Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 31
لقمان
Luqman, the name of a wise man
Makkah wanted better stories. This surah answers with a father talking to his son.
34 ayat, Makkan, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Makkah
People are curious about the Qur'an. Some listen in secret.
A merchant comes home with tales of Persian kings, and draws them away.
Those who stay away say: we follow what our fathers did.
Journey map
Luqmān 31:6After the wise Book, the man who buys distraction.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمࣲ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣰ مُّهِينࣰ ٦
6 And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allāh without knowledge and who takes it [i.e., His way] in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.
The story behind it
Reports name the merchant: al-Nadr ibn al-Harith. Muhammad tells you of lost Arab tribes, he says. I will tell you of Rustam and the kings of Persia. His tales ask nothing of anyone.
Luqmān 31:11After the sky and the earth, a challenge to Makkah.
هَٰذَا خَلۡقُ ٱللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦۚ بَلِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ فِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينࣲ ١١
11 This is the creation of Allāh. So show Me what those other than Him have created. Rather, the wrongdoers are in clear error.
Luqmān 31:12Then the surah brings a storyteller of its own.
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَٰنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِۚ وَمَن يَشۡكُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدࣰ ١٢
12 And We had certainly given Luqmān wisdom [and said], "Be grateful to Allāh." And whoever is grateful is grateful for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever denies [His favor] - then indeed, Allāh is Free of need and Praiseworthy.
Where scholars differ
The Qur'an gives only his name. Most early scholars said: a wise man, not a prophet. Reports make him a black African, several a slave. Some say he was a judge among the Children of Israel.
A story told about him
His master asks for the two best parts of a sheep. Luqman brings the tongue and the heart. Later: the two worst. The tongue and the heart again. Nothing is better when good, he says, or worse when bad.
Luqmān 31:13His first words to his son.
وَإِذۡ قَالَ لُقۡمَٰنُ لِٱبۡنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَٰبُنَيَّ لَا تُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمࣰ ١٣
13 And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Luqmān said to his son while he was instructing him, "O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allāh. Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice."
The connection
Another ayah promised safety to those who never mix faith with wrong. The Companions worried: who has never done wrong? The Prophet ﷺ answered with Luqman's line. The wrong meant is worshipping others beside Allah.
Luqmān 31:14Then Allah's own voice cuts in, about parents.
وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ حَمَلَتۡهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهۡنًا عَلَىٰ وَهۡنࣲ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ فِي عَامَيۡنِ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيۡكَ إِلَيَّ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ١٤
14 And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.
The story behind it
Sa'd becomes a Muslim. His mother refuses food until he gives it up. Two days pass. He will not, and tells her so. She eats. The ayah sent about him says: do not obey in this, and stay kind.
Luqmān 31:16Luqman takes up his advice again.
يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةࣲ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلࣲ فَتَكُن فِي صَخۡرَةٍ أَوۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ أَوۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَأۡتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرࣰ ١٦
16 [And Luqmān said], "O my son, indeed if it [i.e., a wrong] should be the weight of a mustard seed and should be within a rock or [anywhere] in the heavens or in the earth, Allāh will bring it forth. Indeed, Allāh is Subtle and Aware.
How translators put it
The Arabic says only "it". One translation adds "a wrong", the other "a deed". Read one way, nothing bad stays hidden. Read the other way, no small good done unseen is lost.
Luqmān 31:17Four instructions. The last is to be patient.
يَٰبُنَيَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَٱنۡهَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأُمُورِ ١٧
17 O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] resolve.
A closer look
Ibn Kathir: Luqman knew that anyone who tells people to do right and stop doing wrong will get trouble for it. So he told his son, in the same breath, to bear it.
Luqmān 31:18Then the advice comes down to the face and the feet.
وَلَا تُصَعِّرۡ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَحًاۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالࣲ فَخُورࣲ ١٨
18 And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allāh does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.
The word
A disease locks a camel's neck to one side. The verb for turning the cheek comes from it. It pictures someone who meets people with his face turned off at an angle.
Luqmān 31:19The advice ends with the walk and the voice.
وَٱقۡصِدۡ فِي مَشۡيِكَ وَٱغۡضُضۡ مِن صَوۡتِكَۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلۡأَصۡوَٰتِ لَصَوۡتُ ٱلۡحَمِيرِ ١٩
19 And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys."
Luqmān 31:21Back to Makkah, and what its own fathers handed down.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَنَآۚ أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ يَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ ٢١
21 And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers." Even if Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze?
Luqmān 31:25The idol worshippers of Makkah were not strangers to Allah.
وَلَئِن سَأَلۡتَهُم مَّنۡ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُۚ قُلِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٥
25 And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "[All] praise is [due] to Allāh"; but most of them do not know.
A closer look
Makkah's idol worshippers agreed that Allah made the heavens and the earth. The argument was never whether there is a Creator. It was why anything else was worshipped beside Him.
Luqmān 31:27How far does His knowledge reach? One image.
وَلَوۡ أَنَّمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقۡلَٰمࣰ وَٱلۡبَحۡرُ يَمُدُّهُۥ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ سَبۡعَةُ أَبۡحُرࣲ مَّا نَفِدَتۡ كَلِمَٰتُ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمࣰ ٢٧
27 And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allāh would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
The image
Seven more seas of ink. Ibn Kathir: seven here means a great many, not seven oceans on a map. The pens would break and the ink run dry. What people know is small beside what there is to know.
A scene at sea
Waves rise over the ship like canopies. Everyone on board calls on Allah alone. Then they reach land. Only some keep to a middle course, ayah 32 says. On what that means, the commentators differ.
Luqmān 31:33The surah of a father and son ends here.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡاْ يَوۡمࣱا لَّا يَجۡزِي وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِۦ وَلَا مَوۡلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِۦ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣰّۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡغَرُورُ ٣٣
33 O mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allāh by the Deceiver [i.e., Satan].
The word
Arabic has a word for child that includes grandchildren. This ayah uses another: "the one born to him". Ma'ariful Qur'an: if even he cannot help, nobody further off will.
Luqmān 31:34The last ayah: five things.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡغَيۡثَ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسࣰ مَّاذَا تَكۡسِبُ غَدࣱاۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسُۢ بِأَيِّ أَرۡضࣲ تَمُوتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرُۢ ٣٤
34 Indeed, Allāh [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.
A closer look
The ayah says He sends the rain and knows what is in the wombs. Commentators separate complete knowledge, held by Allah alone, from partial information reached through some means.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
Makkah wanted better stories. This surah answers with a father talking to his son.