Tafsir Surah Luqman ayah 13 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Ayah

Word by Word

وَإِذۡ قَالَ لُقۡمَٰنُ لِٱبۡنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ

وَإِذۡ

And when

قَالَ

said

لُقۡمَٰنُ

Luqman

لِٱبۡنِهِۦ

to his son

وَهُوَ

while he

يَعِظُهُۥ

(was) instructing him

يَٰبُنَيَّ

O my son!

لَا

(Do) not

تُشۡرِكۡ

associate partners

بِٱللَّهِۖ

with Allah

إِنَّ

Indeed

ٱلشِّرۡكَ

associating partners

لَظُلۡمٌ

(is) surely an injustice

عَظِيمٞ

great

وَإِذۡ

And when

قَالَ

said

لُقۡمَٰنُ

Luqman

لِٱبۡنِهِۦ

to his son

وَهُوَ

while he

يَعِظُهُۥ

(was) instructing him

يَٰبُنَيَّ

O my son!

لَا

(Do) not

تُشۡرِكۡ

associate partners

بِٱللَّهِۖ

with Allah

إِنَّ

Indeed

ٱلشِّرۡكَ

associating partners

لَظُلۡمٌ

(is) surely an injustice

عَظِيمٞ

great

Translation

Behold, Luqman said to his son by way of instruction: "O my son! join not in worship (others) with Allah: for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing."

Tafsir

And, mention, when Luqmaan said to his son, when he was admonishing him, 'O my son (yaa bunayya is an affectionate diminutive [of yaa ibnee]) do not ascribe partners to God: idolatry is truly a tremendous wrong', so return to him [in repentance] and submit [to Him].

Luqman

The Salaf differed over the identity of Luqman; there are two opinions:

was he a Prophet or

just a righteous servant of Allah without the Prophethood.

The majority favored the latter view, that he was a righteous servant of Allah without being a Prophet.

Sufyan Ath-Thawri said, narrating from Al-Ash`ath, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas,

Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who was a carpenter.

Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr said,

I said to Jabir bin Abdullah:`What did you hear about Luqman?'

He said:`He was short with a flat nose, and came from Nubia.'

Yahya bin Sa`id Al-Ansari narrated from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib that

Luqman was from the black peoples of (southern) Egypt, and had thick lips. Allah gave him wisdom but withheld Prophethood from him.

Al-Awza`i said,

Abdur-Rahman bin Harmalah told me; `A black man came to Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib to ask him a question, and Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said to him:

Do not be upset because you are black, for among the best of people were three who were black:Bilal, Mahja` the freed slave of Umar bin Al-Khattab, and Luqman the Wise, who was a black Nubian with thick lips.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Khalid Ar-Raba`i said:

Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who was a carpenter. His master said to him, `Slaughter this sheep for us,' so he slaughtered it.

(His master) said:`Bring the best two pieces from it,' so he brought out the tongue and the heart.

Then time passed, as much as Allah willed, and (his master) said:`Slaughter this sheep for us,' so he slaughtered it.

(His master) said, `Bring the worst two morsels from it,' so he brought out the tongue and the heart.

His master said to him, `I told you to bring out the best two pieces, and you brought these, then I told you to bring out the worst two pieces, and you brought these!'

Luqman said,

`There is nothing better than these if they are good, and there is nothing worse than these if they are bad.'

Shu`bah narrated from Al-Hakam, from Mujahid,

Luqman was a righteous servant, but he was not a Prophet.

Allah's saying:

وَلَقَدۡ اتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَانَ الۡحِكۡمَةَ

And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman Al-Hikmah,

means, understanding, knowledge and eloquence.

أَنِ اشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِ

saying:Give thanks to Allah.

means, `We commanded him to give thanks to Allah for the blessings and favors that Allah had given to him alone among his people and contemporaries.'

Then Allah says:

وَمَن يَشۡكُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِ

And whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) himself.

meaning, the benefit of that will come back to him, and Allah's reward is for those who give thanks, as He says:

وَمَنۡ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلًّنفُسِهِمۡ يَمۡهَدُونَ

and whosoever does righteous good deeds, then such will prepare a good place for themselves. (30:44)

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

And whoever is unthankful, then verily, Allah is Rich, Worthy of all praise.

He has no need of His servants and He will not be harmed by that, even if all the people of the earth were to disbelieve, for He has no need of anything or anyone besides Himself.

There is no God but He, and we worship none but Him

Luqman's Advice to His Son

Allah says:

وَإِذۡ قَالَ لُقۡمَانُ لاِإبۡنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَا بُنَيَّ لَاإ تُشۡرِكۡ بِاللَّهِ

And when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him:O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah.

Allah tells us how Luqman advised his son. His full name was Luqman bin `Anqa' bin Sadun, and his son's name was Tharan, according to a saying quoted by As-Suhayli.

