Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 17

(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.”