“And We bestowed wisdom upon Luqman, so that he might show gratitude to God. Whoever is grateful, it is for his own benefit; and whoever is ungrateful—verily, God is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.”
“And when Luqman said to his son, while advising him: ‘O my dear son! Do not associate partners with God. Indeed, associating partners with God is a grave injustice.’”
“And We have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is your final return. But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them; yet keep good company with them in this world, and follow the path of those who turn to Me. In the end, your return will be to Me, and I will inform you about all that you used to do.”
“O my dear son,” Luqman said, “Even if a deed is the weight of a mustard seed and it is hidden in a rock, or in the heavens or the earth, God will bring it forth. Verily, God is subtle and aware.”
“O my dear son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Surely, this is of the matters requiring determination. And do not turn your cheek in pride toward people, nor walk in arrogance on the earth. Indeed, God does not like the arrogant and boastful. Be moderate in your pace and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all sounds is the braying of a donkey.”
(Surah Luqman, Verses 12–19)
Luqman was a wise man, blessed with prophetic qualities. A complete Surah in the Holy Quran has been named after him. History offers no clear record of his life or the era in which he lived. Some believe he belonged to the tribe of ‘Ad and was the king of Yemen, while others say he was of Sudanese descent. It is also reported that he was a contemporary of Prophet David (Dawud, peace be upon him) and served as a judge. Historical evidence suggests that in the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a collection of Luqman’s sayings existed, known as the Book of Luqman. The Quran refers to him as a monotheist and a wise doctor.
“And We bestowed wisdom on Luqman, so that he could show his gratitude to God.”
(Surah Luqman, Verse 12)
Teachings of Luqman
Luqman’s teachings can be summarized as follows:
“O my son, when you come across a gathering of people, greet them with peace. If they are discussing God, stay with them. But if they are engaged in vain talk, rise and leave.”
“O my son, seek God’s refuge from bad company. Be cautious even among good people. Do not become entangled in worldly affairs, for you were not created for the world alone.”
“O my son, whoever shows sympathy toward others is worthy of mercy. One who remains silent lives in peace. When someone hears something good, they should make good use of it. But those who sin and cannot control their tongue will have to repent.”
“O my son, go to the learned—even if you have to crawl—and listen to them respectfully, for the heart becomes alive with the light of their knowledge just as the earth comes alive with rain from the skies.”
True Meaning of Gratitude
The teachings of Luqman indicate that he was blessed with prophetic knowledge. It is said that he lived for about a thousand years and was granted knowledge of herbs and their properties. The herbs themselves used to inform him of their medicinal effects. He systematized therapeutic knowledge, described the properties of various medicines, and prescribed their uses.
Luqman’s story suggests that true gratitude lies in making proper use of what is granted. Had he not utilized the wisdom and knowledge bestowed upon him, and had he only expressed verbal thanks without teaching others, his gratitude would have been incomplete. For example, if God grants someone beautiful clothing and they store it away instead of wearing it, they have not truly shown gratitude. True thankfulness lies in using the gift, feeling comfort from it, and acknowledging the Giver with sincerity.
The Story of Khidr
Once, someone borrowed money from Luqman. After some time, the man sent word that he couldn’t personally return the money and had no trustworthy courier—so perhaps Luqman could send his son to collect it.
Luqman agreed and sent his son, but not before giving him three pieces of advice:
- Do not sleep under the large oak tree on the first leg of your journey.
- When you reach the city, do not spend the night there; instead, eat and sleep in the nearby jungle.
- Do not sleep in the house of the person from whom you are collecting the money.
He added: “If you meet someone familiar with the route and he advises you otherwise, you may follow him.”
On his journey, the son met an old man, who asked about his destination. Upon learning he was going to collect a debt, the old man said he too was headed that way and suggested they travel together.
That night, when they reached the large oak tree, the old man suggested resting there to avoid the dew. The lad replied, “Sir, my father advised me not to stay under this tree.”
“What else did he advise you?” asked the old man.
“He told me to follow the advice of someone familiar with the land,” the son answered.
The old man then assured him of his familiarity with the area, so they stayed under the tree. At midnight, a snake descended from the tree, and the old man killed it, covering it with his shield. The next morning, the boy assumed his father’s warning had been baseless—until the old man told him to lift the shield. There lay the dead snake. The boy was filled with gratitude and admiration for his father’s wisdom. The old man told him to cut off the snake’s head and keep it with him, which he did.
The next day, they entered the city. The old man suggested they stay at an inn for the night. Now, this city had a tragic tradition: the king’s daughter, cursed with a fatal condition, unknowingly killed every man she married. So, the king had decided to marry her to any eligible stranger who entered the city.
That night, the king heard of the young man’s presence and married him to his daughter. Before he went to her chamber, the old man instructed him to burn the snake’s head so that its smoke would reach her. He obeyed—and survived the night. The princess had been afflicted with a cancerous boil, which poisoned any man she touched. The smoke cured her, and the young man lived.
After staying in the city a few more days, the two continued their journey to the debtor’s house. The host planned to kill them to avoid repaying the debt. He asked if they preferred to sleep indoors or in the veranda. The old man suggested they sleep outside due to the heat.
At midnight, the old man woke the lad and took him to the room where the host’s sons were sleeping. He politely asked them to switch places as they were feeling cold outside. Before dawn, the host came with a weapon and mistakenly killed his own sons, thinking they were his guests.
In the morning, realizing what he had done, the host was horrified. Left with no option, he paid his debt and bade them farewell.
When they reached the place where they had first met, the old man said, “Now we part ways. Give my regards to your father.”
The boy asked his name.
The old man replied, “Your father knows it.”
When the son returned and narrated the whole journey, he also mentioned the mysterious old man.
Luqman smiled and said, “He was Khidr.”