What is the 'illuminating lamp' mentioned in Surah Al-Ahzab?

Question

What is the 'illuminating lamp' mentioned in Surah Al-Ahzab(The Clans)?

O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.(33:45)

And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp. (33:46)

Is it the Quran?

Answer 1

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is being referred to as that lamp (Siraajan-Muneeraa).

Imam At-Tabari says in his Tafseer of Al-Ahzaab:46:

{ وَسِرَاجاً مُنِـيراً } يقول: وضياء لـخـلقه يستضيء بـالنور الذي أتـيتهم به من عند الله عبـاده
{ مُنِـيراً } يقول: ضياء ينـير لـمن استضاء بضوئه، وعمل بـما أمره. وإنـما يعنـي بذلك، أنه يهدي به من اتبعه من أمته.

[Qatadah] said (about Siraajan-Muneeraa):
And he is a light for Allah's creation, illuminating with the light which [Prophet Muhammad] has come with from Allah to His servants

And he said (about Muneeraa):
A lamp that illuminates those who seek to be enlightened by its light, and perform what they have been commanded to do.

And what is meant by that is that he guides whoever follows him from his Ummah.

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And Ibn Al-Jawzi says something similar:

{ وسراجاً منيراً } أي: أنت لِمَن اتَّبعك { سراجاً } ، أي: كالسِّراج المضيء في الظلمة يُهتدى به.

It means that you (i.e. Muhammad) are a lamp for those who follow you; in other words like a lamp that acts as a guiding light in the darkness.

Answer 2

According to Ibn Katheer,

and as a lamp spreading light

means, `the Message that you bring is as clear as the sun shining brightly, and no one can deny it except those who are stubborn.'

Answer 3

Well, it seems like the verse illuminating lamp is a word by word translation to English. It also seems to refer to the Prophet.

In arabic that is more a metaphor, as explained in the tafsirs:

Tabari:

يقول: ضياء ينـير لـمن استضاء بضوئه، وعمل بـما أمره. وإنـما يعنـي بذلك، أنه يهدي به من اتبعه من أمته
The meaning of that is that he guides with it (his light) the one who follows him.

Razi:

أي مبرهناً على ما يقول مظهراً له بأوضح الحجج

Qurtubi (in arabic) also adds some more explanation about the term.