﴿12–19﴾ “Indeed, We granted Luqman wisdom: ‘Be grateful to Allah.’ Whoever is grateful is grateful only for his own benefit, and whoever is ungrateful—Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy. * And when Luqman said to his son while admonishing him, ‘My dear son, do not associate anything with Allah. Associating partners with Him is indeed a tremendous wrong.’” And so on to the end of the account.

Allah Most High relates how He bestowed wisdom upon His virtuous servant Luqman. Wisdom is knowledge [of the truth] (1) as it truly is and of its underlying wisdom. It is knowledge of rulings and an understanding of the secrets and perfect wisdom they contain. A person may possess knowledge without being wise.

Wisdom, however, necessarily entails knowledge and, indeed, action. It has therefore been explained as beneficial knowledge and righteous action.

When Allah granted him this tremendous blessing, He commanded him to give thanks for what He had bestowed upon him, so that He might bless it for him and grant him even more of His bounty. He informed him that those who give thanks benefit only themselves, whereas whoever is ungrateful and fails to thank Allah brings the evil consequences upon himself. Allah has no need [of him] (2) and is praiseworthy in what He ordains and decrees concerning those who oppose His command. His self-sufficiency is intrinsic to His essence, as is His being praiseworthy for His perfect attributes and His beautiful acts. Each of these two qualities is an attribute of perfection, and their combination adds perfection to perfection.

The commentators differed as to whether Luqman was a prophet or a righteous servant. Allah Most High mentions only that He granted him wisdom and relates some of what demonstrates that wisdom in his admonition to his son. He therefore mentioned the fundamental principles and paramount rules of wisdom, saying, “And when Luqman said to his son while admonishing him.”

Or, in other words, he addressed him with words of admonition containing commands and prohibitions, coupled with encouragement and warning. He commanded him to worship Allah sincerely, forbade him to associate partners with Him, and explained the reason for this by saying, “Associating partners with Him is indeed a tremendous wrong.” It is tremendous because nothing is more atrocious or abhorrent than equating a creature made from dust with the Master of all souls; equating one who controls nothing whatsoever with the One who controls everything; equating one who is deficient and needy in every respect with the Lord who is perfect and self-sufficient in every respect; and equating one who has not bestowed even an atom’s weight [of blessings] (3) with the One from whom comes every blessing enjoyed by creation in their religion, worldly lives, and Hereafter, and in their hearts and bodies, and who alone averts harm. Can anything be a greater wrong than this?!

And who could be more unjust than one whom Allah created to worship Him alone, yet who takes his noble self, [casts it down to the lowest rank] (4), and makes it worship something utterly worthless? He thereby commits a tremendous wrong against himself.

After commanding that Allah’s right be fulfilled by abandoning polytheism—which necessarily entails upholding monotheism—He commanded that the rights of parents be fulfilled, saying, “We have enjoined upon man.” That is, We charged him with this and entrusted it to him as an injunction about which We shall ask him: did he uphold and safeguard it or not? Thus, We enjoined upon him concerning “his parents,” and said to him, “Be grateful to Me” by worshipping Me, fulfilling My rights, and not using My blessings to disobey Me; “and to your parents” by treating them well through gentle speech, kind words, gracious conduct, humility toward them, [honouring them] (5), showing them due respect, providing for them, and avoiding every form of mistreatment toward them in word or deed.

We gave him this injunction and informed him that “to Me is the final return.” That is: O human being, you will return to the One who gave you this injunction and charged you with these rights. He will ask you whether you fulfilled them and then grant you an abundant reward, or whether you neglected them and then punish you severely.

He then mentioned, with regard to the mother, the reason that makes dutifulness to parents obligatory, saying, “His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness.” That is, hardship upon hardship. She continually endures difficulties from the time he is a drop of fluid: nausea, illness, weakness, heaviness, changes in her condition, and then the intense pain of childbirth.

Then, “his weaning is within two years,” during which he remains dependent upon his mother’s nurturing, care, and nursing. Is it not therefore fitting that the One who imposed these hardships upon a mother for the sake of her child, despite her profound love for him, should emphatically instruct the child and enjoin him to treat her with complete kindness?

“But if they strive to make you”—that is, if your parents exert every effort to make you—“associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them.” Do not imagine that doing so forms part of treating them well, for Allah’s right takes precedence over everyone else’s right, and “there is no obedience to a created being when it entails disobedience to the Creator.”

