Лукман 31:13–18

Out of these wise advices, first comes the soundness of beliefs, the primary article of which is that one believes in Allah Ta’ ala to be the Creator and master of the entire universe without any association or partnership of anyone or anything. In consequence, one should not take anyone other than Allah as an object of worship, for no injustice can be as grave in this world as the act of one who stoops to equate some creation of Allah Ta’ ala with the Creator. Therefore, it was said: يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِ‌كْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ الشِّرْ‌كَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ (My dear son, do not ascribe partners to Allah. Indeed, ascribing partners to Allah is (shirk) grave transgression - 13). Later, follow other words of good counsel and wisdom spoken by Luqman (علیہ السلام) to his son. In between, there appears another command to highlight the gravity of Shirk and that it has to be avoided under all circumstances. This command is as follows:

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ‌ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ‌ ﴿14﴾ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِ‌كَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُ‌وفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْ‌جِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿15﴾

And We commanded man (to be good) about his parents. His mother carried him facing weakness after weakness, and his weaning is in two years: "Be grateful to Me and to your parents. To Me is the ultimate return. [ 14] And if they force you to ascribe to Him partners about whom you have no knowledge, do not obey them. And be with them, in this world, with due fairness, and follow the way of the one who has turned himself towards Me. Then, towards Me is your return, so I shall tell you

about what you had been doing." [ 15]

Gratitude and Obedience to Parents is Obligatory - but, Obedience to anyone Counter to Divine Command is not Permissible

In effect, the command quoted above means: 'No doubt, We have asked children to be grateful and obedient to their parents. We have even commanded them to be grateful to Us, and along with it, to be grateful and obedient to their parents. But, Shirk (the ascribing of partners in the pristine divinity of Allah Ta’ ala) is so grave a transgression and so serious a sin that it does not become permissible for anyone, not even if one's parents command or force someone to commit it. If the parents of a person start forcing him or her to take someone as a partner of Allah Ta’ ala, even in that case, it is not permissible to obey their command.'

Now, at this place, where command has been given to be grateful to parents and fulfill their rights, also pointed out is its efficient cause. Is it not that one's mother has undergone great trial in the phenomena of his or her life and survival? She has kept the child in her body for nine months remaining vigilant and protective all the time. Because of this, day by day, her weakness and discomfort kept increasing. This she braved through. Then, even after the birth of the child, she handled the task of feeding the child, a task that demanded painstaking attention day and night and which also added to the already receding graph of her weakness. Since, it is the mother who faces most of the hardship in bringing up the child, therefore, the right of mother has been made to precede even the right of father in the Shari'ah of Islam. What has been said in: وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ (And We commanded man [ to be good ] about his parents. His mother carried him facing weakness after weakness, and his weaning is in two years - 14) comes to mean exactly this. After that, in: وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ (And if they force you - 15), it was pointed out that the matter of ascribing anyone other than Allah with Him is serious. In it, even the (otherwise essential) obedience to parents is haram (unlawful).

Islam's Peerless Law of Justice

Now in a situation under which the parents force a son or daughter to take to Shirk and Kufr while the command of Allah Ta’ ala tells them not to do what they say, things become difficult. One naturally fails to stay within limits. In this case, while implementing the Divine injunction, the probability did exist that the son or daughter would have used improper language or manners in their response to parents and thus insulted them. Islam is a law, just and equitable. Here, everything has a limit. Therefore, right along with the command of not obeying parents in matters of Shirk, also given there was the command:

صَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُ‌وفًا (And be with them, in this world, with due fairness - 15).

It means: 'In the matter of the contravention of your faith and religion, do not obey parents. But, when it comes to worldly matters, such as serving parents physically or financially or in any other way necessary, do not fall short about it. Instead, deal with them in mundane matters according to recognized custom. Show no disrespect to them. Do not respond to what they say in a manner that hurts them unnecessarily. In other words, the pain you cause them by not accepting their insistence on Shirk and Kufr is something you will have to bear by, since you have no choice there. But, let this necessity stay within its functional limits and keep abstaining from causing any pain to them in other matters.'

