LUQMAN, who was bestowed with wisdom, emphasized on his son to show kindness and gratitude to parents. Having established allegiance to the unity of the concept and the need to respect the parents, the Holy Qur'an (Surah Luqman) says in the next verse, “But if they strive to make you join in worship with Me things of which you have no knowledge, obey them not;....” (Qur'an, 31:15) Here, Allah sets forth the rule that disobedience to parents is in order, if they invite to ‘shirk' (polytheism), i.e. associate partners with Allah. If the duty to man conflicts with the duty to Allah, then we are required to obey Allah alone and not the man. Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him), whom Allah refers to as being ‘kind and soft hearted,' prayed to Him for his father to be forgiven. Allah in response instructed him not to invoke and supplicate for things he did not know. The verse in Surah Luqman goes further: “Yet bear their company in this life with justice and consideration and follow the way of those who turn to Me (in love).” (Qur'an, 31:15) The verse when read in conjunction means that despite invitation to shirk, parents are not to be harmed, the child is only commanded not to obey them; but discourtesy or cruelty is not permitted. Allama Yusuf Ali in his interpretation of the Holy Qur'an explains this very lucidly: “To parents and those in authority we must be kind, considerate and courteous, even where they command things, which we should not do and, therefore, disobedience becomes our highest duty.” It is significant to note that verses 14-15 are not a direct speech of Luqman, but is by way of commentary on his teachings. The opening of the Surah recognizes Luqman as the one blessed with wisdom. Consequently it is only divine principles that are enunciated in these two specific verses. Verse 16 deals with the fact that Allah alone knows the finest mysteries and is well acquainted with them. The verse draws the simile that the mustard seed, if hidden in a rock, in the heavens or in the earth, is known to Allah and He can easily bring it forth. “Bring it forth” means, He will bring all acts, small or big, to account. Luqman then says, “O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betide you; for this is firmness of purpose in the (conduct of) affairs.” (Qur'an, 31:17) The verse beautifully sums up the qualities of a true believer; he would be offering prayers, inviting others to perform good deeds, extolling upon others to refrain from wrongdoing and whilst he does this, any good or evil that may come his way, he (true believer) will exercise patience and put his trust only in Allah. Arrogance is a character trait, that when present in a man, pushes him close to committing ‘shirk.' Allah abhors arrogance and is pleased with those who exemplify humility in their conduct and behavior. Verse 18 says, “And swell not your cheek, (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loves not the arrogant boaster.” (Qur'an, 31:18) Luqman reminds his son that boastful superiority is inconsistent with humility. There are Hadith reminding us to walk with our eyes cast down because swelled cheek makes our heads to rise upwards, indicating insolence and arrogance. Taking the middle road in life is emphasized upon in verse 19: “And be moderate, in your pace, and lower your voice, for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass.” (Qur'an, 31:19) The philosophy of the middle path or ‘the golden mean' is the underlying basis of Islam. It applies to both relationship of man with God and between man to man. As this verse explains, there is no room in Islam for extremism. We must walk at a modest pace; a man in haste is likely to indicate arrogance. We must talk only when necessary, and if we do so, it must be in soft tones. It must not sound rude or haughty to the listener. A loud voice is repugnant to the ears and Allah says it is akin to the braying of the donkey. Islamic teachings, the best example of which is the life of our Prophet (peace be upon him), demands us to exhibit its virtues in our daily behavior. The instructions of Luqman are those fundamentals that we have lost touch with. These finest principles of our religion made us rule with general acceptability across geographical, cultural, linguistic and social barriers from the Atlantic to Indonesia. Our emphasis in the propagation of Islam today is misplaced. We need to turn back to character-building and reformation of the self that will ensure building of a righteous and stable Islamic society and state. – The News (Concluded) __
