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31: Luqman (Luqman)

Revealed at Makkah

The name of this chapter is taken from that of the Ethiopian sage, Luqmān, to whose story it refers. It deals with the following topics: success to be attained by the Muslims, wise advice of Luqmān to his son, now meant for Muslims, greatness of Divine power, and the doom of the mighty opponents of truth. Chapters 29 to 32 form one group revealed near the close of the early period at Makkah.

Section 1 (Verses 31:1–31:11): Believers will be Successful

31:1

الٓـمّٓ ۚ﴿۱﴾

I, Allah, am the Best Knower.

Note 31:1

For explanation, see 2:1 footnote.

31:2

تِلۡکَ اٰیٰتُ الۡکِتٰبِ الۡحَکِیۡمِ ۙ﴿۲﴾

These are the verses of the Book of Wisdom —

31:3

ہُدًی وَّ رَحۡمَۃً لِّلۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ۙ﴿۳﴾

a guidance and a mercy for the doers of good,

31:4

الَّذِیۡنَ یُقِیۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ یُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ ہُمۡ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ یُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ؕ﴿۴﴾

who keep up prayer and give the due charity and who are certain of the Hereafter.

31:5

اُولٰٓئِکَ عَلٰی ہُدًی مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمۡ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾

These are on a guidance from their Lord, and these are they who are successful.

31:6

وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یَّشۡتَرِیۡ لَہۡوَ الۡحَدِیۡثِ لِیُضِلَّ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ ٭ۖ وَّ یَتَّخِذَہَا ہُزُوًا ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ مُّہِیۡنٌ ﴿۶﴾

And among people is he who takes, instead, frivolous discourse to lead astray from Allah’s path without knowledge, and to make it a mockery. For such is a humiliating punishment.

Note 31:6

It is a mistake to think that a particular person is meant here. The statement is general and applies to all those who take the Quran for a mockery.

31:7

وَ اِذَا تُتۡلٰی عَلَیۡہِ اٰیٰتُنَا وَلّٰی مُسۡتَکۡبِرًا کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ یَسۡمَعۡہَا کَاَنَّ فِیۡۤ اُذُنَیۡہِ وَقۡرًا ۚ فَبَشِّرۡہُ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِیۡمٍ ﴿۷﴾

And when Our messages are recited to him, he turns back proudly, as if he had not heard them, as if there were deafness in his ears; so announce to him a painful punishment.

31:8

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَہُمۡ جَنّٰتُ النَّعِیۡمِ ۙ﴿۸﴾

Those who believe and do good, for them are Gardens of bliss,

31:9

خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَا ؕ وَعۡدَ اللّٰہِ حَقًّا ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۹﴾

to abide therein. A promise of Allah in truth! And He is the Mighty, the Wise.

31:10

خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ بِغَیۡرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوۡنَہَا وَ اَلۡقٰی فِی الۡاَرۡضِ رَوَاسِیَ اَنۡ تَمِیۡدَ بِکُمۡ وَ بَثَّ فِیۡہَا مِنۡ کُلِّ دَآبَّۃٍ ؕ وَ اَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَنۡۢبَتۡنَا فِیۡہَا مِنۡ کُلِّ زَوۡجٍ کَرِیۡمٍ ﴿۱۰﴾

He created the heavens without pillars that you can see, and cast mountains on the earth in case it should quake with you, and He spread on it animals of every kind. And We send down water from the clouds, then cause to grow in it (vegetation) of every noble kind.

Note 31:10

See 16:15 footnote.

31:11

ہٰذَا خَلۡقُ اللّٰہِ فَاَرُوۡنِیۡ مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ ؕ بَلِ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ ﴿٪۱۱﴾

This is Allah’s creation; now show Me what those besides Him have created. No, the unjust are in manifest error.

Section 2 (Verses 31:12–31:19): Luqman’s Advice to his Son

31:12

وَ لَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا لُقۡمٰنَ الۡحِکۡمَۃَ اَنِ اشۡکُرۡ لِلّٰہِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّشۡکُرۡ فَاِنَّمَا یَشۡکُرُ لِنَفۡسِہٖ ۚ وَ مَنۡ کَفَرَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَنِیٌّ حَمِیۡدٌ ﴿۱۲﴾

And certainly We gave Luqmān wisdom, saying: Give thanks to Allah. And whoever is thankful, is thankful for the good of his own soul; and whoever denies, then surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praised.

Note 31:12

From what is stated of him, Luqmān seems to have been an Ethiopian. It is very probable that the Greek “Æsop” is a corruption of “Ethiopian” and is identical with Luqmān. The Quran accepts many prophets besides those mentioned in the Bible.

