31LuqmānLuqmānسُورَةُ لقمان

Alif-Lām-Mīm [A-L-M].

Those [letters] constitute the [amazing] āyāt of the sagacious Scripture,

[Which is] guidance and mercy for those who are thorough persons —

Those who standardize the ṣalāh and organize the zakāh: for it is they, they who are convinced [beyond any doubt] of the life to come.

They are the ones who are on a stretch of guidance from their Sustainer, and it is they, they who are successful.

And among people, there is many an individual who will distract [and sidetrack] from this Qur’an by conducting pedestrian speeches in order to misguide [people] without [substantial] knowledge away from Allah’s path, intending by [such distraction to] make a mockery [of scripture]: such as them will have humiliating painful punishment.

And if Our āyāt are rehearsed to such [a person] he arrogantly leaves [and runs off] as if he did not hear them — as if he were hard of hearing. Give him, then, the breaking news of a painful suffering [in store for him in the future afterlife].

[On the other hand], verily, those who commit themselves [and affirm Our power and dominance] and do what is correct and well, for them are the gardens of delight,

In there [to abide] for eternity: [that is] truly Allah’s promise. For He is the Grand, the Vastly Wise.

He [is the one who] created the galaxies without a humanly visible prop [post], and placed anchors [mountains] on the earth lest it sway [move to and fro], and interspersed all types of earthly creatures on it. And We brought water down from the skies and thus We made every type of splendid twosome bloom [and flourish].

[All] this is Allah’s creation: show me, then, what those who are inferior to Him have created. Rather the wrongdoers are in an obvious erroneousness.

And, indeed, We conferred upon Luqmān [noteworthy] wisdom — that you [Luqmān] be thankful to Allah, for whoever is thankful [to Allah] is [in the end] thankful to the benefit of his own self; but whoever is unthankful then [let it be known that] Allah is in no need [of them] and is always praised [by those who know better].

And bear in mind when Luqmān said to his son counseling him, “O my [dear] son! Do not compare [associate] others with Allah [which is shirk], for, indeed, shirk is a monumental injustice [to self and to society].

“And [Allah says], ‘We instructed man to be kind to his parents: his mother bore him [in labor] in [her physical condition of] vulnerability upon vulnerability, and then his [the baby’s] weaning lasted two years. [Hence] be thankful to Me and to your parents, [and remember that] to Me is the homecoming.

“‘And if they [the parents] exhaust themselves to compel you to correlate other deities/authorities with Me — something that you cannot fathom — then do not obey them, but [with all that] keep good company with them in life on earth, and follow the path of those who turn back [in unpretentiousness] to Me. Then [there will come a time when] all of you will revert to Me and then I will inform you of what you used to do [in the world].’

“O my [dear] son! Even if it [the human effort] was the size of a mustard seed and it be [out of sight] in a rock [somewhere] or in the [expanse] of the cosmos or [in the unfamiliar places of] earth, it is within Allah’s capacity to divulge it: verily, Allah is subtle and realistically attentive.

“O my [dear] son! Establish ṣalāh, and demand what is commonly self-evident [in its virtues] and press for the obliteration of what is commonly self-evident [in its vices]; and be patient with whatever is brought to bear on you [in the affairs of life]: verily, these are demanding matters [to tend to].

“And do not turn your cheek away from people [as a matter of fallacious pride], and do not walk pompously on earth: verily, Allah does not like any and every person who is pretentious and flamboyant.

“And be modest in your stride [pace], and lower your voice: indeed, the most obnoxious voice is the voice of asses [donkeys].”

Have you not seen that Allah has made all that is in the atmospheres and all that is on earth usable for you and has inundated you with his obvious and obscure profusions of godsends? [Yet] there are people who will argue about Allah without having any knowledge or guidance or an enlightening scripture.

And if they are told, “Follow what Allah has imparted [as revelation],” they say, “Rather we follow what we found our founding fathers going by.” [Are they willing to follow their founding fathers] even if it means that Satan is inducing them to the suffering of the searing blaze?

And whoever relinquishes his whole self to Allah while trying to do the best [toward that end], he is the one who has grasped the most firm lead [there is] — for, back to Allah proceeds the conclusion of all issues.

But as to whoever [decides to] reject [Allah], at that point do not be saddened by his rejection [of Allah]. To Us they [the kāfirs] are returning, whereupon We will inform them of [the reality of] what they were doing [back in the world]: for, verily, Allah is very aware of [their] innermost thoughts.

We allow them to enjoy themselves for a while, but then We compel them into multilayered suffering.

And if you [Muhammad] were to ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will most definitely answer, “[It is] Allah!” Say [O Muhammad], “All praise belongs to Allah.” Rather, [the problem is that] most of them do not know [what such affirmation implies, that is, Allah’s power and authority].

To Allah belongs whatever is in the universe and whatever is on earth. Truly Allah alone is the Self-Sufficient, the Enormously Exemplary.

And if all the trees on earth were [made into] pens, and the ocean [served as] ink [for those pens] plus seven more oceans [as refills] to express Allah’s words, the words of Allah would not be exhausted: for, truthfully, Allah is grand, exceedingly wise.

[For Him] Your creation [your first life] and your re-creation [final life on the Day of Judgement] is akin to [the conception of] a single soul: for, indeed, Allah hears all [and everything] and sees all [and everything].

Have you not seen [realized] that Allah interleaves [inserts] night into day and interleaves [inserts] day into night, and [that] He has made the Sun and the Moon useful to you, each moving on a timeline for a predetermined period [of time], and that, indeed, Allah is very much aware of what you do.

It is thus, because Allah is the Ultimate [of truth and justice] and whatever they [the mushriks] are invoking alongside Him is [confirmed] fallacy; and because, verily, Allah is the Most Supreme, the Most Immense.

Have you not seen [and grasped] how vessels sail the ocean by Allah’s courtesy so that He may demonstrate to you His illustrations [of capacity and aptitude]? Verily, in this [comprehension] there are illustrations [of Allah’s power presence] for everyone who is very enduring and very thankful.

And [if it happens and] they are outdone by an overwhelming sea-wave [while at sea] they plead with Allah sincerely and faithfully [at that moment in time], but then, when He delivers them to the safety of land disembarkation some of them turn out to be indifferent [to affirming and denying Allah]; yet [even so] no one can openly refute Our illustrations [of power] except he who is traitorous, perfidious.

O people! Avoid [the consequences of] your Sustainer [His “power for justice”] and be apprehensive of a Day when no parent will benefit his child nor will the child be of any benefit to his parent [as each person stands on his or her own merit]. Surely, Allah’s promise [to humanity of the life to come] is true [and binding]. Therefore, be not lured [into trivialities] by [material] earthly life, and do not be seduced away from Allah by anything [materialistic and selfish].

Indeed, with Allah rests the knowledge of [the onset of] the Final Hour, and He [it is who] sends down rain [from the sky], and He [it is who] knows what is [concealed] in the wombs [of pregnant women]; whereas no living person knows what he will acquire tomorrow and no living person knows which land he shall die in. Indeed, Allah [alone] is particularly knowledgeable and exceptionally aware [of all details].