The Light Verse of the Qur’an and the Khvarenah of PersiaZoroastrian Radiance in Islamic Metaphysics

Light as Divine Signature

Among the most mystical and widely interpreted verses in the Qur’an is Ayat an-Nur (The Light Verse):

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth…”
— Qur’an 24:35

This verse has inspired centuries of Islamic metaphysics, art, and Sufi mysticism. Yet long before Islam, ancient Persia was shaped by an equally powerful vision of divine light: the Khvarenah, or Farrah—the radiant glory of Ahura Mazda that surrounded kings, heroes, and the righteous.

This article explores how the concept of Khvarenah in Zoroastrianism—a blend of divine favor, cosmic light, and spiritual charisma—laid the foundation for Islamic notions of divine illumination, especially as developed in Persian mystical and philosophical traditions.

1. What is Khvarenah?

Khvarenah (Avestan: xᵛarənah) is a central Zoroastrian concept meaning “glory,” “splendor,” or “divine light.” It is:

• A spiritual radiance granted by Ahura Mazda to kings, priests, and heroes.
• A sign of divine election and favor—to lose it is to fall from grace.
• Described as visible, fiery light that accompanies the worthy and flees from the wicked.
• Associated with royal legitimacy (the “glory of kingship”) and the cosmic order of Asha.

In the Yashts (hymns), Khvarenah is portrayed almost as a divine entity—capable of departing from an unworthy soul or settling upon one chosen for divine work.

2. Ayat an-Nur: Allah as Light

The Qur’anic verse (24:35) reads:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp…”

This rich imagery paints divine light as the medium of all existence, the source of knowledge, and the inner reality behind outward appearances.

Key metaphors:

• Niche (mishkat) = vessel of receptivity
• Lamp (misbah) = source of illumination
• Glass, shining star = purified container
• Blessed Tree = symbolic of spiritual life

The verse emphasizes that divine presence is best understood through light—subtle, radiant, infinite. This light is not physical, but metaphysical: the Light of Being, or Nur al-Wujud.

3. Khvarenah and Qur’anic Nur: Comparative Themes

Both are not just symbols, but subtle realities. To bear Khvarenah or be touched by divine Nur means being aligned with truth, worthy of guidance, and part of the cosmic moral order.

4. Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination

Zoroastrian light metaphysics reached full expression in Islam through Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi (1154–1191), founder of the Ishraqi (Illuminationist) school.

Suhrawardi:

• Merged Zoroastrian, Platonic, and Qur’anic ideas into a radiant cosmology.
• Saw light as the principle of all existence, graded in intensity from the Light of Lights (Nur al-Anwar) down to darkness (non-being).
• Cited ancient Persian wisdom explicitly, referring to Khvarenah-like ideas in discussing the light of kingship and prophets.
• Developed a hierarchy of angelic lights, echoing Zoroastrian Yazatas and Amesha Spentas.

For Suhrawardi, the Nur of Allah and the Khvarenah of Persia were not contradictory but complementary expressions of the same metaphysical truth.

5. Sufi Mysticism: Inner Light and the Return to Source

In Sufism, light becomes the very essence of the soul’s return to God:

• The heart is a mirror—it must be polished to reflect divine Nur.
• True guidance is not taught, but illuminated from within (kashf).
• The journey from darkness (ego) to light (unity) parallels the soul’s alignment with Asha in Zoroastrianism.

Poets like Rumi and Attar use fire, radiance, and shining stars to describe spiritual realization, echoing the Khvarenah’s luminous role in awakening divine identity.

6. Royal Light: From Persian Kingship to Islamic Imamate

Khvarenah was also political—the “divine radiance” that legitimized rulers. In Islamic Iran, this transformed into:

• The Nur of the Prophet Muhammad (Nur Muhammadi)—a pre-eternal light passed through the prophets.
• The Shi‘a concept of Imamate, where each Imam is a bearer of divine light and knowledge.
• The idea that true leadership is recognized not by force, but by inner radiance—a visible or felt presence of divine favor.

This transition from Khvarenah of kings to Nur of the Imams represents a Zoroastrian legacy refracted through Islamic theology.

Light upon Light—Two Traditions, One Radiance

The Qur’an proclaims: “Light upon Light—Allah guides to His light whom He wills” (Qur’an 24:35). But long before this verse was revealed, Persian sages and priests spoke of a similar light: Khvarenah, the splendor of divinity reflected in the world.

Far from being lost, Khvarenah transmuted into Islamic metaphysics—most clearly through the Light Verse, Illuminationist philosophy, and Sufi mysticism. This enduring radiance reveals a deeper truth: that across traditions, Light remains the sign of the Divine, the guide of souls, and the glory of righteous existence.

References

1. Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge, 2001.
2. Corbin, Henry. En Islam Iranien: Aspects Spirituels et Philosophiques. Gallimard, 1971.
3. Suhrawardi, Shihab al-Din. The Philosophy of Illumination, trans. Walbridge & Ziai. Brigham Young University Press, 1999.
4. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Three Muslim Sages. Harvard University Press, 1964.
5. The Qur’an: Surah 24:35, 39:22, 57:28
6. Choksy, Jamsheed K. Purity and Pollution in Zoroastrianism. University of Texas Press, 1989.
7. Hujwiri, Ali ibn Uthman. Kashf al-Mahjub (The Unveiling of the Hidden), trans. R.A. Nicholson