LUQMAN, THE WISE

Luqman’s advices to his son are narrated in Surah Luqman, which is the 31^st Surah of the Noble Qur’an.

Verse 12 says: “We gave wisdom to Luqman so that he would give thanks to Allah (s.w.t.). Those who give thanks to Allah (s.w.t.) do so for their own good. Those who are ungrateful should know that Allah (s.w.t.) is Self-Sufficient and Praiseworthy.”

Verse 13 says: Luqman advised his, telling him, O My son, do not consider anything equal to Him for it is the greatest injustice.”

Verse 16 says:  “O My son, Allah brings forth items of sustenance, even if they are as small as a grain of mustard seed, hidden in a rock or in the Heavens or the earth. Allah (s.w.t.) is Subtle and All-Aware.”

Verse 17 says: “O My son be steadfast in prayer. Make others do good. Prevent them from doing evil. Be patient in hardship. Patience comes from faith and determination.”

Verse 18 says: “Do not show people that you are an inferior person. Do not walk around puffed-up with pride; Allah (s.w.t.) does not love arrogant and boastful people.”

Verse 19 says: “Be moderate (slower) in your walking and your talking. The most unpleasant sound is the braying of donkeys.”

Shaikh Tabrasi says that there is difference of opinion about Luqman. Some say that he had the Divine knowledge but was not a Prophet. Others say that he was a Prophet.

Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Luqman was steadfast in obeying Allah and refrained from His disobedience.”

Luqman gave admonitions to his son as detailed below:

Be a companion of the wise. Take from this world only that which is essential and enough for you. Also do not give up earning in this world that you may become needy. This world is a deep ocean. Innumerable people have drowned in it. It is essential for you to make faith your ship for saving yourself from the danger of this world. You should make ‘Reliance only in one Allah’ the sail of your ship. Your provision in the ship should be avoidance of the illegal and undesirable. Thereafter if you are saved, it is due to Allah’s Mercy and if you get destroyed it is because of your sins. You must set aside some hours in the day and night to acquire knowledge because there is nothing which can destroy it. Do not make the rich your enemy and do not keep company of oppressors. Do not make friendship with a sinner nor sit with a disgraced and notorious person.

My precious son! Fear Allah as He deserves to be feared. You should always be afraid of His chastisements. Similarly, also remain hopeful of His Mercy even if you have sinned totaling the sins of all men and jinn and be hopeful that He will forgive you. My son, if a faithful heart is cut open, two rays will come out of it. One light of the fear of Allah and the other light of hope from Allah. If both the lights could be weighed, both will be equal.

So the one who has truly and sincerely has believed in Allah will surely act honestly for Allah with a hope for good. One who acts in this way really believes in Allah and fears Him and the one who fears Him loves Him and the one who loves Him also obeys Him and the one who obeys Him makes himself eligible for His pleasure and Paradise. And the one who does not want His pleasure makes His punishment swift upon him.

Do you not see that Allah has not made the worldly bounties the reward of His obedience nor has he made the worldly hardships the punishments for His disobedience. Both the reward and punishment is promised in Hereafter.

O My son! Make a thousand friends because even a thousand friends are less but do not make even one enemy because one enemy is sufficient.

There are three signs of a sinner: He embezzles people’s wealth, tells lies and acts contrary to his words. There are three signs of ostentations (show off): He is slack in his worship while he is alone but makes a show of full attentiveness in worship while in public and he does it so that people may praise him. The envious has also three signs: He back-bites people and flatters them on face, feels happy when people are in trouble. There are three signs of extravagant: He eats things which are beyond his capacity and so also he wears likewise, and he feeds others crossing his limits of capacity. There are three signs of indolent (lazy): He is slack in doing good deeds and he postpones good deeds until and unless he is threatened and he becomes so lazy that the job is spoiled and thus he becomes defaulter. There are three signs of a negligent man: He is doubtful in his worship, becomes careless in matters of remembering his Lord and he forgets good deeds.

My son! Confront your enemy by avoiding the prohibited. Keep your soul clean of Allah’s disobedience. Keep your secrets hidden and your inner self pure.

Be content on what Allah has fixed for you so that you will always remain happy.

O My son! Never be envious. Never behave badly with others. These two evils harm none but you.

Do good to the deserving person and your purpose should be to please Allah. Be moderate in spending for others.

O My son! The best behavior is wisdom, acquiring for which is very essential. It is the religion of Allah and it is similar to a grown up tree which keeps it alive and standing. Its water is belief in Allah. Its root is prayer, which keeps it straight and steadfast. Its trunk is zakat and its branches are the efforts for maintaining brotherly relations with one’s brothers-in-faith merely for the pleasure of Allah. Its leaves are good morals. Its fruits are abandoning disobedience of Allah.

The greatest sin is the sin against religion and the greatest calamity is the danger to faith and the most profitable wealth is the wealth of heart. So enrich your heart with knowledge, faith and good morality. Remain pleased and happy on what Allah has fixed for you. A man, who is patient, gets halal provisions and he is protected from the chastisement in this world and Hereafter.

My son, when the time for prayers comes, do not postpone it. Prayer is the base of religion.

My son! Never delay repentance because death arrives all of a sudden without warning.

Do not ridicule a man who falls in trouble and never stop doing good to others. Be honest so that you may remain needless of other’s wealth. Consider piety as a business which will give you a profit without investing capital. My son! If be you not be kind to a person whom you are oppressing, be kind to yourself because you are harming yourself through that oppression. My son! Talk less and remember Allah at all places. Keep control on yourself when angry so that you may not be ditched in Hell. Do good to the one who does good to you.

Consult the elders and be ashamed to consult the younger. Never be in the company of the sinners. Do not harm others otherwise they will become your enemy.