Revelation in Motion (19): The Fire Within – Living with a Burned-Out Conscience
“Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it lit up all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness, unable to see.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:17)
Before the Quran
Long before electricity, fire was more than warmth—it was life. It offered sight in the night, safety from predators, and hope in the dark. But fire also symbolized something deeper: awareness. The flicker of moral insight. A conscience that could still distinguish right from wrong.
But what happens when you light that fire... and then lose it?
When you start your journey with clarity, but then abandon it for comfort or pride?
Before the Quran, there was no language for this spiritual burnout. No way to describe someone who once saw—but now stumbles blindly.
After the Quran
Then this verse descended—suddenly, hauntingly.
It described a person who lit a fire. It illuminated everything. The truth was visible. The way forward was clear.
But instead of walking the path, they stopped. Hesitated.
And in that hesitation, the light was taken away—not the fire, but the light.
The fire may remain—burning with ambition, ego, or desire.
But without light, there is no direction.
The Quran captures this moment of tragic irony:
You once saw... and now you don’t.
You once believed... but you didn’t follow through.
And now you can’t even tell how lost you are.
Our World Today
It’s all around us.
People burn out—not because they lacked knowledge, but because they misused it.
We kindle fires of activism, spirituality, or self-help. We flood timelines with inspirational quotes and moral outrage.
But is it light... or just heat?
The danger isn’t in starting the fire.
It’s in walking away from the responsibility that comes with seeing.
The Mirror
Have I been shown the truth... only to ignore it?
Did the Quran ever touch me—then fade from my life?
Have I traded the light of revelation for the fire of opinion, emotion, or pride?
This verse isn’t just poetic. It’s a warning.
Because the scariest kind of darkness
…is the one that follows a brief moment of light.
Truth seen but not followed becomes judgment.
Guidance received but not honored becomes blindness.
So if you feel the flame of conscience flickering—feed it.
If you once saw and now feel lost—return.
Because light, unlike fire, doesn’t burn.
It only guides—if you’re willing to walk with it.
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