Surah Luqman

الٓمٓ

Alif. Lam. Mim.

تِلْكَءَايَٰتُٱلْكِتَٰبِٱلْحَكِيمِ

THESE ARE MESSAGES of the divine writ, full of wisdom,

هُدًۭىوَرَحْمَةًۭلِّلْمُحْسِنِينَ

providing guidance and grace unto the doers of good

ٱلَّذِينَيُقِيمُونَٱلصَّلَوٰةَوَيُؤْتُونَٱلزَّكَوٰةَوَهُمبِٱلْءَاخِرَةِهُمْيُوقِنُونَ

who are constant in prayer and dispense charity: for it is they, they who in their innermost are certain of the life to come!

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَعَلَىٰهُدًۭىمِّنرَّبِّهِمْوَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَهُمُٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

It is they who follow the guidance [that comes to them] from their Sustainer; and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!

وَمِنَٱلنَّاسِمَنيَشْتَرِىلَهْوَٱلْحَدِيثِلِيُضِلَّعَنسَبِيلِٱللَّهِبِغَيْرِعِلْمٍۢوَيَتَّخِذَهَاهُزُوًاأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَلَهُمْعَذَابٌۭمُّهِينٌۭ

But among men there is many a one that prefers a mere play with words [to divine guidance], so as to lead [those] without knowledge astray from the path of God, and to turn it to ridicule: for such there is shameful suffering in store.

وَإِذَاتُتْلَىٰعَلَيْهِءَايَٰتُنَاوَلَّىٰمُسْتَكْبِرًۭاكَأَنلَّمْيَسْمَعْهَاكَأَنَّفِىٓأُذُنَيْهِوَقْرًۭافَبَشِّرْهُبِعَذَابٍأَلِيمٍ

For, whenever Our messages are conveyed to such a one, he turns away in his arrogance as though he had not heard them - as though there were deafness in his ears. Give him, then, the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come].

إِنَّٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟وَعَمِلُوا۟ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِلَهُمْجَنَّٰتُٱلنَّعِيمِ

[As against this,] verily, those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds shall have gardens of bliss,

خَٰلِدِينَفِيهَاوَعْدَٱللَّهِحَقًّۭاوَهُوَٱلْعَزِيزُٱلْحَكِيمُ

to abide therein in accordance with God’s true promise: for He alone is almighty, truly wise.

خَلَقَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِبِغَيْرِعَمَدٍۢتَرَوْنَهَاوَأَلْقَىٰفِىٱلْأَرْضِرَوَٰسِىَأَنتَمِيدَبِكُمْوَبَثَّفِيهَامِنكُلِّدَآبَّةٍۢوَأَنزَلْنَامِنَٱلسَّمَآءِمَآءًۭفَأَنۢبَتْنَافِيهَامِنكُلِّزَوْجٍۢكَرِيمٍ

He [it is who] has created the skies without any supports that you could see, and has placed firm mountains upon the earth, lest it sway with you, and has caused all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon. And We send down water from the skies, and thus We cause every noble kind [of life] to grow on earth.

هَٰذَاخَلْقُٱللَّهِفَأَرُونِىمَاذَاخَلَقَٱلَّذِينَمِندُونِهِۦبَلِٱلظَّٰلِمُونَفِىضَلَٰلٍۢمُّبِينٍۢ

[All] this is God’s creation: show Me, then, what others than He may have created! Nay, but the evildoers are obviously lost in error!

وَلَقَدْءَاتَيْنَالُقْمَٰنَٱلْحِكْمَةَأَنِٱشْكُرْلِلَّهِوَمَنيَشْكُرْفَإِنَّمَايَشْكُرُلِنَفْسِهِۦوَمَنكَفَرَفَإِنَّٱللَّهَغَنِىٌّحَمِيدٌۭ

and, indeed, we granted this wisdom unto Luq­man: “Be grateful unto God - for he who is grateful [unto Him] is but grateful for the good of his own self; whereas he who chooses to be ungrateful [ought to know that], verily, God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised!”

