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Surah 31. Luqman
Malik Introduction
This Surah was revealed in the last years of middle stage of the Prophet's residence at Makkah. Its subject matter indicates that it was revealed in the same period when Surah 'Ankabut was revealed.
- The Qur'an is the Book of wisdom and a blessing for the righteous.
- Luqman's advise to his son not to commit Shirk (to associate any one else with Allah in worship).
- Rights of the mother and the parents.
- Not to obey the parents if they ask you to commit shirk.
- Islamic moral behavior and interaction.
- The fact that the main reason of misguidance is the blind following of one's forefathers.
- If all trees were pens and oceans an ink, Allah's words could not be put to writing.
- Allah is the only reality, all others to whom people invoke besides Him are false.
- O Mankind, fear that Day when not even a father shall avail his son, nor a son his father, let not Shaitan deceive you concerning this fact.
This Surah also advises the young converts to Islam that even though the rights of parents are paramount they are not to supersede the rights of Allah, they should not listen to the parents if they prevented them from accepting Islam, or compel them to revert to the creed of Polytheism.
This Surah also points out that Islam is not a new teaching which is being presented for the first time. The learned and wise people of the past ages said and taught the same message which The Qur'an is presenting today. In other words, it is as to say, "O People of Makkah: In your own area there lived a wise man, named Luqman, whose wisdom has been well known among you, whose proverbs and wise sayings are cited in your daily conversation and who is often quoted by your poets and orators. Now you should see precisely what creed and what morals he used to teach."
Maududi Introduction
The Surah has been named Luqman after Luqman the Sage, whose admonitions to his son have been related in vv. 12-19 of this Surah.
A perusal of the subject matter shows that it was sent down in the period when persecution to suppress and thwart the invitation to Islam had begun and every sort of machination had started being employed for the purpose. This is borne out by vv. 14,15, in which the young converts to Islam have been told that although the rights of the parents are the uppermost after God, they should not listen to them if they prevented them from accepting Islam, or compelled them to revert to the creed of shirk and polytheism. The same thing has been said in Surah Al-Ankabut, which indicates that both these Surahs were sent down in the same period. A study of the style and subject matter of the two Surahs on the whole, however, shows that Surah Luqman was sent down earlier, for one does not see any sign of the antagonism in its background though, contrary to this, while studying Surah Al-Ankabut one can clearly feel that the Muslims were being severely persecuted during the period of its revelation.
In this Surah the people have been made to under- stand the meaninglessness and absurdity of shirk and the truth and reasonableness of Tauhid, and they have been invited to give up blind imitation of their forefathers, consider with a cool mind the teachings which the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) is presenting from the Lord of the worlds, and see with open eyes the manifest Signs found in the universe around them and in their own selves, which bear evidence to its truth.
In this connection, it has also been pointed out that this is not a new teaching which might have been presented in the world, or in the land of Arabia, for the first time, and with which the people might be unfamiliar. The learned and wise people of the past ages said and taught the same thing which Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) is teaching today. It is as if to say, "O people: In your own country there has lived a wise man, named Luqman, whose wisdom has been well known among you, whose proverbs and wise sayings are cited in your daily conversation and who is often quoted by your poets and orators. Now you should see for yourselves what creed and what morals he used to teach."
Ayah Themes
1 to 11 - AL-Quran is the Book of Wisdom, a Guide and a Blessing for the Righteous
12 to 13 - Luqman advised his son not to commit Shirk
14 to 15 - Rights of mother and the parents and\t Obey your parents but not in the matters of Shirk
16 to 19 - Advise of Luqman about moral behavior and interaction
20 to 24 - Main reason of misguidance is the blind following of ones forefathers
25 to 30 - If all the trees were pens and the oceans and ink, Allah's words could not be put to writing and\t Allah is the only reality, all others to whom people invoke besides Him are false
31 to 34 - O Mankind, fear that Day when no father shall avail his son nor a son his father Let not the Shaitan deceive you concerning this fact
