Luqmân

This Makki surah is named after Luqman, a wise African man who is mentioned in verses 12-19 giving advice to his son on how to have a good relationship with Allah and the people.

The believers are praised for putting their trust in Allah.

The idol-worshippers are told they are doomed for being ungrateful, distracting others from the Way of Allah, and for making idols equal to Him.

This surah talks about some of the amazing things Allah has created.

The idol-worshippers are challenged to list anything their false gods have created.

Everyone is told to keep Judgment Day in mind, because no one can benefit others on that Day.

In the last verse of this surah, Allah mentions 5 things that no one knows except Him.

There was an idol-worshipper, named An-Nadr ibn Al-Harith, who was mad that many people accepted Islam after listening to the Quran. So he came up with an evil plan. He hired some performers to sing, dance, and chant some fairy tales to distract people from hearing the message of Islam. An-Nadr also provided food and wine to people as they were entertained.

He would even brag, "Isn't this more fun than praying, fasting, and all the other stuff that Muhammad (ﷺ) is asking you to do?" {Recorded by Imam Al-Qurtubi}

Allah tells us that He is unique and there is nothing like Him (42:11 and 112:1-4). This is why we cannot draw a picture of Him, because He is not like anyone or anything that you can think of. Islam is probably the only religion that doesn't put a face on God. If you search 'god' on Google Images, the search will turn up millions of results, mostly with human and animal faces. If you search 'Allah,' you will find the word اللہ in calligraphy.

This surah focuses on the 3 types of tawhid—the fact that Allah is One and Unique: 1. He is the Only Lord, Who created us, provides for us, and showers us with His blessings. 2. Allah is the Only True God, Who deserves our worship. 3. He is the Only One with unique Names and Qualities.

In Islam, everyone should be respected regardless of their race, colour, or background. Allah says in the Quran (49:13): "O humanity! Surely We created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may get to know each other. Certainly the best of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the best manners. Surely Allah has perfect knowledge, and is fully Aware!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O humanity! Your Lord is One and you came from the same father and mother. No Arab is better than a non-Arab. No non-Arab is better than any Arab. No white is better than any black. And no black is better than any white. What matters is who has the best manners." {Recorded by Imam Ahmad} The Prophet (ﷺ) also said, "What matters to Allah is not your looks or wealth, but your hearts and deeds." {Recorded by Imam Muslim}

According to many scholars, Luqman was a great, wise African man who lived around the time of Prophet Dawood (A.S.). One time, he was asked, "You were just a shepherd. Why have you been blessed with so much wisdom?" He replied, "It's all from Allah, for honouring my trusts, telling the truth, eating from halal, and minding my own business." {Recorded by Imam Ibn Kathir & Imam Al-Qurtubi}

In verses 12-19, Luqman teaches his son to have a good relationship with Allah and other people. His advice involves 4 things: 1) Have faith in Allah, 2) Do what is right, 3) Stand up for the truth, and 4) Be patient. These 4 things are the focus of Surah Al-Asr (103:1-3).

A human being is made up of three things: a body, a mind, and a soul. Think of the body as the hardware of a computer (the case, monitor, keyboard, and mouse). Think of the mind as the operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux). And think of the soul as the electricity that powers that computer. Many parents take care of the physical body of their children, making sure they eat and dress properly. However, sometimes very little attention is given to the mind and soul, even though when people die their bodies go in the dirt and their souls go up to Allah. To take care of the mind and the soul, children need to learn about the purpose of their existence and how to have a good relationship with Allah and the people—which is the focus of Luqman's advice to his son.

This is a true story that happened in Toronto, Canada, many years ago. A father had been blessed with an awesome job and good money. When his son made it to college, the father got him a very nice, expensive car as a gift. Two weeks later, his son crashed the car. So the father said, maybe he did it by mistake. So he bought him another one. Then a month later, the same thing happened, because of the son's careless driving. The father was very frustrated. He told the Imam what happened and asked him for advice.

The Imam told him that his son was probably taking the car for granted. He advised the father, 'Make him work for the next car.' The father took his advice, and got his son a summer job at a local store so he could buy himself a car. Eventually, his son saved enough money to buy an old, used car after working 10 hours a day. Three years later, the father told the Imam with a smile on his face, 'You can't imagine how much my son takes care of his car. He washes it all the time, drives it carefully, and is ready to defend it with his life!'

