Surah Luqman

Surah 31 · Luqman · 34 verses · meccan

Luqman — a wise man, not a prophet, whose advice to his son is preserved in the Quran.

The story

Luqman was a very wise man, and Allah kept the advice he gave his son in the Quran. He told him: pray, be patient, and do not walk around showing off — and do not shout, because the ugliest sound in the world is a donkey braying.

How it unfolds

AYAH 12-19
Luqman's wisdom
Gratitude, tawhid, the mustard seed, prayer, patience — and how to walk, speak, and hold your face.
AYAH 14-15
Parents held carefully
Thirty months of carrying and weaning, kindness owed regardless, and a limit that is not obedience.
AYAH 33-34
What no one knows
The five things kept with Allah alone — the Hour, the rain, the womb, tomorrow, and where a soul will die.

Verses to carry

31:18"Do not turn your cheek away from people in contempt, and do not walk the earth exultantly."
31:14"Be grateful to Me and to your parents." Gratitude to Allah and to parents named in the same breath.
31:17"Establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you."

Remember this

Even a tiny seed hidden inside a rock is known to Allah. Nothing you do is too small for Him to see.

Talk about it

Luqman told his son not to show off. What is the difference between being proud of something and showing off?