The Influence of Maybudī’s Interpretation of Sūrat al-Nūr , Verse 35, on the Conceptualization of Tajallī (Manifestation) in the Second Lumʿah of Lumaʿāt

Abstract The Qur’an has influenced Islamic mystical texts in various ways, including through its conceptual metaphors. Interpretations serve as the intermediary link in this process of influence. This study will examine the impact of Abul-Fażl Rashīd al-Dīn Maybudī’s interpretation of Sūrat al-Nūr , verse 35, on the conceptualization of tajallī (manifestation) in the second Lumʿah of Lumaʿāt , which was written by Fakhr al-Dīn al-ʿIrāqī (d. 1289). For the analysis, special attention will be paid to the context and central mapping within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Sūrat al-Nūr , verse 35, states: “Allāh is the light of the heavens and the earth.” Relying on a Hadith (saying) of the Prophet Muhammad, in which the creation of man is likened to the sprinkling of light on darkness, Maybudī used the metaphors of “rain of light” and “man is a plant” in his interpretation of this verse. Extending the metaphor introduced in Maybudī’s interpretation, ʿIrāqī explained the identification between existence, manifestation, and appearance through the conceptual metaphor of rainfall. The change in the central mapping influenced by the context and the emergence of complex concepts in the source domain during the process of interpretation has paved the way for the birth of new conceptual metaphors based on those in the Qur’an.