Luqman
Be Grateful to God
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent. Alif. Lam. Mim.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم المThese are the signs of the Scripture full of wisdom, a guidance and benevolence for the doers of good, those who maintain the Contact, give the purifying alms, and who have certainty of the last life.
تلك ءايت الكتب الحكيم هدى ورحمة للمحسنين الذين يقيمون الصلوة ويوتون الزكوة وهم بالءاخرة هم يوقنونThose are upon guidance from their Guardian,
اوليك على هدى من ربهمand those are the ones who succeed.
واوليك هم المفلحونAnd among people is he who buys distracting talk, to lead [others] astray from the way of God without knowledge, and to take it in mockery;
ومن الناس من يشتري لهو الحديث ليضل عن سبيل الله بغير علم ويتخذها هزواthose are the ones who will have a humiliating punishment.
اوليك لهم عذاب مهينAnd when Our signs are recited to him, he turns away in arrogance, as though he had not heard them, as though there were deafness in his ears:
واذا تتلى عليه ءايتنا ولى مستكبرا كان لم يسمعها كان في اذنيه وقراso give him news of a painful punishment.
فبشره بعذاب اليمThose who believed and did righteous deeds will have the gardens of bliss, abiding therein eternally —
ان الذين ءامنوا وعملوا الصلحت لهم جنت النعيم خلدين فيهاa true promise of God;
وعد الله حقاand He is the All-Powerful, the Wise.
وهو العزيز الحكيمHe created the heavens without pillars
خلق السموت بغير عمدthat you can see;
ترونهاand He placed on the earth firm anchors, lest it shake with you, and He scattered upon it every kind of living being;
والقى في الارض روسي ان تميد بكم وبث فيها من كل دابةand We sent down water from the sky, and caused every generous pair [of plants] to grow in it.
وانزلنا من السماء ماء فانبتنا فيها من كل زوج كريمThis is God's creation:
هذا خلق اللهso show Me what those besides Him have created.
فاروني ماذا خلق الذين من دونهThe wrongdoers are rather in manifest error.
بل الظلمون في ضلل مبينAnd We certainly gave Luqman wisdom: "Be grateful to God";
ولقد ءاتينا لقمن الحكمة ان اشكر للهand whoever is grateful is grateful only for himself,
ومن يشكر فانما يشكر لنفسهand whoever disowns [that blessing] — God is self-sufficient, praiseworthy.
ومن كفر فان الله غني حميدAnd [recall] when Luqman said to his son, while exhorting him, "O my son, do not associate [any partner] with God;
واذ قال لقمن لابنه وهو يعظه يبنى لا تشرك باللهassociation is surely an immense injustice."
ان الشرك لظلم عظيمAnd We enjoined upon the human being [kindness] toward his parents —
ووصينا الانسن بولديهhis mother carried him, weakness upon weakness,
حملته امه وهنا على وهنand his weaning is completed within the two years that follow — :
وفصله في عامين"Be grateful to Me and to your parents;
ان اشكر لي ولولديكto Me is the destination."
الى المصيرBut if they press you to associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them;
وان جهداك على ان تشرك بي ما ليس لك به علم فلا تطعهماbut accompany them in the present life in a recognized manner,
وصاحبهما في الدنيا معروفاand follow the path of one who turns back to Me;
واتبع سبيل من اناب الىthen to Me is your return, and I will inform you of what you used to do.
ثم الى مرجعكم فانبيكم بما كنتم تعملون"O my son, indeed if it should be the weight of a mustard seed, and should be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth,
يبنى انها ان تك مثقال حبة من خردل فتكن في صخرة او في السموت او في الارض يات بها اللهfor God is indeed Subtle, Informed.
ان الله لطيف خبيرO my son, maintain the Contact,
يبنى اقم الصلوةenjoin what is recognized,
وامر بالمعروفforbid what is disavowed,
وانه عن المنكرand be patient over what befalls you:
واصبر على ما اصابكthat is indeed among matters requiring resolve.
ان ذلك من عزم الامورAnd do not turn your cheek away from people [in disdain],
ولا تصعر خدك للناسnor walk upon the earth with insolence:
ولا تمش في الارض مرحاGod indeed does not love any arrogant boaster.
ان الله لا يحب كل مختال فخورBe moderate in your pace,
واقصد في مشيكand lower your voice:
واغضض من صوتكfor the least recognizable of voices is the voice of donkeys."
