568) Section 1 ...

What we know is that the name of this Sura is Nur, and it is because of Nur verse, No. 35, which is one of the most conspicuous verses of the Sura. Furthermore, the content of the Sura is especially luminous. It grants men and women in families and societies the light of chastity and virginity. It gives tongues and speeches the light of piety and veracity.

It gives hearts and souls the light of monotheism, theism, belief in the resurrection, and resignation to the godly invitation of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). The first verse of the Sura concisely indicates all of the discussions in the Sura. It says: "(This is) a Sura which We have sent down and which We have enjoined, and in it We have sent down clear signs, so that you might remember." The Arabic word /surah/ is derived from the word /sur/, meaning the height of a building.

Then it was applied to the high walls that were built around cities for protecting against enemies' attacks. And since these walls separated city from the surrounding regions, this word gradually has been applied to a section or a part of something, including a section or piece of the Qur'an separated from the rest of it. Some philologists have also said that the word /surah/ is applied to high, beautiful, erected buildings as well as various parts of a big structure.

With the same proportion, it is applied to the various, parts of the Qur'an which are separated from each other.[^1] Anyway, this sentence refers to the fact that all ordinances and subjects of this Sura, including rules, rites, and doctrines, are extraordinarily important, because all of them have been sent down by Allah. Specially the sentence /faradnaha/ ("...We have ... which We have enjoined ...") emphasizes this meaning, considering that the meaning of the word /farada/ is 'assertion'.