سُوْرَةُ لُقْمَانَ
Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 17
يَـٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"O my son! Aqim-As-Salât (perform As-Salât), enjoin (on people) Al-Ma‘rûf - (Islâmic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allâh, polytheism of all kinds and all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allâh with no exemption).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰبُنَىَّ
yābunayya
O my son
أَقِمِ
aqimi
Establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَأْمُرْ
wamur
and enjoin
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
[with] the right
وَٱنْهَ
wa-in'ha
and forbid
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلْمُنكَرِ
l-munkari
the wrong
وَٱصْبِرْ
wa-iṣ'bir
and be patient
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
مَآ
mā
what
أَصَابَكَ ۖ
aṣābaka
befalls you
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
مِنْ
min
(is) of
عَزْمِ
ʿazmi
the matters requiring determination
ٱلْأُمُورِ
l-umūri
the matters requiring determination
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 17) ➊ { يٰبُنَيَّ اَقِمِ الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ … :} After the will regarding fundamental beliefs, Luqman (peace be upon him) gave his son the will regarding fundamental commands. Among these, the first and most important is the establishment of prayer, which includes performing it on time, in the correct manner, with humility and tranquility, and in congregation. The second thing is to enjoin good upon people, and the third is to forbid evil, because all people are on a journey in this world towards the Hereafter. If a person does not care for his companions and does not try to take them along, then they will also cause him to fall and he will be deprived of reaching the destination. Similarly, in this journey, all people are aboard one ship; if those who are making holes in it are not stopped, then with the sinking of the ship, all will drown. It should be clear that enjoining good and forbidding evil are two separate commands, and acting upon both is necessary. The highest level of this is Jihad in the way of Allah, which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has declared as the peak of the hump of Islam.
➋ In the command of establishing prayer, enjoining good, and forbidding evil, acquiring knowledge of all three is automatically included, because this is an established rule: {’’مَا لَا يَتِمُّ الْوَاجِبُ إِلَّا بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ‘‘} “Those things without which a wajib (obligation) cannot be fully performed, they too are wajib.” Without correct knowledge of good and evil, while enjoining good and forbidding evil, it is quite possible that a person, instead of inviting to the Book and Sunnah and to what is recognized as good, goes about spreading shirk, innovation, superstitions, and evils, as is the case with many people nowadays. In this way, for enjoining good and forbidding evil, learning and adopting the method of invitation, the necessary wisdom, good advice, gentleness, and tolerance is also necessary. Along with this, for stopping evil, preparing for Jihad in the way of Allah and keeping ready the required strength, horses, and mounts is also necessary. In short, although in the advice of Luqman (peace be upon him) the mention of prayer is prominent, because after faith it is the most important obligation, yet in the context of good and evil, the whole of Islam, acquiring its knowledge, and conveying it to others, all is included.
➌ { وَ اصْبِرْ عَلٰى مَاۤ اَصَابَكَ :} Although its mention has already come under the heading of good, however, due to its importance, it has also been mentioned separately. Two things are included in this: first, to be patient over every hardship encountered in fulfilling the obligations of establishing prayer, enjoining good, and forbidding evil. In this, there is also an indication that whoever does this work, hardships are bound to come upon him. The devils from among jinn and mankind will pursue him relentlessly, and he will face all kinds of harms. So it is necessary for him to act with patience. The second thing is that the life of this world is full of trials and hardships; comfort and ease will only be found in Paradise. Therefore, it is necessary for the believer to be patient over every difficulty and trial of this prison, and instead of complaining to his Lord, be pleased with Him.
➍ {اِنَّ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْاُمُوْرِ : ’’ عَزْمِ ‘‘} The verbal noun here is in the meaning of the passive participle, which is annexed to its described noun: {’’ أَيْ الْأُمُوْرُ الْمَعْزُوْمَةُ‘‘} There can be two meanings of this: one is that {’’ عَزْمِ ‘‘} means “to make obligatory,” i.e., these four are among those deeds which have been made obligatory and compulsory by Allah Almighty, as is mentioned in the hadith: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتَی رُخَصُهُ ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتَی عَزَائِمُهُ ] [ صحیح ابن حبان : ۳۵۴، عن ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنھما و صححہ شعیب الأرنؤوط ] “Allah Almighty likes that His concessions be acted upon just as He likes that His obligations be acted upon.” In Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated: “Its second meaning can also be that the work of enjoining good and forbidding evil is a task of great resolve and determination; people of weak resolve cannot bear its hardships. Therefore, develop resolve and determination within yourself.”