In the 1980s, as a young student at Al-Azhar, I memorized this awesome poem by the famous Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawqi (1870-1932), known as the Prince of Poets. Let me share the original Arabic poem, along with my humble English translation in double rhymes.

At the end of the day, it's Allah who can guide children and make them good Muslims. This is why Islam teaches us that parents should make du'a for their kids, not against them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There are three prayers that will always be answered: the prayer of a parent (for their child), the prayer of a traveller, and the prayer of someone who has been treated unfairly." {Recorded by Imam Abu Dawood} The Prophet (ﷺ) also said, "Don't pray against yourselves, or your children, or your wealth. If you do, maybe it will be during a time in which Allah answers prayers." {Recorded by Imam Muslim}

Imam Al-Bukhari lost his father at a young age, so his mother took care of him. She wanted him to become a great scholar. However, he soon lost his eyesight and became totally blind. His mother was very disappointed. Every night, she would pray to Allah for her son to see again. She always slept with tears in her eyes. One night she saw Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) in a dream. He told her, "Allah has blessed your son, giving him back his eyesight, because of your du'a." In the morning, she found out that her dream had come true. Imam Al-Bukhari went on to memorize the Quran before the age of 10. Then he travelled to learn from over 1,000 scholars of his time. Eventually, he became the greatest scholar of hadith in the history of Islam. His book, Sahih Al-Bukhari, is the 2nd most authentic book, after the Quran. {Recorded by Imam Ibn Hajar}

In many places in the Quran, Allah says, "Worship Me alone, and take good care of your parents." Our relationship with Allah, our Creator, and with our parents, who are the reason we are here, can never be cut off. Our parents will always be our parents—you can't fire, unfriend, or divorce them.

In verses 14-15, Allah reminds us to be kind to our parents. Verse 14 specifically focuses on mothers and the immense challenges they face during pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing. This emphasis on mothers serves to remind us of their great sacrifices.

An advertising agency in the U.S. posted an ad for a 'director of operations' job with seemingly impossible requirements: present every day of the year, with no days off or sick leave, and no pay. The job also required expertise in various fields like healthcare, education, and business.

The Prophet (ﷺ) told his companions about a Muslim man from Yemen named Owais Al-Qarani. Although they never met, the Prophet (ﷺ) said Owais would come to Madinah after his death. Owais had a skin condition that healed, but a spot the size of a coin remained. He was so kind to his mother that Allah always answered his prayers.

The Prophet (ﷺ) advised his companions, 'If you can, ask him to pray for your forgiveness.' Years later, when Owais finally visited Madinah, 'Umar (R.A.) met him and asked him to pray for his forgiveness, which Owais did.

Joha went to the market to buy a donkey. After purchasing one, two thieves stole it by replacing it with one of the thieves who had a rope around his neck. When Joha arrived home, he was shocked to see a man instead of a donkey.

The thief lied, claiming he was turned into a donkey because he disobeyed his mother, and that Joha's purchase broke the curse. Joha, moved by the story, told the man to go home and even promised to buy another donkey. The next day, Joha found his stolen donkey for sale in the market. He whispered to it, 'Don't tell me you bothered your mom again. I'm not buying you this time!'

According to verse 18, Luqman (A.S.) advised his son to be humble. He told him not to turn his nose up to people or walk arrogantly on the earth, because Allah doesn't like those who are arrogant.

Qaroon was arrogant with his people, bragging that his wealth was due to his own knowledge, not from Allah. He was then destroyed along with the very wealth he bragged about.

Shaytan (Satan) was arrogant with Allah when he refused to bow down before Prophet Adam (A.S.). He bragged, 'I am better than Adam because I was made from fire and he was made from mud.' Shaytan was then told he would be punished with the very fire he bragged about.

A person might ask, 'If Allah doesn't like an arrogant person (mutakabbir), why is one of His names Al-Mutakabbir?' To understand this, we need to know that Allah has the right to be greater than all of His creation because of His inherent superior qualities. When humans act arrogantly, it is not because of who they are, but because of something Allah has given them, which He can easily take away.

Allah is high above human needs. He doesn't need food, children, or any of His creation. The Quran points out that Prophet Isa (A.S.) needed food to prove to Christians that he was not god.

Allah is high above human weaknesses and limitations. He doesn't get tired, fall asleep, forget, or get sick.

