Luqman was a scholar who lived during the time of Prophet Davoud (David) and was known for his great knowledge, Hikma (wisdom) and his moral advice to his son.
He is Luqman ibn Anqa ibn Sadun, and it is also said: Luqman ibn Tharan. This was related by al-Suhayli from Ibn Jarir and al-Qutaybi.
Al Suhayli said: He was a Nubian from the people of Aylah. I say: He was a righteous man, devoted in worship and eloquent in expression, possessing great wisdom. It is said that he was a judge in the time of Dawud, peace be upon him. And Allah knows best.
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: He was an Abyssinian slave who was a carpenter. And from Abdullah ibn al Zubayr: I said to Jabir ibn Abdillah, “What has reached you regarding the matter of Luqman?” He said: He was short, flat-nosed, from Nubia.
Yahya ibn Sa’id al Ansari said, from Sa’id ibn al Musayyib: Luqman was from the blacks of Egypt, with thick lips. Allah granted him wisdom and withheld prophethood from him.
Al Awza’i said: Abdur Rahman ibn Harmalah narrated to me: A black man came to Sa’id ibn al Musayyib asking him something, so Sa’id said to him: Do not grieve because you are black, for among the best of people there were three from the blacks: Bilal, Mahja’ the freedman of Umar, and Luqman the Wise. He was a black Nubian with thick lips.
It is narrated from Abu al Darda that he once mentioned Luqman the Wise and said: He was not given what he was given due to family, nor wealth, nor lineage, nor traits, but he was a man who was resolute, very silent, long in contemplation, deep in reflection. He never slept during the day, and no one ever saw him spit, clear his throat, urinate, defecate, perform ghusl, engage in idle play, or laugh. He did not repeat any speech he had uttered, except if it was a word of wisdom which someone asked him to repeat. He had married and children had been born to him, then they died, yet he did not weep over them. He used to attend the ruler and come to the judges in order to look, reflect and take lesson, and by that he was given what he was given.
The difference of opinion regarding the prophethood of Luqman, peace be upon him
Some claimed that prophethood was presented to him, but he feared that he would not be able to bear its responsibilities, so he chose wisdom because it was easier for him. Regarding this there is some consideration. And Allah knows best. It is narrated from Ikrimah that he said: Luqman was a prophet. This is weak due to the condition of al Ju’fi.
What is well known from the majority is that he was a wise man, a friend of Allah, and was not a prophet. It is narrated from Qatadah that he said: Allah gave Luqman the Wise the choice between prophethood and wisdom, so he chose wisdom over prophethood. He said: Then Jibril came to him while he was sleeping and sprinkled wisdom upon him. He said: He awoke and began to speak with it. Sa’id said: I heard Qatadah say: It was said to Luqman, “How did you choose wisdom over prophethood when your Lord gave you the choice?” He said: If He had sent prophethood to me as a firm decree, I would have hoped for success in that from Him, and I would have hoped to be able to carry it, but He gave me the choice, so I feared that I would be too weak for prophethood; thus, wisdom was more beloved to me. This is also subject to consideration, because Sa’id ibn Bashir, from Qatadah, has been spoken about, and what Sa’id ibn Abi Arubah narrated from Qatadah regarding His saying, “And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom”, is that it means understanding in Islam, and he was not a prophet, nor was revelation sent to him. Thus, more than one of the early generations explicitly stated this, among them Mujahid, Sa’id ibn al Musayyib, and Ibn Abbas. And Allah knows best.
The admonitions, wisdom and counsels of Luqman, peace be upon him
Allah, exalted is He, mentioned him in the Quran and praised him, and related from his words that with which he admonished his son, who was the most beloved of creation to him and the one for whom he had the greatest compassion. The first thing he admonished him with was that he said: “O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, shirk is a great injustice” [Luqman 13]. He forbade him from it and warned him against it.
