Verses 11–18
31. Luqman · Luqman
Makkan34 verses
هَٰذَا خَلْقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِى مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
31:11This is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created. Indeed, the wrongdoers are in manifest error!
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا لُقْمَٰنَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌۭ
31:12Certainly We gave Luqman wisdom, saying, ‘Give thanks to Allah; and whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful, [let him know that] Allah is indeed all-sufficient, all-laudable.’1
وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَٰنُ لِٱبْنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
31:13When Luqman said to his son, as he advised him: ‘O my son! Do not ascribe any partners to Allah. Polytheism is indeed a great injustice.’
وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍۢ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
31:14We have enjoined man concerning his parents: His mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the return.2
وَإِن جَٰهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًۭا ۖ وَٱتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَىَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
31:15But if they urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. Keep their company honourably in this world and follow the way of those who turn to Me penitently. Then to Me will be your return, whereat I will inform you concerning what you used to do.
يَٰبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍۢ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍۢ فَتَكُن فِى صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ أَوْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌۭ
31:16‘O my son! Even if it should be the weight of a mustard seed, and [even though] it should be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will produce it. Indeed Allah is all-attentive, all-aware.3
يَٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ
31:17O my son! Maintain the prayer and bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and be patient through whatever may befall you. That is indeed the steadiest of courses.
وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍۢ فَخُورٍۢ
31:18Do not turn your cheek away disdainfully from the people, and do not walk exultantly on the earth. Indeed Allah does not like any swaggering braggart.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 11
1.How nice is the style of argument that Allah has supplied the signs in nature and has given the proofs in the earth to the skies. If hypocrites are dependent on any other god, they should show the signs of nature of their own god and if they can’t, they should accept the truth and come to the right path.
Verse 12
2.Besides being a blessed verse of the Holy Quran, the biography of the wisdom of Luqman are found in the book of Sirat and history. For example he was a slave and his master asked all his slaves to pluck the fruits from the orchards. All the slaves ate the fruits but Luqman refused to eat. They all came back and complained against him. The master asked him. He said: Give them medicine of vomiting and make them vomit. The master did the same and the fruits, which were eaten unlawfully, came out from the belly and he became more honorable. It is true that one who eats unlawfully has to face disgrace and those who avoid unlawful things, Allah is the Protector of their honor.
Verse 17
3.The attitude of learned and wise people of today is surprising that have turned their face away from the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran mentions about the prayer and paying of the poor rate and commands and prohibitions of Allah are in the teachings of Luqman but they feel ashamed of their religion.
Verse 18
4.Amirul Momineen (a.s.) has stated in an eloquent statement, which is the lesson for the proud people. He says that no loneliness is more frightful than pride and no relationship is more vast than humility.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
According to some historians Luqman was a black slave, but Allah had made him highly knowledgeable. Here his ten advices are mentioned that mention both, belief and actions. And in their mention, he has advocated repeated thankfulness while disbelief is expressed as a past tense. Thus implying that repeated thankfulness is beneficial and even if disbelief occurs once it is sufficient for destruction.
- 1
Hazrat Luqman was the grandson of the brother of Ibrahim (a.s.) and the son of Hazrat Ayyub’s sister. He lived from the time of Hazrat Dawood upto the time of Hazrat Yunus (a.s.). Some people think that he was a prophet, other consider him to be a sagacious personality. The Holy Quran has clearly announced his wisdom. But there is no mention of Prophethood. Allah knows best.
- 2
It is not the summary of the will of Hazrat Luqman. It is used as a reference by Allah to state His advices. It was probably to show that goodness to parents and their obedience has no relation to polytheism. If they invite towards polytheism they must not be obeyed.
- 3
The commentators have argued that except for the heavens and the earth there is no place where stones are present. Some have searched for the stones in the atmosphere, and some below the earth. All these are farfetched things. Actually, it is the announcement of the knowledge of Allah, His power and His vastness. There is no need to search for any stone for it.