31:13

وَ اِذۡ قَالَ لُقۡمٰنُ لِابۡنِہٖ وَ ہُوَ یَعِظُہٗ یٰبُنَیَّ لَا تُشۡرِکۡ بِاللّٰہِ ؕؔ اِنَّ الشِّرۡکَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۳﴾

And when Luqmān said to his son, while he instructed him: My son, set up no partner with Allah. Surely setting up partners (with Him) is a grievous wrong.

31:14

وَ وَصَّیۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ بِوَالِدَیۡہِ ۚ حَمَلَتۡہُ اُمُّہٗ وَہۡنًا عَلٰی وَہۡنٍ وَّ فِصٰلُہٗ فِیۡ عَامَیۡنِ اَنِ اشۡکُرۡ لِیۡ وَ لِوَالِدَیۡکَ ؕ اِلَیَّ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۱۴﴾

And We have enjoined on man concerning his parents — his mother bears him with faintings upon faintings and his weaning takes two years — saying: Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the eventual coming.

Note 31:14

Verses 14 and 15 are parenthetical, enjoining the duty of obedience to parents, because it is a parent who is advising his son.

31:15

وَ اِنۡ جَاہَدٰکَ عَلٰۤی اَنۡ تُشۡرِکَ بِیۡ مَا لَیۡسَ لَکَ بِہٖ عِلۡمٌ ۙ فَلَا تُطِعۡہُمَا وَ صَاحِبۡہُمَا فِی الدُّنۡیَا مَعۡرُوۡفًا ۫ وَّ اتَّبِعۡ سَبِیۡلَ مَنۡ اَنَابَ اِلَیَّ ۚ ثُمَّ اِلَیَّ مَرۡجِعُکُمۡ فَاُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۵﴾

And if they strive to make you set up partners with Me, of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, and keep kindly company with them in this world, and follow the way of him who turns to Me; then to Me is your return, then I shall inform you of what you did.

Note 31:15

Despite the great stress that the Quran lays on the duty of obedience to parents, it also warns against attaching undue importance to that duty when the same clashes with a still higher duty, namely, duty to one’s Maker. In fact any duty, however great, must be sacrificed before a higher duty, and one’s duty to one’s Maker is the highest of all duties.

31:16

یٰبُنَیَّ اِنَّہَاۤ اِنۡ تَکُ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّۃٍ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٍ فَتَکُنۡ فِیۡ صَخۡرَۃٍ اَوۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ اَوۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ یَاۡتِ بِہَا اللّٰہُ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَطِیۡفٌ خَبِیۡرٌ ﴿۱۶﴾

My son, even if it is the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, even though it were in a rock, or in the heaven or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware.

31:17

یٰبُنَیَّ اَقِمِ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اۡمُرۡ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَ انۡہَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡکَرِ وَ اصۡبِرۡ عَلٰی مَاۤ اَصَابَکَ ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ الۡاُمُوۡرِ ﴿ۚ۱۷﴾

My son, keep up prayer and enjoin good and forbid evil, and bear patiently whatever befalls you. Surely this is a matter of great resolution.

31:18

وَ لَا تُصَعِّرۡ خَدَّکَ لِلنَّاسِ وَ لَا تَمۡشِ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ مَرَحًا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُحِبُّ کُلَّ مُخۡتَالٍ فَخُوۡرٍ ﴿ۚ۱۸﴾

And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exultingly. Surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster.

31:19

وَ اقۡصِدۡ فِیۡ مَشۡیِکَ وَ اغۡضُضۡ مِنۡ صَوۡتِکَ ؕ اِنَّ اَنۡکَرَ الۡاَصۡوَاتِ لَصَوۡتُ الۡحَمِیۡرِ ﴿٪۱۹﴾

And pursue the right course in your going about and lower your voice. Surely the most hateful of voices is braying of donkeys.

Note 31:19

Humility and meekness were taught by every prophet. An Ethiopian too preached the meekness and humility which was preached by Jesus.

Section 3 (Verses 31:20–31:30): Greatness of Divine Power

31:20

اَلَمۡ تَرَوۡا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ سَخَّرَ لَکُمۡ مَّا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ اَسۡبَغَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ نِعَمَہٗ ظَاہِرَۃً وَّ بَاطِنَۃً ؕ وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یُّجَادِلُ فِی اللّٰہِ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ وَّ لَا ہُدًی وَّ لَا کِتٰبٍ مُّنِیۡرٍ ﴿۲۰﴾

Do you not see that Allah has made subservient to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and granted to you His favours complete outwardly and inwardly? And some people dispute about Allah without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light.

Note 31:20

The words are meant as well for Muslims. So long as they adhered to the Book giving light they continued to advance in the world, and they will again lead the world when they place the Book giving light in the forefront.