ان انكر الاصوت لصوت الحميرHave you not seen that God has subjected to you what is in the heavens and what is on the earth, and has lavished His favors upon you, apparent and hidden?
الم تروا ان الله سخر لكم ما في السموت وما في الارض واسبغ عليكم نعمه ظهرة وباطنةAnd among people is he who argues about God without knowledge, without guidance, and without an illuminating Scripture.
ومن الناس من يجدل في الله بغير علم ولا هدى ولا كتب منيرAnd when it is said to them, "Follow what God has sent down,"
واذا قيل لهم اتبعوا ما انزل اللهthey say, "We rather follow what we found our ancestors upon."
قالوا بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه ءاباءناWhat, even if the Diverter was calling them to the punishment of the Inferno?
اولو كان الشيطن يدعوهم الى عذاب السعيرAnd whoever renders his direction true to God alone, while being virtuous, has certainly grasped the firmest handhold;
ومن يسلم وجهه الى الله وهو محسن فقد استمسك بالعروة الوثقىand to God is the outcome of all things.
والى الله عقبة الامورAnd whoever disowns, let not his disowning grieve you:
ومن كفر فلا يحزنك كفرهto Us is their return, and We will then inform them of what they did —
الينا مرجعهم فننبيهم بما عملواGod is indeed All-Knowing of what the chests contain.
ان الله عليم بذات الصدورWe grant them a brief enjoyment, then We will compel them toward a harsh punishment.
نمتعهم قليلا ثم نضطرهم الى عذاب غليظAnd if you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they will certainly say, "God";
ولين سالتهم من خلق السموت والارض ليقولن اللهsay, "Praise be to God!"
قل الحمد للهBut most of them do not know.
بل اكثرهم لا يعلمونTo God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth;
لله ما في السموت والارضGod is indeed the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.
ان الله هو الغني الحميدAnd if whatever trees are on the earth were pens, and the sea, extended by seven seas after it, [were ink], the words of God would not be exhausted:
ولو انما في الارض من شجرة اقلم والبحر يمده من بعده سبعة ابحر ما نفدت كلمت اللهGod is indeed All-Powerful, Wise.
ان الله عزيز حكيمYour creation and your deployment are but as [that of] a single Self;
ما خلقكم ولا بعثكم الا كنفس وحدةGod is indeed the All-Hearing, the One who sees perfectly.
ان الله سميع بصيرHave you not seen that God makes the night pass into the day, and makes the day pass into the night, and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running to an appointed term, and that God is Informed of what you do?
الم تر ان الله يولج اليل في النهار ويولج النهار في اليل وسخر الشمس والقمر كل يجري الى اجل مسمى وان الله بما تعملون خبيرThat is because God is the Truth, and what you invoke besides Him is falsehood, and because God is the Most High, the Great.
ذلك بان الله هو الحق وان ما يدعون من دونه البطل وان الله هو العلي الكبيرHave you not seen that the ships sail on the sea by the blessing of God, that He may show you some of His signs?
الم تر ان الفلك تجري في البحر بنعمت الله ليريكم من ءايتهThere are surely in that signs for every very patient, very grateful one.
ان في ذلك لءايت لكل صبار شكورAnd when a wave covers them like shadows, they call upon God, devoting the Law exclusively to Him;
واذا غشيهم موج كالظلل دعوا الله مخلصين له الدينbut when He brings them safely to land, some of them remain moderate [in gratitude];
فلما نجىهم الى البر فمنهم مقتصدand none stubbornly rejects Our signs except every treacherous, great disowner.
وما يجحد بايتنا الا كل ختار كفورO mankind, guard yourselves before your Guardian, and fear a day when no father will avail his child, nor any child avail his father at all.
يايها الناس اتقوا ربكم واخشوا يوما لا يجزي والد عن ولده ولا مولود هو جاز عن والده شياGod's promise is indeed truth:
ان وعد الله حقso do not let the present life deceive you,
فلا تغرنكم الحيوة الدنياand do not let the great deceiver deceive you about God.
ولا يغرنكم بالله الغرورGod indeed has knowledge of the Hour,
ان الله عنده علم الساعةand sends down the rain,
وينزل الغيثand knows what is in the wombs;
ويعلم ما في الارحامand no Self knows what it will earn tomorrow,
وما تدري نفس ماذا تكسب غداand no Self knows in what land it will die;
وما تدري نفس باى ارض تموتGod is indeed All-Knowing, Informed.
ان الله عليم خبير