Surah 2 Al-Baqara — Ayah 257
ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّٰغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
Allah je zaštitnik onih koji vjeruju, izvodi ih iz tmina na svjetlo, a onima koji ne vjeruju zaštitnici su taguti, odvode ih sa svjetla u tmine! To su stanovnici Vatre i u njoj će vječno ostati.
al-lahu waliyyu alladhīna āmanū yukh'rijuhum mina l-ẓulumāti ilā l-nūri wa-alladhīna kafarū awliyāuhumu l-ṭāghūtu yukh'rijūnahum mina l-nūri ilā l-ẓulumāti ulāika aṣḥābu l-nāri hum fīhā khālidūna
Word by word
- ٱللَّهُ al-lahu Allah
- وَلِىُّ waliyyu (is the) Protecting Guardian
- ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna (of) those who
- ءَامَنُوا۟ āmanū believe[d]
- يُخْرِجُهُم yukh'rijuhum He brings them out
- مِّنَ mina from
- ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ l-ẓulumāti [the] darkness
- إِلَى ilā towards
- ٱلنُّورِ ۖ l-nūri [the] light
- وَٱلَّذِينَ wa-alladhīna And those who
- كَفَرُوٓا۟ kafarū disbelieve(d)
- أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ awliyāuhumu their guardians
- ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ l-ṭāghūtu (are) the evil ones
- يُخْرِجُونَهُم yukh'rijūnahum they bring them out
- مِّنَ mina from
- ٱلنُّورِ l-nūri the light
- إِلَى ilā towards
- ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ ۗ l-ẓulumāti [the] darkness
- أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ulāika Those
- أَصْحَـٰبُ aṣḥābu (are the) companions
- ٱلنَّارِ ۖ l-nāri (of) the Fire
- هُمْ hum they
- فِيهَا fīhā in it
- خَـٰلِدُونَ khālidūna will abide forever
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Allah stated that whoever follows what pleases Him, He will guide him to the paths of peace, that is Islam, or Paradise. Verily, Allah delivers His believing servants from the darkness of disbelief, doubt and hesitation, to the light of the plain, clear, explained, easy and unequivocal truth. He also stated that Shaytan is the supporter of the disbelievers who beautifies the paths of ignorance and misguidance that they follow, thus causing them to deviate from the true path into disbelief and wickedness.
(Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.)
This is why Allah mentioned the light in the singular while mentioned the darkness in the plural, because truth is one, while disbelief comes as several types, all of which are false. Similarly, Allah said,
(And verily, this is my straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may have Taqwa) 6:153,
(And originated the darknesses and the light) 6:1, and,
(to the right and to the lefts) 16: 48
There are many other Ayat on the subject that mention the truth in the singular and falsehood in the plural, because of falsehood's many divisions and branches.