31 Surah Luqman

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ...

31:12 [Ali]. We bestowed (in the past) wisdom on Luqman: "Show (thy) gratitude to Allah."

C3593. The sage Luqman, after whom this Surah is called, belongs to Arab tradition. Very little is known of his life. He is usually associated with a long life, and his title is Mu'ammar (the long-lived). He is referred by some to the age of the 'Ad people, for whom see n. 1040 to 7:65. He is the type of perfect wisdom.

It is said that he belonged to a humble station in life, being a slave or a carpenter, and that he refused worldly power and a kingdom.

Many instructive apologies are credited to him, similar to ,'Esop'e Fables in Greek tradition. The identification of Luqman and Aesop has no historical foundation, though it is true that the traditions about them have influenced each other.

...وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ...

Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul:

...وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ ﴿١٢﴾

but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise.

C3594. Cf. 14:8.

The basis of the moral Law is man's own good, and not any benefit to Allah, for Allah is above all needs, and "worthy of all praise"; i.e.,

even in praising Him, we do not advance His glory. When we obey His Will, we bring our position into conformity with our own nature as made by Him.

Asad’s Version:

31:12 AND, INDEED, We granted this wisdom unto Luqman: 12 "Be grateful unto God - for he who is grateful [unto Him] is but grateful for the good of his own self; whereas he who chooses to be ungrateful [ought to know that], verily, God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised!"