In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
14-1 I, Allah, am the Seer. A Book which We have revealed to thee that thou mayest bring forth men, by their Lord’s permission, from darkness into light, to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One,a
الٓر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ (۱)
14-1a: ظُلُمات – For the meaning of ظُلمة or darkness and ظُلُمات see 2-17a. It is a word that describes lack of knowledge, polytheism and transgressions, just as by نور or light is meant the opposite of these conditions (R). So, the meaning of bringing forth from darkness to light is to take people out of all aspects of darkness, such as lack of knowledge, superstitions and corrupt beliefs, and to take them to light by imparting them with correct knowledge and right thinking. This goes to show that religion is in fact knowledge and not merely just accepting a few required principles.
The purpose of revealing the Quran is to take people out of darkness and to bring them into light. In other words, it is to remove superstition and ignorance and replace it with truthful knowledge and correct ideas. On the one hand, the similarity between the Holy Prophet and Moses is established by narrating in verse 14:5 that the task of Moses was also to take people out of darkness into light. On the other hand, by using the word ٱلنَّاسَ for the Holy Prophet and قَوْمَكَ for Moses, the distinction is established that whereas the mission of the Holy Prophet is for the whole world, the mission of Moses is for his nation only. The purpose of the mission of prophets is to forge a way to the Mighty, the Praised One and this indicates that these attributes will also develop in His worshippers.
14-2 Of Allah, Whose is whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And woe to the disbelievers for the severe chastisement!
ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍۢ شَدِيدٍ (۲)
14-3 Those who love this world’s life more than the Hereafter, and turn away from Allah’s path, and would have it crooked. Those are far astray.a
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا عَلَى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ (۳)
14-3a: يَسْتَحِبُّونَ – For حُبّ see 2:165a. اِسۡتِحباب means a person finds so much pleasure in a thing that the person endeavors to love it, but here by bringing عَلَى as a preposition, it creates a sense of preference or choosing (R), that is to prefer one thing over another or to love one thing more than the other. This shows that preferring the life of this world over the life of the Hereafter or to love it more than the life of the Hereafter is the trait of the disbelievers, and its outcome is what is described in this verse.
The worst shortcoming of the Muslims today is their preference of this world over the next. They have more concern for the benefits of the world rather than the benefits of religion and so they sacrifice the benefits of religion at the altar of the benefits of the world. The teaching of Islam is to sacrifice the benefits of this world for the benefit of religion. Today other nations undertake great acts of sacrifice for their national benefits but Muslims are lagging in this respect. The result is that other nations reap the benefit of their sacrifices. Unless the Muslims develop the spirit of sacrifice, they will not become a living nation.
14-4 And We sent no messenger but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly. Then Allah leaves in error whom He pleases and He guides whom He pleases. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.a
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ (۴)
14-4a: A common objection about the universal prophethood of the Holy Prophet and its reply: Christian critics contend that according to the rule established here, it follows that the Holy Prophet was sent only for the people of Arabia because his language was Arabic. According to them, this is a definitive conclusion. However, what is stated here is that every messenger is sent with the language of his people. It does not say that every messenger is only sent for his nation. These are two different things. Arabs were the Holy Prophet’s nation but his message was both for Arabs and non-Arabs as has repeatedly been stated in the Quran that he is sent كَآفَّةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ :for all mankind (34:28). There is also a hadith that the Holy Prophet’s ministry is both for اسود and احمر : black and ruddy complexioned people. It is true that previous messengers were sent only for a specific nation, as has been made clear after the narration of each messenger that he was sent الی قومه that is, to his nation. Similarly, it is stated for Jesus وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ :And (make him) a messenger to the Children of Israel (3:49), but nowhere in the Quran is it stated that the Holy Prophet is sent to the Arabs or only for his nation. On the contrary, this difference between the previous prophets and the Holy Prophet is made clear in this regard in the very first verse (14:1), for which see 14-3a. It is also true that the Holy Prophet prepared his nation to take his message to the rest of the world.
14-5 And certainly We sent Moses with Our messages, saying: Bring forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of Allah. In this are surely signs for every steadfast, grateful one.
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّىٰمِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍۢ شَكُورٍۢ (۵)
14-6 And when Moses said to his people: Call to mind Allah’s favor to you, when He delivered you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to severe torment, and slew your sons and spared your women. And therein was a great trial from your Lord.
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَىٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌۭ (۶)
Bayan-ul-Quran 