He did not say, “But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then treat them undutifully.” Rather, He said, “Then do not obey them”—that is, in committing polytheism. As for treating them dutifully, continue to do so. He therefore said, “Keep their company in this world with kindness.” That is, accompany them while treating them with customary kindness. But as for following them while they persist in disbelief and sinful conduct, do not follow them.

“And follow the path of those who turn to Me.” They are those who believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers; who submit to their Lord and turn to Him.

Following their path means taking their way in turning to Allah: the motives and desires of the heart are drawn toward Allah, after which the body strives to do what pleases Allah and draws one near to Him.

“Then to Me is your return”—the obedient and the disobedient, those who turn to Him and those who do not—“and I shall inform you of what you used to do.” Not a single one of their deeds is hidden from Allah.

⦗649⦘

“My dear son, even if it be the weight of a mustard seed,” which is among the smallest and most insignificant of things, “and it be within a rock”—that is, in its very midst—“or in the heavens or in the earth,” in any part of either of them, “Allah will bring it forth,” because of the vastness of His knowledge, the completeness of His awareness, and the perfection of His power. He therefore said, “Indeed, Allah is Subtle, All-Aware.” That is, His knowledge and awareness are so subtle that He perceives inward realities, secrets, and whatever is concealed in deserts and seas.

The purpose of this is to encourage constant awareness that Allah is watching, obedience to Him to the fullest extent possible, and fear of committing evil deeds, whether few or many.

“My dear son, establish prayer.” He urged him to observe it and singled it out because it is the greatest bodily act of worship. “Command what is right and forbid what is wrong.” This necessarily requires knowing what is right so that one may command it, and knowing what is wrong so that one may forbid it.

It also entails everything without which commanding right and forbidding wrong cannot be properly carried out, including gentleness and patience. Patience was expressly mentioned in His words, “And be patient over whatever befalls you.” It further entails that he himself do what he commands and refrain from what he forbids. Thus, this counsel includes perfecting oneself by doing good and abandoning evil, as well as helping others attain the same through commands and prohibitions.

Because he knew that anyone who commands and forbids would inevitably be tested, and that such commands and prohibitions weigh heavily upon people, he instructed him to remain patient, saying, “And be patient over whatever befalls you. Indeed, that”—which Luqman urged upon his son—“is among the matters requiring firm resolve.” That is, among the matters upon which one must set firm resolve and devote serious attention, and which only people of determination are enabled to accomplish.

“And do not turn your cheek away from people.” That is, do not turn your face aside or scowl at people out of arrogance and self-importance.

“And do not walk upon the earth exultantly.” That is, with insolence, boasting of blessings while forgetting the One who bestowed them, and admiring yourself. “Indeed, Allah does not love anyone conceited” (6)—conceited in himself, his appearance, and his self-aggrandizement—“and boastful” in his speech.

“And be moderate in your walk.” That is, walk humbly and with tranquillity: neither with the gait of insolence and arrogance nor with an affected show of weakness.

“And lower your voice,” out of proper conduct toward people and toward Allah. “Indeed, the most repugnant of voices”—that is, the most atrocious and abhorrent—“is the braying of donkeys.” If raising the voice excessively offered any benefit or served any good purpose, it would not have been a distinctive trait of the donkey, whose baseness and dullness you already know.

These counsels that Luqman gave his son encompass the cardinal principles of wisdom and necessarily imply those not explicitly mentioned. With each counsel, he coupled a motive encouraging its observance if it was a command, or encouraging its abandonment if it was a prohibition.

This supports our explanation that wisdom is knowledge of rulings together with their wisdom and appropriate applications. Luqman commanded his son to uphold the foundation of religion—monotheism—and forbade him to associate partners with Allah, explaining the reason it must be abandoned. He commanded him to treat his parents dutifully and explained why that was required. He instructed him to thank Allah and his parents, but then qualified this by stating that dutifulness and obedience to their commands apply only so long as they do not command disobedience. Even then, he must not treat them undutifully but must continue to treat them well, although he may not obey them if they strive to make him associate partners with Allah. He commanded him to remain conscious that Allah was watching, warned him of standing before Him, and explained that Allah leaves no good or evil deed, small or great, without bringing it forth.

He forbade him to be arrogant and commanded him to be humble. He forbade insolence, wantonness, and exultant pride, and commanded composure in his movements and voice, while prohibiting their opposites.

He commanded him to enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, establish prayer, and remain patient—by means of which every matter is made easy, as Allah Most High said. One who gave such counsels is therefore truly deserving of being specially endowed with wisdom and renowned for it. Among Allah’s blessings upon Luqman and all His other servants is that He related to them some of his wisdom so that they might find in him an excellent example.