Al Bukhari said with his chain from Abdullah that when the verse was revealed: “Those who believe and do not mix their faith with wrongdoing” [al An’am 82], that was hard upon the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and they said: Which of us has not mixed his faith with wrongdoing? So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: It is not that. Have you not heard the saying of Luqman, “O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, shirk is a great injustice” [Luqman 13]. Muslim also narrated it from the hadith of Sulayman ibn Mihran al A’mash with this wording. Then Allah, exalted is He, interjected with the command concerning the parents and clarifying their right over the child and its emphasis, and He commanded kind treatment of them even if they were idolaters, but they are not to be obeyed in entering into their religion. Then He said, informing about Luqman in what he admonished his son with: “O my son, indeed it, if it should be the weight of a mustard seed, and it should be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah is Subtle, All Aware.” He forbids him from wronging people even to the extent of a mustard seed, for Allah will ask about it and bring it into the arena of reckoning and place it in the scale, as He, exalted is He, said: “Indeed, Allah does not wrong the weight of an atom” [al Nisa 40], and He said: “And We will place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged at all. And if there is even the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountants” [al Anbiya 47].
He informed him that this wrongdoing, even if it is as small in weight as a mustard seed, and even if it is in the hollow of a solid rock with no door nor opening, or if it were fallen in some part of the darknesses of the earth or the heavens in their vastness and the extension of their regions, Allah would know its place. “Indeed, Allah is Subtle, All Aware” meaning His knowledge is subtle and precise, so nothing of the atoms that are seen by the eyes or hidden from them is concealed from Him. As He, exalted is He, said: “And no leaf falls but that He knows it, nor a grain within the darknesses of the earth nor anything moist or dry but that it is in a clear Book” [al An’am 59]. And He said: “And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and earth but that it is in a clear Book” [al Naml 75]. And He said: “Knower of the unseen. Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or anything smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear Book” [Saba 3].
Al Suddi claimed in his narration from the Companions that what is meant by this rock is the rock that is beneath the seven earths. This was also related from Atiyyah al Awfi, Abu Malik, al Thawri, al Munhal ibn Amr and others. The soundness of this statement from its origin is under question, and then that this is what is meant here is another question, for this word “rock” in the verse is indefinite, not definite. If what they said were intended, He would have said: “in the rock”. What is meant is “in a rock”, that is, any rock whatsoever. As Imam Ahmad said, and from Abu Sa’id al Khudri from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: “If one of you were to do a deed in a solid rock with no door and no opening, his deed would come out to the people, whatever it might be.” Then he said: “O my son, establish the prayer” meaning perform it with all its obligations, in terms of its limits, its times, its bowing, its prostration, its tranquility, its humility and what is legislated within it, and avoid what is forbidden in it. Then he said: “And enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong” meaning to the utmost of your ability and effort, that is, if you are able with the hand, then with the hand, otherwise with the tongue, and if you are not able, then with the heart. Then he commanded him to be patient and said, “And be patient over what befalls you,” because the one who enjoins right and forbids wrong is in a position where he is likely to be opposed and harmed, but the outcome is his. For this, he commanded him to be patient over that. It is known that the outcome of patience is relief. His saying: “Indeed, that is of the matters requiring determination” means that your enjoining what is right, your forbidding what is wrong, and your patience upon harm are from the firm matters that are necessary and there is no escape from them.
His saying: “And do not turn your cheek away from people” Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa’id ibn Jubayr, al Dahhak, Yazid ibn al Asamm, Abu al Jawza and more than one said: It means do not be arrogant toward people and do not turn your cheek away from them when you speak to them or they speak to you in a manner of showing arrogance toward them and belittling them. The people of language said: The origin of “al sa’r” is a disease that afflicts the necks of camels, causing their heads to twist, so the arrogant man who turns his face when he speaks to people or they speak to him in a way of exalting himself over them is likened to that.
