Isaiah 60:1-11

These verses from the Book of Isaiah indicate that the earth’s darkness will turn to light, and that this light will attract nations and kings to worship in a specific location. People will come to it from distant places. This applies only to one spot, which is Mecca, for it is the only place people travel to for worship. The phrase “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee” is a call from Allāh to the noble Ka‘bah in Mecca, the place where revelation descended upon the Prophet Muḥammad. The light of Islam shone there, and the glory of the Lord was exalted and became great, after idols were what people venerated.

His saying: “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” is a description of the state that the world was in before the Prophet Muḥammad called people to the worship of Allāh alone was in of ignorance and worship of idols and prophets.

In His saying: “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” clarifies that all nations will enter Islam, not just one nation, because the Prophet Muḥammad was sent by Allāh to all people. He accurately predicted that when nations and kings enter Islam, they will come to Mecca to perform the obligation of Ḥajj.

In His saying: “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee”, He confirms the verse before it, which is the coming of people to Mecca from around the world. This gathering will be at the Sacred House of Allāh (the Ka‘bah) in Mecca, because there is no place in the world where people gather to the same extent.

In His saying: “thy sons shall come from far”; in it is an indication of people coming from afar to perform the obligation of Ḥajj, which is the fifth pillar of the pillars of Islam. His saying: “and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side”; indicates the divine care and tenderness that will embrace them when they come to Mecca. This is the reality because Allāh the Almighty subjugated the Muslims to care for the pilgrims, whether on their way to Mecca, or after their arrival there. There, the pilgrims are respected by the people of Mecca and honored by them, and if a pilgrim falls ill, his money decreases, or a calamity strikes him, the people of Mecca advise each other to take care of him and assist him so he can perform his Ḥajj and return to his family.

His saying: “All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nabāyūt (Nebaioth) shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory”, contains an indication of the sheep that are driven to Mecca. Believers draw near to Allāh by slaughtering them during the season of Ḥajj and ‘Umrah. In His saying: “the rams of Nabāyūt (Nebaioth) shall minister unto thee”; Nebaioth is one of the sons of Ishmael, and is considered one of the tribes in the Torah, coming from the lineage of Ishmael. It is also known by the name Nabit, and it has been described as being one of the most prominent Arab tribes. Assyrian texts show the existence of Nebaioth as a strong tribe, and he was mentioned in the Book of Genesis as one of the sons of Ishmael.

In His saying: “they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory”, the phrase is consistent with what precedes it. The rams, or sheep, which are slaughtered in Mecca with the intention of drawing near to Allāh in the season of Ḥajj and ‘Umrah, are called ‘Hadi’.

His saying: “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles” describes the state of Mecca and the Sacred Mosque containing the noble Ka‘bah. Its gates are open day and night, not closed. Nations come to it from everywhere: the rich and the poor, the white and the black, kings and others. When they come, they bring travel expenses and goods they wish to sell; this is the wealth of the nations. Thus, everything mentioned in the Book of Isaiah (Chapter 60) pertains to the same glad tiding mentioned above. The chapter contains 22 verses.

It is worth mentioning that the Book of Isaiah (Chapter 60) speaks of a rise and renewal for the Children of Israel. The Prophet Isaiah prophesies therein that the light of Allāh has shone upon Zion. That nations and kings will gather in the brightness of Allāh’s light, that darkness has ended, and that oppression will cease, bringing the wealth of nations. It also indicates that kings will come from afar to worship Allāh.

In addition, this glad tiding is related to the glad tiding in Haggai (Chapter 2), which was discussed in Glad Tiding No. 1. 105