Allah is also high above being unjust. He is fair to all of His creation and never lowers Himself to the level of doing injustice.

So Allah's name Al-Mutakabbir means: the Supreme, the Majestic, the One high above His creation, and the One who is in no need of anyone or anything.

As mentioned in the Introduction of this book, the Quran is made up of 4 sections, based on a hadith from the Prophet (ﷺ), recorded by Imam Ahmad.

The first section (Al-Tiwāl—long surahs, like Al-Baqarah) deals mostly with rulings.

The second section (Al-Miūn—surahs of about 100 verses, like Al-Kahf) deals mostly with stories.

The third section (Al-Mathāni—surahs less than 100 verses, like Yasin) deals mostly with blessings. This is the volume you are reading now. Almost every single surah in this section reminds us of some of Allah's favors that we should be grateful for.

These favors include: creating us, taking care of us, showing us the Way, giving us the ability to see, hear, and think, sending us rain, putting everything at our service, hearing our prayers, saving us from difficulties, and forgiving our sins.

And the fourth section (Al-Mufaṣṣal, like surah Qaf) deals mostly with faith and life after death.

Throughout these 4 sections, the following topics are frequently highlighted: Allah is our Creator, the only God that deserves our worship. Islam is the truth. There is one Lord, one humanity, and one message that was delivered by all prophets: have faith in one God and do good.

He sent Muhammad (ﷺ) as His final Messenger for the guidance of humanity. The Quran is a revelation from Allah. Judgment Day is real, and everyone will answer for their actions and choices.

Those who have faith in Allah, obey Him and His prophets, believe in His revelations, and show Him gratitude will be rewarded in the Next Life. Those who don't will be terribly punished on Judgment Day.

In verse 20, Allah says that He has showered us with many blessings, both visible and invisible.

The visible blessings include things in our bodies, such as our eyes, ears, tongues, noses, brains, hearts, kidneys, livers, arms, and legs.

Other visible blessings are the people around us like our parents, friends, and teachers; things we own such as money, homes, businesses, cars, and land; and things that benefit us, like the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Blessings we can see also include things that are put at our service, such as the sun, rivers, and animals, as well as new discoveries that make our lives much easier.

The blessings we cannot see include the fact that Allah has blessed us with Islam, guided us to worship Him alone, always forgives our sins, covers our mistakes, gives us second chances, and comforts us in difficult times. Think of all the people who struggle to find the truth, and those who worship things that cannot help them at all.

Other invisible blessings are the angels that Allah sends for our protection (13:11).

The fact that we live on a planet floating in endless space that has everything we need for our survival (such as air, water, energy, and gravity) is another hidden blessing. The Earth isn't too close to the sun (otherwise, everything would burn) and it isn't too far away (otherwise, everything would freeze). The ozone layer always protects the earth from harmful radiation from the sun.

Invisible blessings also include things in our bodies that we don't fully understand (like our souls, minds, and DNA), or organs that we didn't even know existed. Can you imagine that in 2020, scientists accidentally discovered a new 4-centimeter organ in the upper part of the human throat, right behind the nose?

Finally, feelings and emotions such as love and mercy are blessings. Now you can appreciate how Allah made your parents love and take care of you.

Now that you understand how Allah has showered you with favors, here is how to thank Allah for them: Remind yourself of those blessings, maybe by writing some of them down. Keep in mind that all these blessings are from Allah (16:53). Also, know that the One Who gave you those blessings can easily take them away.

Imagine your life without some of those blessings. What if you didn't have parents? What if you were born blind? What if you couldn't walk or talk?

Believe that Allah deserves our thanks and worship. This is why we say Al-Fatiha at least 17 times every day in our Salah, starting with "All praise is for Allah—Lord of the whole universe."

Be grateful in good times and patient in difficult times. If you thank Allah, He will give you more to be thankful for. But if you keep complaining, He will give you more to complain about (14:7).

Make sajdah (bow down) to show gratitude to Allah when you receive some good news, as the Prophet (ﷺ) used to do. {Recorded by Imam Abu Dawud}

Use those blessings to help people and please Allah. Use your strength to help others, not to abuse them. Use your tongue to say the truth, not to lie. Use your knowledge to benefit people, not to trick them.

