Jesus Christ – The Divine Light of All Creation

The Light

My comments re [sic] the historical problems surrounding the gospel of John apply to all David Wood’s quotes from that gospel. I will not repeat them here. But let us not forget that according to Matthew 5 Jesus taught his disciples,

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

So the true followers of Jesus are light to the world  - just as Jesus was. (Judging by the Injil)

He descended on you The Book with the truth, confirming to what (is) BETWEEN HIS HANDS (musaddiqan lima bayna yadayhi), and He descended the Torah and the New Testament/Bible (al-Injil [Gospel]). From before guidance to the people, and He descended the Separator of Right and Wrong/Koran, that those who disbelieved with God's verses, for them (is) a strong (severe) torture, and God (is) glorious/mighty, (owner) of a revenge/punishment. S. 3:3-4 Ahmed Ali

“To you We revealed the Book with the Truth, confirming previous Scripture and witnessing to their veracity (musaddiqan lima bayna yadayhi mina al-kitabi wa-muhaiminan alayhi)…” S. 5:48 (The Qur’an – A New Translation, by Tarif Khalidi [Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., First American Edition 2008], p. 89; bold emphasis ours)

And We sent after (following) on their tracks with Jesus, Mary's son confirming for what (is) between his hands from the Torah/Old Testament, and We gave him the New Testament/Bible (al-Injil) in it (is) guidance and light, and confirming to what (is) between his hands from the Torah/Old Testament, and guidance and a sermon/advice/warning to the fearing and obeying. And the New Testament's/Bible's people (ahlul al-Injili) should JUDGE/RULE with what God descended in it, and who does not judge/rule with what God descended, so those, they are the debauchers. S. 5:46-47 Ahmed Ali 

“those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the common folk, whom they find written down WITH THEM in the Torah AND THE GOSPEL…” S. 7:157 Arberry

“Ziyad b. Labid said: The Prophet mentioned a matter, saying, ‘That will be at the time when knowledge departs.’ I asked, ‘How can knowledge depart when we recite the Qur’an and teach it to our children and they will teach it to their children up till they day of resurrection?’ He replied, ‘I am astonished at you, Ziyad. I thought you were the most learned man in Medina. Do not these Jews and Christians READ the Torah AND THE INJIL without knowing a thing about their contents?’ Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted something similar from him, as did Darimi from Abu Umama.” (Mishkat Al Masabih, English Translation With Explanatory Notes By Dr. James Robson [Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, Booksellers & Exporters, Lahore, Pakistan, Reprinted 1990], Volume I, Book II – Knowledge, pp. 62-63; bold and capital emphasis ours)       

“Among the things which have reached me about what Jesus the Son of Mary stated in the Gospel which he received from God for the followers of the Gospel, in applying a term to describe the apostle of God, is the following. It is extracted FROM WHAT JOHN THE APOSTLE SET DOWN FOR THEM WHEN HE WROTE THE GOSPEL FOR THEM FROM THE TESTAMENT OF JESUS SON OF MARY: ‘He that hateth me hateth the Lord. And if I had not done in their presence works which none other before me did, they had not sin: but from now they are puffed up with pride and think that they will overcome me and also the Lord. But the word that is in the law must be fulfilled, "They hated me without a cause" (i.e. without reason). But when the Comforter has come whom God will send to you from the Lord's presence, and the spirit of truth which will have gone forth from the Lord's presence he (shall bear) witness of me and ye also, because ye have been with me from the beginning. I have spoken unto you about this that ye should not be in doubt.’

“The Munahhemana (God bless and preserve him!) in Syriac is Muhammad; in Greek he is the paraclete. (The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, with introduction and notes by Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press, Karachi, Tenth impression 1995], pp. 103-104; bold and capital emphasis ours)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came into existence through Him, and apart from Him not one thing came into existence that has come into existence. IN HIM was Life, and that Life was the Light of men. That Light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man named John who was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify about the Light (tou photos), so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light (to phos), but he came to testify about the Light (tou photos). The TRUE LIGHT (to phos to alethinon), WHO GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him… The Word became flesh and pitched his tent/tabernacled among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-10, 14

“Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the Light (to phos) of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life.’” John 8:12