It is established in the hadith: “While a man was walking in two garments, strutting in them, Allah caused the earth to swallow him, and he continues to sink into it until the Day of Resurrection.” And in another hadith: “Beware of letting the lower garment hang down, for that is from arrogance, and arrogance is not loved by Allah.” As He said in this verse: “Indeed, Allah does not like every self deluded boaster.” When He forbade him from arrogance in walking, He commanded him to be moderate in it, for he must walk, so He forbade him from evil and commanded him to do good and said: “And be moderate in your walk” meaning do not be excessively slow, nor excessively fast, but between that, balanced. As He, exalted is He, said: “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth gently, and when the ignorant address them harshly, they say words of peace” [al Furqan 63]. Then He said: “And lower your voice” meaning when you speak, do not force yourself to raise your voice, for the loudest and most repulsive of voices is the voice of donkeys.
It is established in the two Sahihs that one is commanded to seek refuge when hearing the braying of donkeys at night, for they have seen a devil. For this reason it is forbidden to raise the voice where there is no need for it, especially at sneezing, where it is recommended to lower the voice and cover the face, as has been established in the hadith regarding the practice of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. As for raising the voice in the call to prayer, at calling the people to rally for fighting, at talbiyah in ihram and the like, that is legislated. This is what Allah, exalted is He, has related about Luqman, peace be upon him, in the Quran of wisdoms, admonitions and counsels that are beneficial, encompassing good and preventing evil.
Reports of the sayings and admonitions of Luqman, peace be upon him
Many reports have come regarding his stories and admonitions. He had a book transmitted from him known as “The Wisdom of Luqman.” We will mention from that what is made easy, if Allah, exalted is He, wills.
Imam Ahmad said with his chain from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us and said: “Luqman the Wise used to say: Indeed Allah, when He entrusts something for safekeeping, He preserves it.”
And from al Qasim ibn Mukhaimarah that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Luqman said to his son while admonishing him: “O my son, beware of covering yourself with the garment in such a way, for it is a cause of fear at night and humiliation in the day.”
And from al Sari ibn Yahya: Luqman said to his son, “O my son, wisdom has seated the poor in the assemblies of kings.”
And from Awn ibn Abdillah that he said: Luqman said to his son: “O my son, when you come to the gathering of a people, then greet them with the arrow of Islam, meaning salam, then sit at their side and do not speak until you see that they have spoken. If they engage in the remembrance of Allah, then cast your share with them, and if they engage in other than that, then move away from them to other than them.”
And from Hafs ibn Umar that he said: Luqman placed a bag of mustard seeds by his side and began admonishing his son with an admonition, and each time he gave him an admonition, he took out a mustard seed until the mustard was finished. Then he said: “O my son, I have admonished you with an admonition that if it had been given to a mountain, it would have split apart.” He said: Then his son split apart.
Benefits related by Imam Ahmad in his book al Zuhd about Luqman, peace be upon him
Imam Ahmad mentioned a biography for him in the book al Zuhd, in which he related important benefits and many singular points. He said, from a man from Mujahid, regarding His saying, “And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom”: that is understanding and correctness in matters, without prophethood.
And from Ibn Abbas, who said: Luqman was an Abyssinian slave.
And from Sa’id ibn al Musayyib that Luqman was a tailor.
And from Malik, meaning ibn Dinar, that he said: Luqman said to his son: “O my son, take obedience to Allah as a trade, profits will come to you without merchandise.”
And from Muhammad ibn Wasi, that he said: Luqman used to say to his son: “O my son, fear Allah and do not show people that you fear Allah so that they honour you because of that, while your heart is corrupt.”
The story of Luqman
Allah, exalted is He, said: “And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom, [saying], ‘Be grateful to Allah.’ And whoever is grateful is only grateful for the benefit of his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then indeed Allah is Free of need, Praiseworthy. And [mention] when Luqman said to his son while he was admonishing him, ‘O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, shirk is a great injustice.’ And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning was in two years. ‘Be grateful to Me and to your parents. To Me is the destination. But if they strive against you to make you associate with Me that of which you do not know, then do not obey them, but accompany them in the world with kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me in repentance. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do. O my son, indeed it is, if it should be the weight of a mustard seed, and it should be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah is Subtle, All Aware. O my son, establish the prayer, and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, that is one of the matters requiring determination. And do not turn your cheek away from people, and do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like every self-deluded boaster. And be moderate in your walk and lower your voice. Indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys” [Luqman 12 to 19].