Can you believe that your life is much more comfortable than many kings and queens of the past? They didn't have the technology and resources that we have today. Let's take a time machine to travel back in history and see how easy and convenient your life is compared to theirs.

Pharaoh struggled with bad weather. If it was hot, servants had to use feather fans, and if it was cold, they had to burn wood to keep warm. Now, all you have to do is turn on the AC or heater. Kings only had candles to light their homes, but you have light bulbs all over your house.

When an ancient king used a wooden cart pulled by horses, it was very rough because the roads were not paved. Compare this to your comfortable car ride. If a king wanted to travel from one country to another, it would probably take weeks or even months on the back of a horse or a camel. Now you can easily have breakfast in Cairo, lunch in Istanbul, and dinner in Toronto on the same day.

If a king wanted to send a message, someone had to travel long distances. Now you can simply send a text message or a voice note. You can even video chat with others in distant countries in real time. To record a story, ancient Pharaohs would order workers to carve the information on the walls of temples and pyramids. Now you can easily type a whole book using a keyboard and access thousands of books from your smartphone.

If an ancient king wanted to heat food, he would have to wait for his servants to start a fire and struggle with the smoke. Now you can simply microwave your food in no time. You also have fridges to enjoy cold drinks, a luxury they didn't have. Taking a hot shower in the winter or a cold shower in the summer was very difficult for a king. Now you can have hot and cold water in your shower with a simple turn of a tap.

If a king had a headache or a fever, he might be up all night from the pain. Now you can simply take some medicine then watch a movie and eat popcorn. To watch tournaments, people had to travel long distances. Now you can easily watch a live game on the other side of the planet from the comfort of your living room.

Ali, a 75-year-old man, got a terrible chest pain and couldn't breathe, so he was rushed to the hospital. The doctor supplied him with oxygen for 24 hours. The next day, when he got better, he was given a bill for $1,000. When he saw the bill, he started to cry.

The doctor, feeling sorry for him, asked if he was crying because he couldn't pay. The old man replied, 'No! I'm crying because I have been breathing FREE air for 75 years, and I never paid anything to Allah. Now for only 24 hours of oxygen, I have to pay the hospital $1,000. If Allah charged me $1,000 a day for 75 years, do you know how much I would owe Him?' The doctor became emotional and started to cry too.

They can sleep with comfort and wake up refreshed. They can drive to work and feel safe. They come back after work to find their families doing just fine.

They have nice houses, fine cars, and a good income. They are healthy and wealthy. They have parents and families. They are married and have children.

They can see, hear, and think. They can breathe, eat, and drink. They can move their arms and walk. They can read, write, and talk. They have working kidneys, hearts, and livers. They can go to the store and buy whatever they want.

So, once they get used to a blessing, they don't appreciate it. They think they deserve it, and there is no need to say 'Alhamdulillah.' They also don't care about those who are less fortunate (the poor, the homeless, and the sick).

It should be noted that Allah's knowledge is not limited to just these five things. He knows everything that has happened or will happen, even before He created the universe. He mentions only five things in verse 34 because the verse came down to answer the man's specific questions.

Allah calls this knowledge 'the keys of the unseen.' In verse 6:59, He says, 'With Him are the keys of the unseen; no one knows them except Him. And He knows what is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, and no grain in the darkness of the earth or anything green or dry that is not recorded in a perfect Record.'

An American Christian radio host, Harold Camping, publicly predicted the end of the world at least 12 times based on his understanding of numbers in the Bible. Each time a prediction failed, he proposed a new date. It's interesting to note that Prophet 'Isa (A.S.) himself said in the Bible (Mark 13:32) that nobody knows the time of the Final Hour, not even him or the angels; only God knows.

We shouldn't worry too much about the time of the Hour. What matters is to always be ready for it. A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'When is the Hour?' The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'What have you done to prepare for it?' The man said, 'Not much, but I love Allah and His Messenger!' The Prophet (ﷺ) gave him the good news: 'You will be with those you love.'

There are some major and minor signs that will appear to show us that the Hour is near. In a famous hadith, when asked by the angel Jibril (A.S.) about the Hour, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that nobody knows its exact time except Allah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was then asked about the signs of the Hour, to which he replied that the poor, bare-footed, barely-dressed shepherds will one day compete with each other to see who can build the tallest building. Another sign is that people will be killed in large numbers for no good reason. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that the killers will not know why they are killing, and the victims will not know why they are being killed.

