Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 13

(Ayah 13) ➊ The meaning of {وَ اِذْ قَالَ لُقْمٰنُ لِابْنِهٖ وَ هُوَ يَعِظُهٗ …: ’’وَعَظَ‘‘} is to prevent something, in which there is both encouragement and warning, as Allah said to Nuh (peace be upon him) regarding intercession for his son: «{ فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ اِنِّيْۤ اَعِظُكَ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْجٰهِلِيْنَ }» [ ھود : ۴۶ ] "So do not ask Me about that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant." And meaning: «{ فَاَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَ عِظْهُمْ وَ قُلْ لَّهُمْ فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًۢا بَلِيْغًا }» [ النساء : ۶۳ ] "So turn away from them and admonish them and speak to them a word that reaches their hearts deeply."
➋ {يٰبُنَيَّ:’’اِبْنٌ‘‘} is originally {’’بَنْوٌ‘‘}, its diminutive is {’’ بُنَيْوٌ‘‘}. By adding the possessive suffix of the first person, it became {’’بُنَيْوِيَ‘‘}. By changing the waw to ya, it became {’’بُنَيْيِيَ‘‘}. Then, by omitting one ya and merging, it became {’’بُنَيَّ‘‘}. Its meaning is "O my little son." By "little" is meant beloved. The diminutive and the possessive suffix were used to address the son with affection and love.
➌ From this, it is understood that when giving advice, one should address the listener with words full of love and affection, as Luqman (peace be upon him) addressed his son as {’’ يٰبُنَيَّ ‘‘}, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) addressed his father as {’’ يٰۤاَبَتِ ‘‘}, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed Abu Talib as {’’يَا عَمِّ! قُلْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ‘‘} when advising him. In fact, even in general conversation, this etiquette should be observed, as Yusuf (peace be upon him) addressed his father as {’’ يٰۤاَبَتِ اِنِّيْ رَاَيْتُ اَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا ‘‘} and the father addressed him as {’’ يٰبُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُءْيَاكَ عَلٰۤى اِخْوَتِكَ ‘‘}.
➍ { لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللّٰهِ:} After being granted wisdom, this is the first advice that Luqman (peace be upon him) gave to his son, and this is the fundamental principle whose revelation Allah sent to every Messenger, meaning: «{ وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ اِلَّا نُوْحِيْۤ اِلَيْهِ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّاۤ اَنَا فَاعْبُدُوْنِ }» [ الأنبیاء : ۲۵ ] "And We did not send any Messenger before you except that We revealed to him that there is no deity except Me, so worship Me." From this, it is understood that it is necessary for every parent to first try to save their children from shirk. In this effort, along with advice, supplication to Allah for them is also included, as when Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left Ismail (peace be upon him) and his mother in a barren valley, upon losing sight of them, he supplicated to Allah: «{ وَ اِذْ قَالَ اِبْرٰهِيْمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هٰذَا الْبَلَدَ اٰمِنًا وَّ اجْنُبْنِيْ وَ بَنِيَّ اَنْ نَّعْبُدَ الْاَصْنَامَ }» [ إبراہیم : ۳۵ ] "And when Ibrahim said: O my Lord! Make this city secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols."
➎ The word {اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ : ’’ اِنَّ ‘‘} is used for reasoning, that is, with it the reason for the first statement is mentioned, meaning: "Do not associate partners with Allah, because shirk is a great injustice." The meaning of injustice is {’’وَضْعُ الشَّيْءِ فِيْ غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهِ‘‘} to put something in a place other than its rightful place, to give someone else's right to another. Because the original meaning of injustice is darkness, and in darkness a person cannot put something in its proper place. A monotheist spends his whole life with insight in the light of tawheed, meaning: «{ قُلْ هٰذِهٖ سَبِيْلِيْۤ اَدْعُوْۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ عَلٰى بَصِيْرَةٍ اَنَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَنِيْ }» [ یوسف : ۱۰۸ ] "Say: This is my way; I call to Allah with clear insight, I and those who follow me." Whereas a polytheist wanders all his life in the darkness of shirk, meaning: «{ صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُوْنَ }» [ البقرۃ : ۱۷۱ ] "Deaf, dumb, blind, so they do not understand." Shirk is the greatest injustice because there can be no greater unfairness than making powerless and helpless creation the owner of the powers of the Creator, Owner, and Sovereign Lord. This is depriving Allah of His right, and it is also a great injustice to oneself that a person throws himself down from the lofty sky of tawheed into the pit of shirk and becomes deserving of the eternal punishment of Hell instead of the everlasting blessings of Paradise. See Surah Hajj (31) and Ma'idah (72). Also see the commentary of Surah An'am, Ayah (82): «{ اَلَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ لَمْ يَلْبِسُوْۤا اِيْمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ }».

13-1. Allah the Exalted has narrated the very first advice of Hazrat Luqman that he forbade his son from shirk, from which it becomes clear that it is necessary for parents to make the utmost effort to save their children from shirk.

13-2. According to some, this is the statement of Hazrat Luqman himself, and some have considered it to be the statement of Allah, and in support of this, they have presented the hadith related to the revelation of (اَلَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوْٓا اِيْمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ) 6. Al-An'am:82), in which the Prophet ﷺ said that here "zulm" means a great zulm, and he referred to the verse (ڼ اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ) 31. Luqman:13). However, in reality, this neither confirms nor denies it being the statement of Allah.

13. And (remember) when Luqman said to his son while advising him: "O my dear son! Do not associate anything [15] with Allah. Surely, associating partners with Allah is a great injustice."

[15]
The First Advice to the Son: Do Not Associate Partners with Allah.

Once, Luqman gave some pieces of advice to his son which were so important that Allah Almighty mentioned them in the Quran. In this world, the relationship of children is such that a person shows utmost sincerity regarding it and cannot be hypocritical. And it is only concerning children that one may wish for them to surpass oneself in every good matter. Such a wish cannot even be made for one's real siblings or friends. Thus, the first advice that Luqman gave to his son was that he should never associate anyone with Allah. Because the greatest injustice and darkness in the world is indeed shirk. Shirk is manifest oppression and the greatest of all oppressions. As is also made clear by the following hadith: Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ says that when this verse (of Surah An'am) was revealed: ﴿اَلَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوْٓا اِيْمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ﴾ it was very hard on the Companions ؓ. They said, "Who among us has not committed some injustice (i.e., some sin) along with faith?" The Prophet ﷺ explained to them that in this verse, injustice does not mean every sin (rather, shirk is meant). "Have you not heard the saying of Luqman, which he said to his son: ﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾" [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]

The Right of Allah over His Servants and the Right of Servants over Allah.

Here, it is worth noting that the people of Makkah, on the one hand, acknowledged Luqman the Wise as a sage and wise man, but on the other hand, were deeply involved in shirk. They are being told that among the pieces of advice Luqman gave to his son, foremost was his hatred and aversion to shirk. Because the greatest right of Allah over His servant is that he should not associate anyone with Allah. As is made clear by the following hadith: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Mu'adh bin Jabal ؓ: "Do you know what Allah's right is over His servants and what the servants' right is over Allah?" Mu'adh ؓ says, "I replied, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.'" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah's right over His servants is that they worship Him alone and do not associate anything with Him. And the servants' right over Allah is that He does not punish the one who does not commit shirk" (i.e., does not keep him in Hell forever). I said, "O Messenger of Allah! Should I not give this glad tidings to the people?" He said, "Do not do so, lest they rely on it." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجہاد والسیر۔ باب اسم الفرس والحمار]