Special Note

As for the weaning period of two years for a child mentioned in the verse, it is in accordance with customary practice. It carries no clarification concerning the injunction relevant to any additional period of suckling the child. A detailed explanation of this issue will, insha'Allah, appear under the commentary on the verse: وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرً‌ا (And his carrying and weaning is (in) thirty months - A1-Ahgaf, 46:15).

The Second Bequest of Luqman about Articles of Belief

One should irrevocably hold the belief that the knowledge of Allah Ta` a1a surrounds every single particle of whatever there is in and around the expanses of the heavens and the earth with His most perfect power. Nothing can - be it the smallest of the small not commonly visible, or be it the farthest of the far, or be it behind layers upon layers of darkness and curtains - simply nothing can hide from the knowledge and view of Allah Ta’ ala. And He can, when He wills, cause it to be present, where He wills. This is what is meant by verse يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّهَا إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْ‌دَلٍ (My dear son, in fact, if there be anything to the measure of a grain of rye, and it be [ hidden ] in a rock or in the heavens and the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Surely, Allah is All-Fine, All Aware). Then, the all-covering knowledge and power of Allah Ta’ ala is, in its own place, a basic belief of Islam - and certainly, a great proof of Tauhid, the belief in the Oneness of Allah.

The Third Bequest of Luqman (علیہ السلام) about the Correction of Deed

There are many obligatory deeds, but the greatest and the most important of these is Salah - and not simply that it is important by itself, it also happens to be the master deed that becomes the catalyst changing other deeds towards the better as was pointed out in the Holy Qur'an about it: إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ‌ (Surely Salah restrains from shamelessness and evil A1-` Ankabut, 29:45). Therefore, out of the obligatory good deeds, the mention of Salah was considered sufficient when it was. said: يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ (My dear son, establish Salah - 17). And as it has been explained earlier, the expression denoting the 'iqamah' of salah does not simply suggest the 'making' or 'saying' or 'doing' it. Instead of that, this term translated as 'establish' (in the absence of an exact equivalent) includes all attending considerations, such as performing it with due respect to its essentials and manners fully and faithfully, observing punctuality in its timings and being consistent in fulfilling its requisites.

The Fourth Bequest of Luqman about the Betterment of People

Islam is a collective religion. Betterment of the community, along with the betterment of the individual, is an important part of its social system. Therefore, the duty of Bidding the Fair and Forbidding the Unfair (amr bi 'l-ma` ruf and nahy 'ani 'l-munkar) was mentioned along with as important a duty as the Salah. It was said: وَأْمُرْ‌ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌ (and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair -17). Here are two duties: (1) Make yourself better and (2) make others better. Both need a lot of restraint and hard work. Facing these difficulties and remaining firm is no easy task. Particularly so, when those who stand to serve people by telling them what is good for them receive nothing but opposition and hostility in return. Therefore, while making this recommendation, it was also recommended: وَاصْبِرْ‌ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ‌ (and observe patience on what befalls you. Surely, this is among the matters of determination - 17).

The Fifth Bequest of Luqman about Social Manners

In verse 18, it was said: وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ‌ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ (And do not turn your cheek away from people). The expression: لَا تُصَعِّرْ‌ (la tusa"ir) is a derivation from: صَعَرَ (sa’ ara) which is a disease among camels that causes a tilt in the neck similar to the stroke among human beings that makes the face become crooked. It carries the sense of turning one's face away (in disdain). Thus, the verse means: 'do not turn your face away from people when you meet them and talk to them for it is a sign of avoidance and arrogance and very much against the norms of gentle manners.'

In the next sentence of the verse, it was said: وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مَرَ‌حًا (and do not walk on the earth haughtily - 18). The last word: مَرَ‌حًا (maraha) denotes walking proudly with assumed airs. The sense of the statement is that Allah Ta’ ala has given this earth the lowest profile from among the entire range of elements He created. Is it not that you were born from it and on it you walk around? Know your reality and do not walk haughtily. This is the way of the arrogant. Therefore, after that, it was said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ‌ (Surely, Allah does not like anyone arrogant, proud - 18).