Other signs include the sun rising from the west, trust being betrayed, time losing its value, sudden death becoming very common, and ignorance spreading all over.

Someone may ask, 'Doctors can now tell if a woman is going to give birth to a boy or a girl and the day they will be born. How can Allah say that only He has this knowledge?' We must understand that doctors only estimate the date of birth and the gender based on available information, and sometimes they are wrong.

As for Allah, He knows exactly if it's a boy or a girl and when they will be born. He knows every single detail about them before they are created, after they come into this world, and after they move on to the Next Life (53:32).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said that a baby is formed in the mother as a seed for 40 days, then a clinging clot for 40 days, and then a lump for 40 days. Then Allah sends an angel to blow the breath of life into the baby and to write four things: how long this person will live, the good or bad things they will do, the resources they will have, and whether they will be happy or miserable in the Next Life.

As for Allah, He knows exactly how many drops of rain will fall and when they will fall. He knows how much will fall into the ocean, how much on land, and how much will be stored in the earth. And He knows how much will be consumed by living beings and how much will evaporate.

I remember I gave a Friday khutbah (speech) on this topic on July 2, 2021. I checked the weather forecast, and it seemed like another sunny day, so I planned to water my tomato plants in the evening. Right after Jum'ah (Friday prayer), I was heading to a local store when suddenly it started to pour. We could hardly see the traffic lights, and cars struggled as they splashed into pools of rainwater.

Similarly, I was invited to give a speech at a conference in Niagara Falls, Canada on April 15, 2018. Everything seemed fine, just another lovely spring day. But as soon as I hit the road, I was surprised by a snowstorm and freezing rain. The trip, which would typically take about an hour, took me 3 hours. I saw more than a dozen accidents on the slippery highway, including a boat that fell off a truck. I couldn't drive back that night, so I had to stay until the next day.

Someone may ask, 'In some cases, doctors know when a patient will die. How can Allah say that only He knows about one's death?' Remember, verse 34 says that Allah knows 'where' a person will die, not just 'when.' This is something that science cannot predict. People came from all over the world to countries like the U.S., Canada, the U.K., or Australia, and they are now buried there, thousands of miles away from their place of birth.

Doctors can only speak based on their knowledge and available data. Sometimes their estimates are correct, especially when the patient is very sick. But there are also cases where a patient was told they had only a year or two to live, but the doctors ended up dying, and the patient lived for another 70 years.

As human beings, we should pray for the families of innocent people who are killed all over the world every day, even if they are not famous. Life is very short, and we shouldn't waste our time. We should work hard to leave a legacy in this world and go to Jannah in the Next Life.

Prophet Nuh (A.S.) invited people to Islam for 950 years and died when he was 1,700 years old. He was asked before his death, 'You lived a very long life. What do you think of your stay in this world?' He replied, 'I feel like a man who entered his house from the front door, stood for a moment inside, then left from the back door!' This shows that no matter how long we live, life is very short.

On October 12, 1992, a terrible earthquake happened in Egypt. I remember a tall apartment building was under construction, and a worker fell from the 12th floor. He assumed he was going to die. However, he landed in a large pool of sand and was completely unharmed. Two minutes later, he decided to cross the road to buy sweets and drinks to celebrate his lucky survival. As he was crossing, he was hit by a speeding truck and died immediately. It wasn't written for him to die at 3:10 p.m., but at 3:12 p.m.

As we mentioned in Surah 63, Al-Mansur (a Muslim ruler) once had a dream of the Angel of Death. Al-Mansur became very scared and asked the angel, 'When am I going to die?' The angel held up his hand, showing five fingers. Al-Mansur woke up and asked people to explain his dream. Some said, 'You will die in 5 days' or '5 months,' or '5 years,' but nothing happened. Finally, they asked Imam Abu Hanifah, who said, 'The Angel of Death is telling you that he doesn't know. Your time to die is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.'

Someone may ask, 'Many business experts can tell how much money a business can make every year. How can Allah say that only He knows what a person will earn?' Keep in mind that 'earning' can also mean actions, choices, and health. But let's take business as an example.

In the same way, political experts may predict the winner of an election, then a different candidate ends up winning. Soccer experts may predict which team is going to win the World Cup, then that team never makes it to the finals. Nobody knows what will happen exactly except Allah.