Laser and Hologram Mentioned In Quran , is Universe “real,” or a luminous projection?
Parable Of The God's Light
The Qur’an’s Discussion of Laser Light 1,400 Years Before Its Discovery
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
[An-Nūr: 35]
is among the Qur’anic passages that have long captivated exegetes and researchers throughout history.
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.” (An-Nūr 24:35, Sahih International)
With the development of optical and physical sciences in the twentieth century, some of its imagery can be mapped onto modern technologies such as the laser and the hologram, opening the door for a renewed scientific reading.
1. Laser: Monochromatic, Coherent, and Directed Light
A laser has three main properties:
Monochromatic (single wavelength).
Coherent (phase-consistent).
Collimated (highly directional).
Its components intersect remarkably with the expressions of the verse:
“A niche within which is a lamp” → the resonant cavity containing the active medium.
“The lamp in a glass” → the transparent medium sustaining the light.
“As if it were a shining star” → the glowing crystal that emits when excited.
“Lit from a blessed olive tree” → the energy source that powers the medium.
“Light upon light” → coherent amplification of photons, multiplying intensity and purity.
Of course, this is not the Light of Allah itself, but a worldly example of His Light.
Why would Allah choose laser-like light as an example of His Light?
Laser light is not just pure light; it is organized light with unique properties. Every photon travels in perfect harmony with the others, as if it were one connected ray.
These qualities reflect miraculous dimensions:
Purity and clarity: Just as the laser is free of noise, the divine Light is absolute, unblemished.
Harmony and coherence: All photons are in one phase, just as God’s Light establishes order in the universe without chaos.
Power and efficacy: Laser beams can cut steel though they are mere light; they can also heal and enable delicate surgery, advancing human civilization.
Thus the verse reveals the dual aspect of divine Light: light of guidance and mercy, and light of creative majesty capable of annihilating what He wills of creation — as in His words:
فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا
[الأعراف: 143]
“And when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it level, and Moses fell unconscious.” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:143, Sahih International)
2. The Verse of Light and the Hologram (A Deeper Philosophical and Cosmic Reading)
A hologram is not merely an optical technique; it is a profound scientific philosophy about the very nature of reality. It works on the principle of light interference: the reflected light from an object is stored as a precise interference pattern, and when illuminated with a laser, the full three-dimensional image appears. It is not just imaging but a simulation of reality itself.
Linking the verse to holography:
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.”
Just as a hologram is invisible unless illuminated by a true light source (usually a laser), existence itself depends upon the outpouring of divine Light. This “light” is not merely photons but the fundamental principle of being — the informational substrate of the cosmos.
“A niche within which is a lamp.”
The niche is the container of light, comparable to the holographic “plate” storing all information about the universe.
“The lamp in a glass.”
Holography requires a physical medium to store interference patterns. The glass represents the cosmic medium holding reality’s imprint in precise wave form.
“The glass as if it were a shining star.”
The medium is not passive; when lit, it gleams and reconstructs an entire three-dimensional scene.
“Light upon light.”
In holography, each pixel of the interference pattern contains information about the whole. The whole repeats in the parts — a fractal principle: light layered upon light, echo upon echo, without end.
The Hologram and the Universe
Modern physics suggests the holographic principle: the information of a three-dimensional universe may be stored on a two-dimensional boundary. This aligns strikingly with the Qur’anic imagery: the verse does not only describe illumination but encodes an informational cosmology where all reality is a manifestation of divine Light.
The Philosophical Dimension
Holography compels us to ask: is reality “real,” or a luminous projection?
The verse declares: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” What we call “reality” may be nothing but an eternal projection of divine consciousness. Just as the hologram manifests a convincing three-dimensional image from “nothing,” so too the universe may be a luminous display grounded in the higher divine order.
Conclusion
From the standpoint of applied physics: the laser is the closest analogy to the verse, describing light that is unique in purity and power.
From the standpoint of cosmic theory: the hologram offers a wider frame, resonating with modern views on the informational structure of the universe.
The verse reveals divine Light as unparalleled: guiding and merciful, yet majestic and capable of obliterating creation at will.
References for Further Reading
Siegman, A. E. Lasers. University Science Books, 1986.
Hariharan, P. Basics of Holography. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
’t Hooft, G. (1993). Dimensional Reduction in Quantum Gravity.
Susskind, L. (1995). The World as a Hologram.
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