وَإِذْقَالَلُقْمَٰنُلِٱبْنِهِۦوَهُوَيَعِظُهُۥيَٰبُنَىَّلَاتُشْرِكْبِٱللَّهِإِنَّٱلشِّرْكَلَظُلْمٌعَظِيمٌۭ

And, lo, Luqman spoke thus unto his son, admonishing him: “O my dear son! Do not ascribe divine powers to aught beside God: for, behold, such [a false] ascribing of divinity is indeed an awesome wrong!

وَوَصَّيْنَاٱلْإِنسَٰنَبِوَٰلِدَيْهِحَمَلَتْهُأُمُّهُۥوَهْنًاعَلَىٰوَهْنٍۢوَفِصَٰلُهُۥفِىعَامَيْنِأَنِٱشْكُرْلِىوَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَإِلَىَّٱلْمَصِيرُ

“And [God says:] ‘We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: his mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his utter dependence on her lasted two years: [hence, O man,] be grateful towards Me and towards thy parents, [and remember that] with Me is all journeys’ end.

وَإِنجَٰهَدَاكَعَلَىٰٓأَنتُشْرِكَبِىمَالَيْسَلَكَبِهِۦعِلْمٌۭفَلَاتُطِعْهُمَاوَصَاحِبْهُمَافِىٱلدُّنْيَامَعْرُوفًۭاوَٱتَّبِعْسَبِيلَمَنْأَنَابَإِلَىَّثُمَّإِلَىَّمَرْجِعُكُمْفَأُنَبِّئُكُمبِمَاكُنتُمْتَعْمَلُونَ

“‘[Revere thy parents;] yet should they endeavour to make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me, to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine], obey them not; but [even then] bear them company in this world’s life with kindness, and follow the path of those who turn towards Me. In the end, unto Me you all must return; and thereupon I shall make you [truly] understand all that you were doing [in life].’

يَٰبُنَىَّإِنَّهَآإِنتَكُمِثْقَالَحَبَّةٍۢمِّنْخَرْدَلٍۢفَتَكُنفِىصَخْرَةٍأَوْفِىٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِأَوْفِىٱلْأَرْضِيَأْتِبِهَاٱللَّهُإِنَّٱللَّهَلَطِيفٌخَبِيرٌۭ

“O my dear son,” [continued Luqman,] “verily, if there be but the weight of a mustard-seed, and though it be [hidden] in a rock, or in the skies, or in the earth, God will bring it to light: for, behold, God is unfathomable [in His wisdom], all-aware

يَٰبُنَىَّأَقِمِٱلصَّلَوٰةَوَأْمُرْبِٱلْمَعْرُوفِوَٱنْهَعَنِٱلْمُنكَرِوَٱصْبِرْعَلَىٰمَآأَصَابَكَإِنَّذَٰلِكَمِنْعَزْمِٱلْأُمُورِ

“O my dear son! Be constant in prayer, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and bear in patience whatever [ill] may befall thee: this, behold, is something to set one’s heart upon!

وَلَاتُصَعِّرْخَدَّكَلِلنَّاسِوَلَاتَمْشِفِىٱلْأَرْضِمَرَحًاإِنَّٱللَّهَلَايُحِبُّكُلَّمُخْتَالٍۢفَخُورٍۢ

“And turn not thy cheek away from people in [false] pride, and walk not haughtily on earth: for, behold, God does not love anyone who, out of self- conceit, acts in a boastful manner.

وَٱقْصِدْفِىمَشْيِكَوَٱغْضُضْمِنصَوْتِكَإِنَّأَنكَرَٱلْأَصْوَٰتِلَصَوْتُٱلْحَمِيرِ

“Hence, be modest in thy bearing, and lower thy voice: for, behold, the ugliest of all voices is the [loud] voice of asses…”

أَلَمْتَرَوْا۟أَنَّٱللَّهَسَخَّرَلَكُممَّافِىٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَمَافِىٱلْأَرْضِوَأَسْبَغَعَلَيْكُمْنِعَمَهُۥظَٰهِرَةًۭوَبَاطِنَةًۭوَمِنَٱلنَّاسِمَنيُجَٰدِلُفِىٱللَّهِبِغَيْرِعِلْمٍۢوَلَاهُدًۭىوَلَاكِتَٰبٍۢمُّنِيرٍۢ

ARE YOU NOT aware that God has made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, both outward and inward? And yet, among men there is many a one that argues about God without having any knowledge [of Him], without any guidance, and without any light-giving revelation;