Such wisdom is evident when we read the following beautiful verses from the Holy Qur’an wherein the Almighty quotes Luqman (‘a) admonishing his son:
Luqman said to his son while admonishing him: O son! Do not associate aught with Allah; most surely polytheism is a grievous iniquity. And We have enjoined man regarding his parents – his mother bears him with weakness on weakness, and his weaning is in two years – saying: Be grateful to Me and to both your parents; to Me is the eventual return. And if they contend with you that you should associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge,
do not obey them, and keep company with them in this world kindly, and follow the way of one who turns to Me, then to Me is your return, then will I inform you of what you did. O son! Surely if it is the very weight of the grain of a mustard-seed, even though it is in (the heart of) a rock, or (high above) in the heavens, or (deep down) on earth,
Allah will bring it (to light); surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, the Aware. O son! Keep up prayers and enjoin goodness and forbid evil, and bear patiently that which befalls you; surely these acts require courage. And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exultingly; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boastful. And pursue the right course in your going about, and lower your voice; surely the most hateful of voices is the braying of the asses. (Qur’an, 31:13-19)
His name is Luqman (‘a) son of Ba’oor son of Na’oor son of Tarih. The latter was father of Abraham (‘a), peace with him. Mujahid has said that Luqman (‘a) was a black man with huge lips and cuts on his face. He was from the Nubia1 of Egypt, a black man with very thick lips. He is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an by name twice, and Chapter 31 of the Holy Qur’an, from which the quotation above is excerpted, bears his name.
Some scholars concede that he was a wise man, not a prophet, with the exception of ‘Ikrimah who used to say that Luqman (‘a) was a prophet. ‘Ikrimah was the only one who said so. Abu Mansoor al-Khamshawi, through a chain of narrators, has informed us that Luqman (‘a) was a prophet, while other scholars have said that Luqman (‘a) was given the choice between Prophethood and wisdom and that he chose wisdom.
