31:15 Luqman (Luqman)

{ وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ } أي: اجتهد والداك { عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا } ولا تظن أن هذا داخل في الإحسان إليهما، لأن حق اللّه، مقدم على حق كل أحد، و \"لا طاعة لمخلوق، في معصية الخالق\" ولم يقل: \"وإن جاهداك على أن تشرك بي ما ليس لك به علم فعقهما\" بل قال: { فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا } أي: بالشرك، وأما برهما، فاستمر عليه، ولهذا قال: { وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا } أي: صحبة إحسان إليهما بالمعروف، وأما اتباعهما وهما بحالة الكفر والمعاصي، فلا تتبعهما.{ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ } وهم المؤمنون باللّه، وملائكته وكتبه، ورسله، المستسلمون لربهم، المنيبون إليه.واتباع سبيلهم، أن يسلك مسلكهم في الإنابة إلى اللّه، التي هي انجذاب دواعي القلب وإراداته إلى اللّه، ثم يتبعها سعي البدن، فيما يرضي اللّه، ويقرب منه.{ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ } الطائع والعاصي، والمنيب، وغيره { فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ } فلا يخفى على اللّه من أعمالهم خافية.

وقوله "وإن جاهداك على أن تشرك بي ما ليس لك به علم فلا تطعهما" أي إن حرصا عليك كل الحرص على أن تتابعهما على دينهما فلا تقبل منهما ذلك ولا يمنعك ذلك من أن تصاحبهما في الدنيا معروفا أي محسنا إليهما "واتبع سبيل من أناب إلي" يعني المؤمنين "ثم إلي مرجعكم فأنبئكم بما كنتم تعملون" قال الطبراني في كتاب العشرة حدثنا أبو عبد الرحمن عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل حدثنا أحمد بن أيوب بن راشد حدثنا مسلمة بن علقمة عن داود بن أبي هند أن سعد بن مالك قال أنزلت في هذه الآية "وإن جاهداك على أن تشرك بي ما ليس لك به علم فلا تطعهما" الآية قال كنت رجلا برا بأمي فلما أسلمت قالت يا سعد ما هذا الذي أراك قد أحدثت لتدعن دينك هذا أو لا آكل ولا أشرب حتى أموت فتعير بي فيقال يا قاتل أمه فقلت لا تفعلي يا أمه فإني لا أدع ديني هذا لشيء فمكثت يوما وليلة لم تأكل فأصبحت قد جهدت فمكثت يوما آخر وليلة لم تأكل فأصبحت قد جهدت فمكثت يوما وليلة أخرى لا تأكل فأصبحت قد اشتد جهدها فلما رأيت ذلك قلت يا أمه: تعلمين والله لو كانت لك مائة نفس فخرجت نفسا نفسا ما تركت ديني هذا لشيء فإن شئت فكلي وإن شئت لا تأكلي فأكلت.

Luqman's Advice to His Son

Allah tells us how Luqman advised his son. His full name was Luqman bin `Anqa' bin Sadun, and his son's name was Tharan, according to a saying quoted by As-Suhayli. Allah describes him in the best terms, and states that he granted him wisdom. Luqman advised his son, the closest and most beloved of all people to him, who deserved to be given the best of his knowledge. So, Luqman started by advising him to worship Allah Alone, and not to associate anything with Him. Then he warned him:

إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

(Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.) meaning, it is the greatest wrong. Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah said: "When the Ayah

الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm)(6:82) was revealed, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were distressed by this, and said, `Who among us does not confuse his belief with Zulm' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِذَاكَ، أَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَى قَوْلِ لُقْمَانَ:

يَبُنَىَّ لاَ تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ»

(That is not what it means. Have you not heard what Luqman said: (O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed))" It was recorded by Muslim. When Luqman advised his son to worship Allah Alone, he also told him to honor his parents. This is like the Ayah,

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً

(And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents) (17:23). These two things are often mentioned together in the Qur'an. Allah says here:

وَوَصَّيْنَا الإِنْسَـنَ بِوَلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْناً عَلَى وَهْنٍ

(And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship,) Mujahid said: "The hardship of bearing the child." Qatadah said: "Exhaustion upon exhaustion." `Ata' Al-Khurasani said: "Weakness upon weakness."

وَفِصَالُهُ فِى عَامَيْنِ

(and his weaning is in two years) means, after he is born, he is breastfed and weaned within two years. This is like the Ayah,

وَالْوَلِدَتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَـدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ

(The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, for those who desire to complete the term of suckling)(2:233). On this basis, Ibn `Abbas and other Imams understood that the shortest possible period of pregnancy was six months, because Allah says elsewhere:

وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَـلُهُ ثَلاَثُونَ شَهْراً

(and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months) (46:15). Allah mentions how the mother brings the child up, and how she gets tired and suffers stress from staying up with the child night and day, to remind the son of her previous kind treatment of him. This is like the Ayah,

وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

(and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.") (17:24). Allah says here:

أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ

(give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.) means, `I will reward you most generously for that.'

وَإِن جَـهَدَاكَ عَلَى أَن تُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلاَ تُطِعْهُمَا

(But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not;) means, if they try hard to make you follow them in their religion, then do not accept that from them, but do not let that stop you from behaving with them in the world kindly, i.e. treating them with respect.

وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَىَّ

(and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience.) means, the believers.

ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.) At-Tabarani recorded in Al-`Ishrah that Sa`d bin Malik said, "This Ayah,

وَإِن جَـهَدَاكَ عَلَى أَن تُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلاَ تُطِعْهُمَا

(But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not;) was revealed concerning me. I was a man who honored his mother, but when I became Muslim, she said: `O Sa`d! What is this new thing I see you doing Leave this religion of yours, or I will not eat or drink until I die, and people will say: Shame on you, for what you have done to me, and they will say that you have killed your mother.' I said, `Do not do that, O mother, for I will not give up this religion of mine for anything.' She stayed without eating for one day and one night, and she became exhausted; then she stayed for another day and night without eating, and she became utterly exhausted. When I saw that, I said: `O my mother, by Allah, even if you had one hundred souls and they were to depart one by one, I would not give up this religion of mine for anything, so if you want to, eat, and if you want to, do not eat.' So she ate."

But if they urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that whereof you have no knowledge that accords with any reality then do not obey them. And keep them company in this world honourably in other words with decency dutifulness and kindness — and follow the way of him who returns to Me in penitence with acts of obedience. Then to Me will be your return and I will inform you of what you used to do and requite you for it the entire sentence containing the ‘enjoinder’ verse 14 and what comes after it constitutes a parenthetical statement.

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).

(But if they strive with thee to make thee ascribe unto Me as partner�) [31:15]. This was revealed about Sa�d ibn Abi Waqqas as mentioned before in Surah al-�Ankabut [29:8]. (�and follow the path of him who repenteth unto Me�) [31:15]. This verse was revealed about Abu Bakr, may Allah be well pleased with him. �Ata� reported that Ibn �Abbas said: �This refers to Abu Bakr, may Allah be well pleased with him. When the latter embraced Islam, �Abd al-Rahman ibn �Awf, Sa�d ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa�id ibn Zayd, �Uthman, Talhah and al-Zubayr went to him and said: �Did you believe in Muhammad and adopt his message?� And when he said that he did they all went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and declared their faith in him and believed in his message. And so, Allah, exalted is He, addressing Sa�d, said (�and follow the path of him who repenteth unto Me�), i.e. Abu Bakr, may Allah be well pleased with him�.