Among them are the vices of worship of material benefits...

Among them are the vices of worship of material benefits, egoism, enslavement to desires, and greed, which are considered to be personal and moral vices. Social vices like oppression and discrimination manifest the spiritual darkness of a society. In Arabic, the word zulm (injustice and oppression) is derived from the same root as zulmah (darkness), which shows that injustice is a form of social and spiritual darkness.

To struggle against such forms of darkness is the responsibility and mission of the Qur'an and other heavenly books. Addressing Prophet Musa (as), the Qur'an says: “That you may bring forth your people from the darkness into the light ...” (14:5) This darkness, this shadow, is the darkness of Fir’aun’s oppression and injustice and that of his clique. The light is the light of justice and freedom.

The exegetists of the Qur'an emphasize the point that whenever the Qur'an mentions darkness, it always uses it in the plural form although it always uses light in its singular form. This means that the word ‘darkness’ includes all sorts of darkness, all of the evil ways that lead towards darkness, and that ‘light’ signifies one single right path --the path of righteousness, whereas the ways of deviation and perversion are many.

In Suurat al-Baqarah, the Qur'an says: “God is the Protector of the believers; He brings them forth from the darkness into the light.

And the unbelievers --their protectors are taghut, that bring them forth from the light into the darkness ...” (2:257) Thus the Qur'an determines its goal to be the breaking of the chains of ignorance, misguidance, moral and social corruption and destruction, or in other words, to dissipate all sorts of ‘darkness’ and to guide humanity in the direction of ‘justice, goodness and light’. “This is a declaration for humankind, a guidance and admonition to those who ward off (evil)”.

(3:138) In other places, the Qur’an describes itself as under: “This is the book, in it is guidance for sure without doubt, to those who fear Allah”. (2:2) “They are invited to the book of Allah to settle their dispute”. (3:23) “We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) in truth so that you might judge between men as guided by Allah”. (4:105). “And this is a book which We have revealed as a blessing, so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy”. (6:155).

“A book revealed unto you, so that your heart be not in any difficulty on that account, (so that) with it you may warn (the sinful) and teach the believers”.