The Wisdom of Luqman


By Sauban Musaddiq

One of the oft-cited parable in the Quran is that of Luqman (AS) advising his son about the oneness of Allah and duties enjoined on humans by Him (Surah Luqman - 31:13-18). Luqman (AS) was an Ethiopian slave enslaved in Jerusalem, and his wisdom soon gained him the praise and adulation from his master and his people. He was called Al-Hakeem (The Wise), which is a testament to him being the epitome of Wisdom.

In the verse 13 of Surah Luqman, Luqman (AS) advises his son not to associate partners with Allah and that doing so would be a great “Zulm”. The word used here, “Zulm”, can be broadly interpreted as “Injustice”, but if we delve into its origins, it is indicative for a word for grossly misplacing or misrepresenting something. Indeed there can be no graver misplacement, than misplacing one’s faith with anything other than Allah.

The next two Ayahs delve into the obligations of parents upon their children. Allah stresses on the sacrifices and hardships of the mother when she carries the baby in her womb and later endures through the suckling years of the infant. The Ayah ends with Allah reminding us of our inevitable destination and the gratitude that a man owes to both his Creator and his parents.

This gratitude and life of servitude however doesn’t extend to compliance to any endeavors of the parents which go against the oneness of Allah. However this doesn’t rescind one’s obligations towards his parents in accompanying them with appropriate kindness and regard. Allah warns us again about the ultimate destiny of humans and the accounting of one’s actions.

Luqman (AS) continues imparting his divinely decreed wisdom onto his son in the following ayahs. He warns that a wrong however small, akin to a mustard seed, however obscure as if hidden inside a rock will not be concealed or overlooked by Allah. What you do, however insignificant, will all be accounted for. Allah uses the term “Latheef” here to describe himself, which means “Subtle”. Indeed Allah is subtle in reckoning the deeds to their commensurate degree. Luqman (AS) reminds his son of his duties in establishing the prayer and his responsibility to enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil. He also intimates the possibility of rejection and persecution by advising him to be steadfast come whatever.  He asks his son to not be disdainful out of pride, for Allah does not like vanity. 

We can look through these verses the tender relationship he had with his son and the care and concern for the righteousness of his son.

Luqman (AS) was given wisdom by Allah, and was asked to be Grateful. His gratitude and faith raised his ranks among the Mu’minoon. His wisdom and his advice have been immortalized in the Quran. There is a lot to learn from and ponder upon these wise words.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The beauty your eyes behold

Image
By Khurram Murad Siddiqui Aestheticization of meaning is art, and taking that note, we all are artists - some of us learned, some amateur. The manifestation of our art is by what resources, skills and thoughts we own around. Some privileged sons of gold, pile up the statues and structures like Tajmahal and Burj Khalifa. Some apply red lipstick, some drape white aprons, some wear platinum bracelets on their wrist and some handicraft them with palm leaves around them. Each ones worth defines the worth of their art. Music of Metallica bands and harp of darvesh, film director's 10 billion dollar movie and grandmothers bedtime stories, are versions and layers of art. Some of us recognize the art beyond the tv screens and some of us fail to find it on our tablecloth. We live in a world of classifications, types, and specifics. So we have classified art as we did to humans centuries ago. Appreciating art that fails to make it to mainstream or to be specific "the internet"...
Read more

Stay insatiable. Keep writing!

Image
By Noaman Ali Writing is a form of expression which holds unrivalled puissance to put forward one's contemplations in a manner comprehensible to the reader. It is usually expressed in the form of simple prose to [sometimes] unfathomable catharsis. Now, as a greenhorn to this subject, one might saunter the lanes of Merriam Webster all day long (which, actually is a vital part in the process) and not get too far without one simple sine qua non: reading[¹]. What better way to know where one stands and where to start from other than reading? It can indubitably be said that writing and reading are the two sides of a coin. With profound reading, a tyro is slackened off of his original (usually obdurate) understanding of the process of writing—i.e., HIS initial plan of proceeding. And when we get a brief picture, we can go on about in an orderly and organized fashion which includes paying equal attention to grammar and punctuation. Speaking of which, grammar shouldn't b...
Read more

Far Beyond The Worldly Fantasies

Image
By Asim Jawad A month, special in itself Helping me train myself Not an issue to stay hungry When I'm full of empathy Never to complain about shortage of time When I can earn and pray long: my lifeline Not to hold back from sharing When all I do now is sincere caring Donating from my yearly savings Eliminating the poor's poverty living It was never about tasty delicacies Far beyond the worldly specialities Not a moment to spare Wasting time; I don't dare Staying away from all that is forbidden I discover my human powers that were hidden No masks to change and fit in Believe me there's no backbiting Understanding what was revealed for humanity I feel it was sent down only for me With the doors of forgiveness open Tears flow with none of my past forsaken It was never about lavish parties Far beyond the worldly fantasies
Read more