> 00:08:16.329 light is the guidance that shows you the path. 00:08:16.589 --> 00:08:19.339 Speaking of being lost. The source material pointed 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:22.019 to these really vivid parables from Surah Al 00:08:22.019 --> 00:08:24.300 -Baqarah. And I have to say, they felt like little 00:08:24.300 --> 00:08:27.139 horror movies. They are intense. The Quran uses 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:29.600 them to describe the tragedy of hypocrisy of 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.519 people who get close to the light but don't really 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.919 possess it. Okay, so the first one is the fire 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:36.740 parable. So someone lights a fire to see. It 00:08:36.740 --> 00:08:38.600 lights up everything. They can see the dangers, 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:42.419 the path. They feel safe. And then, poof, God 00:08:42.419 --> 00:08:44.220 takes the light away. But here's the really scary 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:47.519 part. He leaves them their physical sight. Wait, 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:49.960 no, the text says they're left deaf, dumb, and 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.299 blind. Metaphorically blind. Their eyes still 00:08:52.299 --> 00:08:54.559 work, but with the light gone, their eyes are 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.679 useless. It's terrifying because they had the 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:59.720 light for a moment. That's the tragedy. They 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.480 had it and they lost it. Precisely. The text 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.940 suggests their own insincerity caused the light 00:09:04.940 --> 00:09:06.980 to be removed. They're left with cold ashes. 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:09.519 And the second one with the scorn parable. That 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.500 one felt very visceral. Yeah. Imagine a violent 00:09:12.500 --> 00:09:15.990 storm at night. Thunder, lightning, total blackness, 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:17.730 and people are trying to walk through it. And 00:09:17.730 --> 00:09:19.610 they can only move when the lightning flashes. 00:09:19.850 --> 00:09:21.909 Right, a flash of lightning, they take a step, 00:09:21.950 --> 00:09:24.629 then darkness, they freeze, another flash, another 00:09:24.629 --> 00:09:27.269 step, then darkness again. Wow, what a powerful 00:09:27.269 --> 00:09:30.490 image of hesitation. It is. It shows this fearful 00:09:30.490 --> 00:09:33.309 transactional relationship with the truth. They 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:35.649 don't have the light themselves. They're just 00:09:35.649 --> 00:09:38.570 reacting to it. They're stranded. So let's bring 00:09:38.570 --> 00:09:40.970 these together then. It feels like in the Christian 00:09:40.970 --> 00:09:44.100 text, The darkness is this aggressive thing trying 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:47.179 to overcome the light. But in these Islamic parables, 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:49.840 the tragedy is more about people squandering 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.019 the light they're given. That's a very good observation. 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:55.460 But both traditions absolutely agree on the stakes. 00:09:55.659 --> 00:09:58.559 The alternative to living in this light is being 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.480 profoundly and utterly lost. Which brings us 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:03.639 perfectly to our comparison. We've looked at 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:05.820 them separately. Let's connect the dots. Where 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:08.039 do they converge? Well, the most obvious one 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:11.220 is that both traditions see divine light as revealing, 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.559 as life -giving. It's always a positive thing. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.240 This isn't a harsh interrogation light. It's 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.940 the light of life itself. And they both link 00:10:19.940 --> 00:10:22.360 light to the word. I thought that was a really 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.559 strong parallel in the notion. Very strong parallel, 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:28.139 yeah. In John, Jesus is both the word, the logos, 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.539 and the light. In Islam, the Quran itself is 00:10:31.539 --> 00:10:34.929 described as a clear light, nirmubin. So in both 00:10:34.929 --> 00:10:37.509 cases, God's communication to humanity is the 00:10:37.509 --> 00:10:39.370 light. Exactly. If you want the light, you go 00:10:39.370 --> 00:10:41.289 to the word. That's shared ground. Okay, but 00:10:41.289 --> 00:10:43.289 what about the divergence? You hinted at it earlier 00:10:43.289 --> 00:10:46.090 with the whole essence versus source thing. Right. 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:48.509 This is where a theologian would get really excited. 00:10:49.230 --> 00:10:51.909 Christianity in these texts is very comfortable 00:10:51.909 --> 00:10:54.830 saying God is light. Jesus says, I am the light 00:10:54.830 --> 00:10:57.470 of the world. It's an identity statement. Whereas 00:10:57.470 --> 00:10:59.389 Islam puts a little bit of a buffer. A necessary 00:10:59.389 --> 00:11:02.769 theological buffer, yes. To protect the absolute 00:11:02.769 --> 00:11:06.389 transcendence of God. Islam emphasizes God as 00:11:06.389 --> 00:11:08.909 the owner of light, the light of the heavens. 00:11:09.029 --> 00:11:11.690 It's a possessive. He causes it. He guides with 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:14.789 it. But he himself is beyond it. So could we 00:11:14.789 --> 00:11:17.690 frame it like this? Christianity emphasizes the 00:11:17.690 --> 00:11:20.029 intimacy of the light God becoming flesh entering 00:11:20.029 --> 00:11:24.029 the room. And Islam emphasizes the majesty of 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:26.070 the light God illuminating the path from above. 00:11:26.309 --> 00:11:28.509 That's a beautiful way to put it. Intimacy versus 00:11:28.509 --> 00:11:30.860 majesty. And yet. Even with that difference, 00:11:31.139 --> 00:11:33.320 the human experience they call for is remarkably 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:36.080 similar. Okay, but this is the so what part of 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:37.639 the deep dive. We can talk about philosophy all 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:40.179 day, but how does this change my Tuesday morning? 