A man came upon Luqman the Wise and said, “Are you Luqman—the slave of the Banū Ḥasḥās?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“So you are the black shepherd?”
Luqman answered, “My blackness is evident; what is it about me that amazes you?”
The man said, “That people tread your carpet, crowd your doorway, and are content with your words.”
Luqman replied, “My nephew, if you do what I am about to tell you, you will become as I am.”
The man asked, “And what is that?”
Luqman said, “Lowering my gaze, restraining my tongue, purity in what I eat, guarding my private parts, keeping my commitments, fulfilling my promises, honouring my guest, protecting my neighbour, and leaving alone whatever does not concern me—this is what has made me as you see.”

Ibn Abī Ḥātim said: My father related to us, Ibn Fuḍayl related to us, ʿAmr ibn Wāqid related to us, from ʿAbdah ibn Rabāḥ, from Rabīʿah, from Abū al-Dardāʾ, that he once said while mentioning Luqman the Wise: “What he was given was not on account of family, wealth, lineage, or personal qualities. Rather, he was a man of firm resolve and deep silence, long in reflection and profound in insight. He never slept during the day, and no one ever saw him spit, clear his throat, urinate, defecate, bathe, fidget, or laugh. He never repeated a statement he had made unless someone asked him to repeat a word of wisdom. He married and had children who died, yet he did not weep over them. He would visit rulers and attend the courts of judges to observe, reflect, and take heed—and by that he attained what he attained.”

Some claim that prophethood was offered to him, but he feared he would not be able to bear its burdens, so he chose wisdom because it was lighter upon him. This view, however, requires scrutiny, and Allah knows best. It is transmitted from Qatādah, as we shall mention.

Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn Jarīr also narrated—through Wakīʿ, from Isrāʾīl, from Jābir al-Juʿfī, from ʿIkrimah—that he said, “Luqman was a prophet.” This report is weak on account of the state of al-Juʿfī.