➋ In the command of establishing prayer, enjoining good, and forbidding evil, acquiring knowledge of all three is automatically included, because this is an established rule: {’’مَا لَا يَتِمُّ الْوَاجِبُ إِلَّا بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ‘‘} “Those things without which a wajib (obligation) cannot be fully performed, they too are wajib.” Without correct knowledge of good and evil, while enjoining good and forbidding evil, it is quite possible that a person, instead of inviting to the Book and Sunnah and to what is recognized as good, goes about spreading shirk, innovation, superstitions, and evils, as is the case with many people nowadays. In this way, for enjoining good and forbidding evil, learning and adopting the method of invitation, the necessary wisdom, good advice, gentleness, and tolerance is also necessary. Along with this, for stopping evil, preparing for Jihad in the way of Allah and keeping ready the required strength, horses, and mounts is also necessary. In short, although in the advice of Luqman (peace be upon him) the mention of prayer is prominent, because after faith it is the most important obligation, yet in the context of good and evil, the whole of Islam, acquiring its knowledge, and conveying it to others, all is included.
➌ { وَ اصْبِرْ عَلٰى مَاۤ اَصَابَكَ :} Although its mention has already come under the heading of good, however, due to its importance, it has also been mentioned separately. Two things are included in this: first, to be patient over every hardship encountered in fulfilling the obligations of establishing prayer, enjoining good, and forbidding evil. In this, there is also an indication that whoever does this work, hardships are bound to come upon him. The devils from among jinn and mankind will pursue him relentlessly, and he will face all kinds of harms. So it is necessary for him to act with patience. The second thing is that the life of this world is full of trials and hardships; comfort and ease will only be found in Paradise. Therefore, it is necessary for the believer to be patient over every difficulty and trial of this prison, and instead of complaining to his Lord, be pleased with Him.
➍ {اِنَّ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْاُمُوْرِ : ’’ عَزْمِ ‘‘} The verbal noun here is in the meaning of the passive participle, which is annexed to its described noun: {’’ أَيْ الْأُمُوْرُ الْمَعْزُوْمَةُ‘‘} There can be two meanings of this: one is that {’’ عَزْمِ ‘‘} means “to make obligatory,” i.e., these four are among those deeds which have been made obligatory and compulsory by Allah Almighty, as is mentioned in the hadith: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتَی رُخَصُهُ ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتَی عَزَائِمُهُ ] [ صحیح ابن حبان : ۳۵۴، عن ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنھما و صححہ شعیب الأرنؤوط ] “Allah Almighty likes that His concessions be acted upon just as He likes that His obligations be acted upon.” In Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated: “Its second meaning can also be that the work of enjoining good and forbidding evil is a task of great resolve and determination; people of weak resolve cannot bear its hardships. Therefore, develop resolve and determination within yourself.”
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
1. Establishing prayer, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and being patient over hardships are mentioned because these three are the foundation of the most important acts of worship and good deeds.
2. That is, the aforementioned matters are among those things which Allah has emphasized and made obligatory upon His servants. Or, this is encouragement to develop determination and resolve, because without determination and resolve, obedience to the aforementioned actions is not possible. According to some commentators, the reference of ذالِکَ is to patience. Before this, there is the advice of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and in this path, hardships, trials, and criticism are inevitable. Therefore, immediately after this, the exhortation to patience makes it clear that holding fast to patience is among the actions of determination and resolve, and a great weapon of the people of determination and resolve; without it, the fulfillment of the duty of preaching is not possible.
2. That is, the aforementioned matters are among those things which Allah has emphasized and made obligatory upon His servants. Or, this is encouragement to develop determination and resolve, because without determination and resolve, obedience to the aforementioned actions is not possible. According to some commentators, the reference of ذالِکَ is to patience. Before this, there is the advice of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and in this path, hardships, trials, and criticism are inevitable. Therefore, immediately after this, the exhortation to patience makes it clear that holding fast to patience is among the actions of determination and resolve, and a great weapon of the people of determination and resolve; without it, the fulfillment of the duty of preaching is not possible.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. O my dear son! Establish prayer, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong, and bear patiently whatever befalls you [23]. Surely, these are matters of great determination.
[23]
Enduring Hardships is the Legacy of the Prophets:
That is, to perform prayer consistently and in congregation is not an ordinary task, but rather it is the work of people with determination. Similarly, commanding good and forbidding evil is also not within the capacity of ordinary people; only those with resolve can do this. From this, it is also self-evident that those who command others to do good and forbid them from evil will inevitably face harm from people. Because this is the example of the prophets, and that is why people used to trouble and hurt the prophets. Therefore, it is also stated that if you face pain and harm in this path, bear it with a cheerful heart, and that being patient over hardships is also not an ordinary thing. Only those with determination and courage can accomplish all three of these tasks.
[23]
Enduring Hardships is the Legacy of the Prophets:
That is, to perform prayer consistently and in congregation is not an ordinary task, but rather it is the work of people with determination. Similarly, commanding good and forbidding evil is also not within the capacity of ordinary people; only those with resolve can do this. From this, it is also self-evident that those who command others to do good and forbid them from evil will inevitably face harm from people. Because this is the example of the prophets, and that is why people used to trouble and hurt the prophets. Therefore, it is also stated that if you face pain and harm in this path, bear it with a cheerful heart, and that being patient over hardships is also not an ordinary thing. Only those with determination and courage can accomplish all three of these tasks.
