Al-Nur al-Muhammadi — The Muhammadan Light: Prophet as Cosmic Principle in Islamic Mysticism and Ismaili Theology

The Scriptural Basis

Hadith of the creation of the Muhammadan Light: Multiple hadith transmissions record: “The first thing Allah created was my light” — or in another version: “The first thing Allah created was the Pen; and when He created it He said to it: Write. It said: What shall I write? He said: Write what is and what will be.” — traditions that scholars read as pointing to the pre-existence of Muhammadan reality.

Quran 33:46: The Prophet is described as “sirajam munira” — an illuminating lamp. Classical tafsir reads this not merely as a metaphor but as a statement about the Prophet’s light-nature.

Quran 5:15: “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.” — some scholars read “light” (nur) as referring to the Prophet and “clear Book” as the Quran; others read both as referring to the Quran.

The Sufi Development

In classical Sufi theology, the Nur Muhammadi (also called al-Haqiqa al-Muhammadiyya — the Muhammadan Reality) is:

1. The first emanation from Allah’s will — the primordial light before all creation
2. The spiritual substrate of all prophethood — all prophets accessed divine guidance through this light
3. The eternal dimension of Muhammad that transcends his historical person
4. The model of perfect human reality that every mu’min strives to embody

Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 1240 CE) developed this most extensively in his Fusus al-Hikam — placing the Muhammadan Reality as the logos of creation.

The Ismaili Cosmological Reading

In Ismaili theology, the Nur Muhammadi maps onto the cosmological hierarchy with precision:

• Allah’s creative word (kun — “Be”) generates the First Intellect (‘Aql al-Awwal)
• The First Intellect is the cosmic archetype of the Prophet — the light of prophetic knowledge
• The Prophet’s physical birth was the historical appearance of the First Intellect in the world
• After the Prophet’s death, the Imam continues to carry this Nur — the Muhammadan Light does not leave the world but passes through the chain of Imams

This is why in Ismaili du’a, the Prophet and the Imam are mentioned together — they share the same Nur in its historical sequence.

See also: Prophet Muhammad, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Al Aql, Al Ghazali, Tawhid Divine Unity, Sulook, Al Burdah