Allah describes him in the best terms, and states that he granted him wisdom. Luqman advised his son, the closest and most beloved of all people to him, who deserved to be given the best of his knowledge. So, Luqman started by advising him to worship Allah Alone, and not to associate anything with Him.

Then he warned him:

إِنَّ الشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ

Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.

meaning, it is the greatest wrong.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abdullah said:

When the Ayah

الَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ وَلَمۡ يَلۡبِسُواۡ إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلۡمٍ

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm) (6:82) was revealed, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah were distressed by this, and said,

`Who among us does not confuse his belief with Zulm!'

The Messenger of Allah said:

إِنَّهُ لَيۡسَ بِذَاكَ أَلَا تَسۡمَعُ إِلَى قَوۡلِ لُقۡمَانَ

That is not what it means. Have you not heard what Luqman said:

يَا بُنَيَّ لَاا تُشۡرِكۡ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ

(O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed)

It was recorded by Muslim.

When Luqman advised his son to worship Allah Alone, he also told him to honor his parents. This is like the Ayah,

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعۡبُدُواۡ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالۡوَلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـناً

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. (17:23)

These two things are often mentioned together in the Qur'an.

Allah says here

وَوَصَّيۡنَا الاِۡنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيۡهِ حَمَلَتۡهُ أُمُّهُ وَهۡنًا عَلَى وَهۡنٍ

And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship,

Mujahid said:The hardship of bearing the child.

Qatadah said:Exhaustion upon exhaustion.

Ata' Al-Khurasani said:Weakness upon weakness.

وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيۡنِ

and his weaning is in two years,

means, after he is born, he is breastfed and weaned within two years.

This is like the Ayah,

وَالۡوَلِدَتُ يُرۡضِعۡنَ أَوۡلَـدَهُنَّ حَوۡلَيۡنِ كَامِلَيۡنِ لِمَنۡ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ

The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, for those who desire to complete the term of suckling. (2:233)

On this basis, Ibn Abbas and other Imams understood that the shortest possible period of pregnancy was six months, because Allah says elsewhere:

وَحَمۡلُهُ وَفِصَـلُهُ ثَلَثُونَ شَهۡراً

and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months (46:15).

Allah mentions how the mother brings the child up, and how she gets tired and suffers stress from staying up with the child night and day, to remind the son of her previous kind treatment of him.

This is like the Ayah,

وَقُل رَّبِّ ارۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

and say:My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young. (17:24)

Allah says here:

أَنِ اشۡكُرۡ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيۡكَ إِلَيَّ الۡمَصِيرُ

give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.

means, `I will reward you most generously for that.

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَن تُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلۡمٌ فَلَإ تُطِعۡهُمَا

But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not;

means, if they try hard to make you follow them in their religion, then do not accept that from them, but do not let that stop you from behaving with them in the world kindly, i.e. treating them with respect.

وَصَاحِبۡهُمَا فِي الدُّنۡيَا مَعۡرُوفًا

but behave with them in the world kindly,

وَاتَّبِعۡ سَبِيلَ مَنۡ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ

and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience.

means, the believers.

ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأُنَبِّيُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.

At-Tabarani recorded in Al-Ishrah that Sa`d bin Malik said,

This Ayah,

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَن تُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلۡمٌ فَلَإ تُطِعۡهُمَا

(But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not;) was revealed concerning me.

I was a man who honored his mother, but when I became Muslim, she said:

`O Sa`d! What is this new thing I see you doing Leave this religion of yours, or I will not eat or drink until I die, and people will say:Shame on you, for what you have done to me, and they will say that you have killed your mother.'

I said, `Do not do that, O mother, for I will not give up this religion of mine for anything.'

She stayed without eating for one day and one night, and she became exhausted; then she stayed for another day and night without eating, and she became utterly exhausted.

When I ﷺ that, I said:`O my mother, by Allah, even if you had one hundred souls and they were to depart one by one, I would not give up this religion of mine for anything, so if you want to, eat, and if you want to, do not eat.'

So she ate.

This is useful advice which Allah tells us Luqman gave, so that people may follow it and take it as a good example.

He said:

يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّهَا إِن تَكُ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٍ

O my son!

If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed,

means, if a wrong action or a sin be equal to the size of a grain of mustard seed.

...

فَتَكُن فِي صَخۡرَةٍ أَوۡ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ أَوۡ فِي الاَۡرۡضِ

and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or on the earth, Allah will bring it forth.

...

يَأۡتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ

Allah will bring it forth.

means, He will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, when it is placed in the Scales of justice and everyone is rewarded or punished for his actions -- if they are good, he will be rewarded and if they are bad he will be punished.

