The Concept of God as Light according to Imami Exegetes

There are various aspects to the matter of God as light and, therefore, itis difficult to explain Quranic verses in this regard. In Quran 24:35, Godis equated to light. This verse counts as a difficult verse of the Qurʾandue to the delicacy and subtlety of the topic, the suprarationality ofGod, and the fact that the Quranic verse is ambiguous (mutashābih).Since light is a creation of God, how might God be compared to acreation? This question has sparked a variety of explanations for thisverse. The ongoing development of ideas concerning this verse as wellas the puzzle of God’s comparison to light require an examination of theissue in greater detail. The present study examines and evaluates thehistorical evolution of Imami approaches to the topic. It also provides acomprehensive theory inclusive of the previous views and in keepingwith the context, exegetical narratives, and the meaning of light.