The Foundations of Divine Light

One of the names of the Day of Judgment mentioned in the Quran is the Day of Regret. It is the Day when every human being will experience remorse. Allah (swt) says, “And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will have been decided, while they are in heedlessness and do not believe” (19:39).

On that Day, evildoers will regret their sins and acts of disobedience, while the righteous will regret not having done even more good deeds. Allah says: “On that Day, man will remember — but how will that remembrance benefit him? He will say, ‘Oh, I wish I had sent forth something for my true life!’” (89:23–24).

That is the true and everlasting life for which humanity was created.

On that Day, people will be divided into two groups: the believers, whose light will shine before them, and the wicked, who will be left without any light. Allah says: “And whoever Allah has not granted light — for him there is no light” (24:40).

Once the reality of the Hereafter is fully unveiled — without any doubt or ambiguity — everyone will submit to the truth. Allah (swt) says: “On that Day, they will surrender themselves to Allah, and all that they used to fabricate will abandon them” (16:87).

And He also says: “The Day its true fulfillment comes, those who had previously neglected it will say, ‘Indeed, the messengers of our Lord came with the truth’” (7:53).

The remembrance and regret experienced on that Day will correspond to the light each person has acquired through faith and righteous deeds. The wrongdoers will look at themselves and realize that they possess no light. Then, overwhelmed with remorse, they will say, as Allah says: “And on the Day the wrongdoer will bite his hands, saying, ‘Oh, I wish I had taken the way with the Messenger!’” (25:27).

The believers, however, will be granted light according to the strength of their faith and the righteousness of their deeds. It is narrated in a Hadith: “Among them will be those whose light is given to them before them, as large as a mountain. Others will be given a light even greater than that. Others will be given a light like a palm tree on their right. Others will be given less than that on their right, until the last of them is given a light only on the big toe of their foot. It will shine at one moment and go out at another.”

If a servant wishes to be resurrected with light, they must live within the sphere of divine light in this worldly life. They must know the source of light and the source of darkness, so that they can diligently seek and strive to attain as much light as possible. Allah says: “Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into the light” (2:257). He also says: “A Messenger reciting to you the clear verses of Allah, so that He may bring those who believe and do righteous deeds out of darkness into the light” (65:11). And He says: “O you who believe, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will grant you a double portion of His mercy and will make for you a light by which you will walk” (57:28).

What, then, are the foundations upon which this light is built?

One should devote oneself to establishing the foundations of light while removing everything that opposes them. The branches depend upon the root. As long as a servant is occupied with strengthening the root, rather than merely tending to the branches, their efforts will never be wasted so long as the root remains firm. Whenever one branch withers, another will grow in its place.

Which deeds, then, form the foundation of this light while simultaneously exposing the foundations of darkness?

If we reflect on the words of the people of Paradise and the expressions of regret uttered by the people of Hell, we discover the very foundations upon which light is built.

First: The Speech of the People of Paradise Revolves Around Two Foundations: Praise and Supplication

1. Al-Ḥamd (Praise), Allah says: “They will say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who guided us to this. We would never have been guided had Allah not guided us’” (7:43). He also says: “And the conclusion of their supplication will be: ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds’” (10:10). And He says: “All praise belongs to Allah, who has removed all sorrow from us” (35:34). And He says: “All praise belongs to Allah, who fulfilled His promise to us and made us inherit the land, so that we may dwell in Paradise wherever we wish” (39:74).

Hamd is the foundation upon which spiritual light is built. It generates the inner strength required for striving on the path of Allah. It is praise for Allah’s divinity (ulūhiyyah), praise for the honor of servitude (ʿubūdiyyah), and a conscious awareness of both. This awareness becomes the driving force that propels a believer toward righteous deeds, which are the branches that grow from this foundation.

Reflecting on the reality of Hamd and cultivating a deep awareness of it purifies one’s perception, deepens understanding, and protects a person from blind imitation, spiritual desensitization, and the heedlessness that can result from habitual familiarity. Through Hamd, a believer remains connected to the fundamental realities of existence: that they are from Allah, belong to Allah, and are to live with Allah and for Allah.