This is like the Ayat:

وَنَضَعُ الۡمَوَزِينَ الۡقِسۡطَ لِيَوۡمِ الۡقِيَـمَةِ فَلَ تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٌ شَيۡياً

And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. (21:47)

فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡراً يَرَهُ

وَمَن يَعۡـمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ

So, whosoever does good equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it. (99:7-8)

Even if this tiny thing were to be hidden inside a solid rock or anywhere in the heavens and the earth, Allah will bring it forth, because nothing is hidden from Him, not even the weight of a speck of dust in the heavens or on the earth.

Allah says:

...

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ

Verily, Allah is Subtle, Well-Aware.

meaning, His knowledge is subtle, for nothing is hidden from Him, no matter how small, subtle and minute.

خَبِيرٌ

(Well-Aware), even of the footsteps of an ant in the darkest night.

Then he (Luqman) said:

يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ

O my son! Perform the Salah,

meaning, offer the prayer properly at the appointed times.

وَأۡمُرۡ بِالۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَانۡهَ عَنِ الۡمُنكَرِ

enjoin the good, and forbid the evil,

meaning, to the best of your ability and strength.

وَاصۡبِرۡ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ

and bear with patience whatever befalls you.

Luqman knew that whoever enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil, will inevitably encounter harm and annoyance from people, so he told him to be patient.

إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ الاُۡمُورِ

Verily, these are some of the important commandments.

means, being patient when people cause harm or annoyance is one of the most important commandments

وَلَا تُصَعِّرۡ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ

And turn not your face away from men with pride,

means, `do not turn your face away from people when you speak to them or they speak to you, looking down on them in an arrogant fashion. Rather be gentle towards them and greet them with a cheerful face,' as it says in the Hadith:

وَلَوۡ أَنۡ تَلۡقَى أَخَاكَ وَوَجۡهُكَ إِلَيۡهِ مُنۡبَسِطٌ وَإِيَّاكَ وَإِسۡبَالَ الاِۡزَارِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنَ الۡمَخِيلَةِ وَالۡمَخِيلَةُ لَا يُحِبُّهَا الله

even if it is only by greeting your brother with a cheerful countenance. And beware of letting your lower garment trail below your ankles, for this is a kind of boasting, and Allah does not like boasting.

وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِي الاَۡرۡضِ مَرَحًا

nor walk in insolence through the earth.

means, `do not be boastful, arrogant, proud and stubborn. Do not do that, for Allah will hate you.'

So he said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٍ فَخُورٍ

Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster.

meaning, one who shows off and admires himself, feeling that he is better than others.

And Allah says:

وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِى الاٌّرۡضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخۡرِقَ الاٌّرۡضَ وَلَن تَبۡلُغَ الۡجِبَالَ طُولاً

And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth nor can you attain a stature like the mountains in height. (17:37)

We have already discussed this is detail in the appropriate place.

The Command to be Moderate in Walking

And Luqman said to his son

وَاقۡصِدۡ فِي مَشۡيِكَ

And be moderate in your walking,

means, walk in a moderate manner, neither slow and lazy nor excessively fast, but be moderate, somewhere in between these two extremes.

وَاغۡضُضۡ مِن صَوۡتِكَ

and lower your voice.

means, do not exaggerate in your speaking and do not raise your voice unnecessarily.

Allah says:

إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الاَۡصۡوَاتِ لَصَوۡتُ الۡحَمِيرِ

Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the asses.

Mujahid and others said,

The most ugly of voices is the voice of the donkey, i.e., when a person raises his voice, the resulting noise is like the voice of a donkey in its loudness. Moreover this is hateful to Allah. Likening a loud voice to that of a donkey implies that it is forbidden and extremely blameworthy, because the Messenger of Allah said:

لَيۡسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السُّوءِ الۡعَايِدُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالۡكَلۡبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فِي قَيۡيِه

It is not befitting us to be an evil parable. The person who takes back his gift, he is like a dog that vomits and then goes back to his vomit.

The Advice of Luqman

This is very useful advice, which the Qur'an tells us about Luqman. Many other proverbs and words of advice were also narrated from him, some examples of which we will quote below, as basic principles:

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Umar said,

The Messenger of Allah said:

إِنَّ لُقۡمَانَ الۡحَكِيمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللهَ إِذَا اسۡتَوۡدَعَ شَيۡيًا حَفِظَه

Luqman the Wise used to say:when something is entrusted to the care of Allah, He protects it.

It was narrated that As-Sari bin Yahya said:

Luqman said to his son:`Wisdom puts the poor in the company of kings.'

It was also narrated that Awn bin Abdullah said:

Luqman said to his son:`O my son! When you come to a gathering of people, greet them with Salam, then sit at the edge of the group, and do not speak until you see that they have finished speaking. Then if they remember Allah, join them, but if they speak of anything else, then leave them and go to another group'.

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