“We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John 9:4-5

“Jesus answered, ‘The Light (to phos) will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the Light (to phos) so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. While you have the Light (to phos), BELIEVE IN THE LIGHT (to phos) so that you may become sons of Light.’ Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them… ‘I have come as a Light into the world, so that everyone who believes IN ME would not remain in darkness.’” John 12:35-36, 46

“They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights, For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.” Psalm 36:8-9

“Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.’ … Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.’” John 4:10, 13-14 – cf. 6:35; 7:38-39

“And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to anyone He wants to… I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself… Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear HIS [THE SON’S] VOICE and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:21, 25-26, 28-29

“This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day…  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day… Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,” John 6:39-40, 44, 54

“‘Your brother will rise again,’ Jesus told her. Martha said, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told Him, ‘I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.’” John 11:23-27

“‘Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.’ ‘Lord,’ Thomas said, ‘we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:1-6

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a concave mirror within a lamp, the lamp is within a glass, the glass is like a radiant planet, which is lit from a blessed olive tree that is neither of the east nor of the west, its oil nearly radiates light even if not touched by fire. Light upon light. God guides to His light those whom He pleases. God sets forth parables for mankind; God is aware of all things. S. 24:35 Quran Reformist Translation

That is because God is the truth, and He gives life to the dead, and He is capable of all things. The moment is coming, there is no doubt in it, and God will resurrect those who are in the graves. S. 22:6-7 Reformist Translation

Say, "O people, I am God 's messenger to you all. The One who has the sovereignty of heavens and earth, there is no god but He; He gives life and causes death." So acknowledge God and His gentile prophet, who acknowledges God and His words; and follow him that you may be guided. S. 7:158 Reformist Translation

“Then Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.’” Matthew 28:18

Al-Muhyî, Al-Mumît: The One Who Gives Life, The One who Makes Die

The Life-Giver or Quickener who makes something alive, to be a living thing; He quickenes him or endues him with life or revives him. He revives the earth with rain and endues with intelligence. Al-Mumit is the One who causes to die.

Al-Muhyi and Al-Mumit are two of the Ninety-Nine Names…

An-Nûr: The Light

The light, guide, the One who illuminates; the One who is manifest, clear.

An-Nur is one of the Ninety-Nine Names. (Aisha Bewley, Divine Names)

61. Al-Muhyi
The Giver of Life

94. Al-Nur
The Light (G. F. Haddad, Allah’s Names and Attributes)

5. Maintaining the unity of Allah’s names also means that Allah’s names in the definite form cannot be given to His creation unless preceded by the prefix ‘Abd meaning "slave of" or "servant of”. Many of the Divine names in their indefinite form like Ra’uf and Rahim are allowable names for men because Allah has used some of them in their indefinite forms to refer to the Prophet…

But ar-Ra’uf (the One Most Full of Pity) and ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful) can only be used to refer to men if they are preceded by ‘Abd as in ‘Abdur-Ra’uf or ‘Abdur-Rahim, since in the definite form they represent a level of perfection which only belongs to God. Similarly, names like ‘Abdur-Rasool (slave of the messenger), ‘Abdun-Nabi (slave of the Prophet), ‘Abdul-Husayn (slave of Husayn), etc., where people name themselves slaves to other than Allah are also forbidden. Based on this principle, the Prophet forbade Muslims from referring to those put under their charge as ‘abdi (my slave) or amati (my slave girl). (Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, The Fundamentals of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism) [International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh, 2^nd Edition: 2005], Chapter One. The Categories of Tawhid, pp. 30-31; bold emphasis ours)

2. Shirk by deification

This form of shirk in al-Asma’ was-Sifat relates to cases where created beings or things are given, or claim, Allah’s names or His attributes. For example, it was the practice of the ancient Ara bs to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allah. Their main three idols were: al-Lat, taken from Allah’s name al-Ilah; al-‘Uzza, taken from al-‘Aziz; and al-Manat, taken from al-Mannan. During the Prophet Muhammad’s era there was also a false prophet in a region called Yamamah, who took the name Rahman which only belongs to Allah. (Ibid., Chapter Two. The Categories of Shirk, Shirk in al-Asma’ was-Sifat, p. 51; underline emphasis ours)