Surah Luqman is Meccan. (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

“Alif, Lam, Mim. (1) These are the verses of the Wise Book, (2) a guidance and mercy for those who excel in doing good: (3) those who establish the prayer, give zakah, and are certain of the Hereafter. (4) They are upon guidance from their Lord, and it is they who are successful. (5) Yet among people are those who purchase distracting tales in order to lead others astray from the way of Allah without knowledge, and who make a mockery of it. For them is a humiliating punishment.” (6)

“Alif, Lam, Mim. These are the verses of the Wise Book, a guidance and mercy”: Hamzah recited “and mercy” in the nominative, as a new subject—that is, it is guidance and mercy. The others recited it in the accusative, as a circumstantial expression—“for those who excel in doing good: those who establish the prayer, give zakah, and are certain of the Hereafter.”

“Yet among people are those who purchase distracting tales”—to the end of the verse. Al-Kalbi and Muqatil said: It was revealed concerning al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kildah. He was a trader who would travel to al-Hirah, purchase accounts of the Persians, and relate them to Quraysh. He would say, “Muhammad tells you the tales of ʿAd and Thamud, whereas I tell you the tales of Rustam, Isfandiyar, and the accounts of the Khosrows.” And they would enjoy