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:42.860 This is where the rubber meets the road. Because 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:45.419 for both faiths, walking in the light is not 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:48.120 some mystical feeling. It's an absolute ethical 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:51.679 command. Let's go back to 1 John. The text had 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:54.399 that fellowship test. It's brutal in how simple 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.240 it is. 1 John 2 .9. Anyone who claims to be in 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.200 the light but hates a brother or sister is still 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:03.080 in darkness. Oof. There's no wiggle room there 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.720 at all. None. You can't separate your spirituality 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:08.500 from your relationships. You can't be enlightened 00:12:08.500 --> 00:12:11.779 and also a jerk. It doesn't work. So living in 00:12:11.779 --> 00:12:14.840 the light means moral integrity. Transparency, 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:17.659 love. All of it. And the sources also reference 00:12:17.659 --> 00:12:20.460 Ephesians talking about shining a light on corruption. 00:12:20.620 --> 00:12:22.759 It says everything exposed by the light becomes 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:25.320 visible. Right. So it's active. Yeah. You possess 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:27.419 the light. You expose the bad stuff hiding in 00:12:27.419 --> 00:12:29.759 the dark. You stand up against injustice. You 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.340 don't just, you know, enjoy the glow. You reflect 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:35.159 it. You become a mirror precisely. OK. What about 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.360 the Islamic application? Does that beautiful 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:40.539 Nietzschean lamp verse connect to everyday behavior? 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:44.340 It does, and the connection is fascinating. Right 00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:46.179 after that mystical description of the niche 00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:49.240 and the lamp, the Quran shifts to the real world. 00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:52.360 It starts talking about houses which Allah has 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:54.820 ordered to be raised. Mosques, houses of worship. 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:57.779 Yes, but it describes the people inside them. 00:12:57.899 --> 00:12:59.820 It says these are people who aren't distracted 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:03.659 by business or trade, from remembering God, from 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:07.139 prayer, and from giving zakah. And zakah is the 00:13:07.139 --> 00:13:09.779 mandatory charity for the poor. It is, and that's 00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:14.309 the link. God is light. Therefore, give to the 00:13:14.309 --> 00:13:17.309 poor. Be honest in your business. Don't let the 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:19.549 shiny objects of the market distract you from 00:13:19.549 --> 00:13:22.240 the ultimate light. It's grounding the mystical 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.240 right into the economic. You don't usually think 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.340 of light and pay your fair share in the same 00:13:26.340 --> 00:13:29.039 breath. But it's vital. The notes mention that 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.139 the Quran constantly pairs light with justice. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.899 There's a description of Judgment Day where the 00:13:33.899 --> 00:13:36.139 earth will shine with the light of its Lord and 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:38.460 none will be wronged. That's a powerful image. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:41.059 Yeah. A world that's fully lit means there are 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:43.600 no shadows for injustice to hide in. Exactly. 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:46.899 Darkness allows for oppression. Light ensures 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:49.600 accountability. It feels like both traditions 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:53.080 land on this idea of shared human dignity. That's 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:55.899 the ultimate takeaway. If you believe in this 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:57.860 light, whether it's the light of Christ in every 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:01.279 person or the fitra, the innate disposition toward 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:04.879 God given by Allah, then every single human you 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:08.120 meet has a connection to that light. Which means 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:11.120 treating them with dignity isn't just being nice. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:14.500 It's a requirement of the light itself. If you 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:17.299 mistreat someone, you are, in a way, violating 00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:20.620 the very thing you claim to worship. Compassion 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:23.100 and justice are the visible fruits of this invisible 00:14:23.100 --> 00:14:25.460 light. That really brings it all home. It's not 00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:26.899 just what you believe in your head. It's about 00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:29.500 what radiates out of your life. If you're not 00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:31.600 glowing with some level of kindness, you might 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.360 need to check your power source. And that's a 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.779 challenge for every single one of us. To wrap 00:14:35.779 --> 00:14:37.940 this up, I just keep coming back to that Quranic 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:40.440 phrase, light upon light. It really suggests 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.799 a journey, doesn't it? Not a static thing. We're 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.460 always moving from one layer of understanding 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:47.480 to the next. It's a shared vision. God's presence 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:50.179 is beautiful, it's guiding, and it's calling 00:14:50.179 --> 00:14:52.299 all of us out of the shadows. And that's something 00:14:52.299 --> 00:14:54.519 we can all appreciate. So I want to leave you 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:57.000 with a thought today. We talked a lot about ancient 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.259 texts, theology. But here's the challenge that 00:15:00.259 --> 00:15:03.879 both the Bible and the Quran pose to us. We like 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:06.899 to think of ourselves as enlightened, people 00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:10.419 -educated, informed. But if we harbor hatred 00:15:10.419 --> 00:15:13.320 for a neighbor or if we just ignore the injustice 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:16.440 happening right in front of us, are we actually, 00:15:16.539 --> 00:15:18.759 by these definitions, still walking in the dark? 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:20.600 That is the question. Thanks for diving deep 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:21.620 with us. We'll catch you in the next one.