The foundation for cultivating this awareness is remembrance (dhikr) and steadfast perseverance in it. Continual remembrance means keeping one’s Lord present in both the heart and the mind — as the Protector, the Trustee, the Watchful, the Witness, the Supporter, the All-Forgiving, and the Most Merciful.

2. Supplication (Duaa): It is remembered as the key that connected the people of Paradise to their Lord: “Indeed, we used to call upon Him before. Indeed, He alone is the Most Kind, the Most Merciful” (52:28). Supplication is the key to deliverance from distress, weakness, and helplessness. It is the gateway to strength, courage, and steadfastness through reliance upon Allah (tawakkul) and unwavering certainty in His promise.

The cycle of praise and supplication is completed by continually turning back to Allah (Inaba) through seeking His forgiveness (Istighfar) and sincere repentance (Tawbah). This ongoing return purifies and cleanses the heart, preventing darkness from taking root within it and protecting it from becoming covered with spiritual rust (Rān).

Second: The Regret of the People of Hell: After the profound regret of rejecting the truth — once it has become unmistakably clear to them — the greatest cause of the people of Hell’s remorse is the influence of intimate companionship. Such companionship opened the door to following base desires, made sin appear attractive in their eyes, and encouraged them to persist in turning away from the truth and showing ingratitude for Allah’s countless blessings.

From a psychological perspective, a close friend serves as a mirror of one’s inner self. Friendship is among the most influential forces in shaping character, directing behavior, and nurturing emotional and spiritual well-being. Human beings are social by nature, and the influence of close companions reaches deeply into the soul. It can strengthen or weaken one’s spiritual and psychological health, shape one’s identity and self-concept, satisfy the innate need for belonging, and protect against isolation. Friendship also serves as one of the most powerful means through which attitudes, habits, and values are transmitted.

For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “A person follows the religion of their close friend, so let each of you consider whom you befriend.” He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “Do not keep company except with a believer, and let none but a God-fearing person eat your food.” He also said, peace and blessings be upon him: “The believer is the mirror of another believer. The believer is the brother or sister of another believer: they protect them from loss and look after their interests in their absence.”

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Furqan that the wrongdoer who will bite their hands in regret will say: “Woe to me! I wish I had never taken so-and-so as a close friend” (25:28). Likewise, in Surat Al-Saffat, one of the people of Paradise will say: “'I once had a companion ˹in the world who used to say, “Are you indeed of those who believe, That when we have died and become dust and bones, we will indeed be recompensed?" He will ˹then˺ ask, “Would you care to see ˹his fate˺?” Then he ˹and the others˺ will look and spot him in the midst of the Hellfire. He will say, "By Allah, you almost ruined me'” (37:51–56).

If servants fill their hearts with praise, the strength to strive and hasten toward righteous deeds will grow within them. If their tongues remain constantly engaged in supplication — seeking deliverance from weakness, helplessness, the inclinations of the lower self, and the whispers of Satan — and if they keep the company of those who remind them of Allah, then their affairs will be set aright. They will follow the path of those to whom Allah (swt) has granted a light by which they walk. Indeed, they themselves will become a source of light.

Then, on the plains of the Day of Resurrection, they will witness this reality when the barrier is erected between the believers and the hypocrites. As the hypocrites plead with the believers to share some of their light, they will be told: “'Go back behind you and seek a light'” (57:13). In other words, return to the worldly life — for it was there that light was to be sought.

Today, while still in this world, every person has the opportunity to remedy their shortcomings. The deficiency that must be addressed is identified in the verses of Surat Al-Ḥadid: allowing the lower self (nafs) to prevail, a condition marked by false hope, self-delusion, and being deceived by worldly illusions. Allah says: “The tormented will cry out to those graced, 'Were we not with you?' They will reply, 'Yes ˹you were˺. But you chose to be tempted ˹by hypocrisy,˺ ˹eagerly˺ awaited ˹our demise,˺ doubted ˹the truth,˺ and were deluded by false hopes until Allah’s decree ˹of your death˺ came to pass. And ˹so˺ the Chief Deceiver deceived you about Allah'” (57:14).

The root of this disease is forgetting Allah’s blessings and, therefore, failing to praise Him, while also forgetting His promise and warning, and thus failing to fear Him and prepare for what lies ahead.