Sūrah Luqmān

This is Sūrah Alif Lām Mīm. These are the verses of the Book replete with wisdom. For those who are thorough in their deeds, they have been revealed as a guidance and mercy. These who are showing diligence in the prayer and paying zakāh and it is these who have firm conviction in the Hereafter. It is these who are rightly guided by their Lord and it is these who shall succeed.

On the other hand, there are such people also who buy absurdities so that they lead astray from God’s path without any knowledge, and make fun of His revelations. It is these people for whom there is a humiliating torment. When any of them is recited these revelations of Ours, he turns and walks away with great arrogance as if he has not even heard them, as if he is deaf. So, give him glad tidings of a painful torment. However, those who accepted faith and did righteous deeds, for them are orchards of delight where they shall abide forever. This promise of God is destined to be fulfilled and He is Powerful, very Wise.

He has created the heavens without pillars that are visible to you and have set firm mountains on the earth lest it may tilt with you to one side and has spread out in it living beings of all kinds. [Do you not see that] We have sent down water from the sky; then have created beneficial things of all kind in this very earth.

All this has been created by God. Now show me what has been created by those who are besides Him [according to your claim]? Nothing! In fact, these unjust are in manifest error.

We gave precisely this wisdom to Luqmān also and directed: “Be grateful to God – and he who is grateful, will be grateful for his own self and he who is ungrateful, God does not care about him because God is self-sufficient; He has praiseworthy attributes.”

[The necessary requisite of this is that none should be associated with God.] Recall when Luqmān, while counselling his son, had said: “Son! Do not associate partners with God. In reality, polytheism is a great injustice.”

[There is no doubt that] We have counselled a human being about his parents also. His mother kept him in her womb tolerating woe after woe and [after birth] it took two years for his weaning. [We have counselled him:] “Be grateful to Me and to your parents [and remember that ultimately] to Me is the return. But if they force you to associate someone with Me about which you have no proof, do not obey them. However, treat them kindly in this world and follow the way of those who turn to Me. Then you will have to return to Me alone. Then I shall inform you of what you have been doing.”

[Luqmān had said:] “Son! The fact is that if a deed is equal to even the grain of a mustard seed, then whether it is in a small mountain pass or is in the heavens or in the earth, God shall retrieve it. Indeed, God is discerning; He is aware of everything.

Son! Be diligent in the prayer, urge what is good and forbid evil and whatever mishap strikes you [in this path], be steadfast on it. It is because these are the tasks which have been emphasized.

And be not indifferent to people and walk not arrogantly on the land because God does not like the arrogant and the conceited. Be moderate in your gait and keep your voice toned down. In reality, the most hideous of voices is the braying of the donkey.”

[You forgot this.] Do you not see that it is God Who has made whatever is in the heavens and the earth subservient to you and has completed all kinds of His apparent and hidden favours on you? In spite of this, there are those among people who dispute about God without any reason, without any guidance and without any radiant book and when they are asked to follow what God has revealed, they say: “No! In fact! We shall follow the way on which We have found our forefathers.” Will in that case also when Satan is calling them to the torment of the fire?

[No, this is nothing; however,] he who turns in God’s direction with obedience and he is also thorough in his deeds, then he has held on to a strong rope and finally all matters are to return to God. And he who has rejected, then let not his rejection be a source of grief for you [O Prophet!] All of them are to return to Me alone. Then We shall inform them what they had been doing. Surely, God also knows the secrets of the hearts. We shall let them enjoy for a few days; then shall drag them to a stern torment.

If you ask them: “Who has created the heavens and the earth?” they shall definitely say: “God.” Say: It is God then Who is worthy of gratitude. [They themselves negate whatever they believe.] No! In fact, most of them know not. To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. [He is not dependent on their gratitude.] Indeed, God is self-sufficient and praiseworthy in Himself.

[In reality,] if all the trees of the earth become pens and the seas become ink such that after this they are replenished by seven more seas as ink, God’s words can still not be written. Indeed, God is Powerful; He is very Wise.

Creating all of you and raising you to life [after death] is the same [for Him] as the creation and raising to life of one person. Indeed, God hears and sees all. Have you not seen that God makes the night pass into the day and the day pass into the night, and He has put the sun and the moon into your service? All are continuing their movement until a prescribed time. And have you not seen that God is aware of whatever you do? All this is because God only is the truth and what they call besides Him are all false and because God alone is superior; He only is exalted.

Have you not seen that the ship sails in the sea by God’s grace so that He can show you some of His signs. In reality, there are many signs in it for every person who is steadfast and grateful. And when waves envelop its passengers like canopies, they call upon God while promising sincere obedience to Him. Then when after delivering them He brings them to the land, some of them remain on the way and more lose the way. And only they all reject Our signs who are very untrustworthy and ungrateful.

People! Save yourself from your Lord’s grasp and fear the day when neither a father shall be of benefit to his children nor a child shall be of any benefit to the father. Indeed, God’s promise is true. So, never let the life of the world deceive you nor that deceiver should ever be able to deceive you regarding God. [They ask: “When will this promise be fulfilled?” Say:] Only God knows that time. [Do you not see that] it is He Who sends down rain and knows what is in the wombs. No one knows what he will earn tomorrow and no one knows the place he will die. [But can a sane person deny these things?] In reality, God alone is aware of all and has knowledge of everything.¹