which is the shade, “and taught him knowledge from Our presence” [al-Kahf 18:65], which is radiance: that is, radiant unveiling, the most complete of unveilings.
We said that light is a veil because of his saying, blessings and peace be upon him, “Light—how could I see Him?” That is, sight cannot apprehend light, because it is too weak for it. Light is thus a veil over itself through itself. Radiance is otherwise. Radiance is the spirit of light, and radiance belongs to light intrinsically. The dominion of radiance is therefore an intrinsic dominion. The shining of the Essence is the divine names, so the dominion of radiance is the dominion of the names. The Qurʾan is radiance, and its dominion is what the Qurʾan makes manifest. Khidr’s knowledge in the time of Moses, peace be upon him, is one part of the sciences contained by the Muhammadan bearer of the Qurʾan. Through the Qurʾan all the sciences in the revealed books are unveiled, and it contains what they do not contain. Whoever is given the Qurʾan has been given the complete radiance that contains every science. He, exalted is He, said, “We have neglected nothing in the Book” [al-Anʿam 6:38]. It is the mighty Qurʾan to which “falsehood comes neither from before it nor from behind it” [Fussilat 41:42]. Through it Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, possesses comprehensive words. The sciences of the prophets and angels, and every tongue of knowledge, are contained in the Qurʾan, which makes them clear to the people of the Qurʾan by being radiance. It is light in respect of its essence, for it cannot be apprehended because of its inaccessibility, and it is radiance in respect of what
