The Second: The substitution of the active participle by the verbal noun.

in which is an allusion to the fact that the light of guidance has been embodied and become the very substance of the Qur'an. Like if the colour red is embodied, it becomes carmine.¹

The Third: The use of the indefinite for "guidance (hudan)," which alludes to the infinite subtlety of the Qur'an's guidance, the essence of which is unfathomable, and to its utmost breadth, which is unencompassa-ble by knowledge. For the indefinite infers either subtlety and concealment, or unencompassable breadth. It is because of this that it is used sometimes to disparage and sometimes to exalt.

The Fourth: The conciseness of "for those who fear Allâh (li'l-muttaqîn)" which is used instead of a longer phrase like "the people who have become pious through the Qur'an," indicates the result rather than what precedes it (al-majâz al-awwal), and points to the fruits of guidance and its effects. This hints at the argument from effect to cause (al-burhân al-innî) for the existence of guidance. So the listener in one century has the evidence of preceding centuries, just as he will be evidence for those that succeed him.

• If you were to ask: How can eloquence that is beyond human power be born of these few points?

You would be told: A great mystery lies in mutual assistance and union. For by virtue of the mystery of reflection, when three beautiful things come together, they become five; and five become ten; and ten become forty. For in each is a sort of reflection and it represents [the beauty] to a degree. Like there appear to be many mirrors when two mirrors are put face to face; or if you shine a lamp at them, the reflection of its rays will increase the light. Similar to this is the combining of a number of points. It is also due to this mystery that you will see that the beautiful and the accomplished all have a natural inclination to join with others similar to them so as to increase their beauty. Stones even, despite their being only stones, incline towards their brothers on leaving the builder's hand for their places in a domed roof, and bow their heads to touch those of their brothers and holding all together, they do not fall. The human being then who fails to perceive this mystery of mutual assistance is more lifeless than a stone, for some stones are such they bend over backwards to co-operate with their brothers!

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¹ A topical allusion in so far as this commentary was written immediately before and during the early part of the First World War, for carmine was the colour adopted by and symbolic of the Armenians. It was obtained from cochineal, the pressed dried bodies of insects. See, Nursi, Ishârât al-I'jâz [Ihsan Qasim], 48.