Luqman
Be Grateful to God
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent. Alif. Lam. Mim.
بسم ٱلله ٱلرحمن ٱلرحيم 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 ٱلكتب ٱلحكيم هدى ورحمة للمحسنين ٱلذين يقيمون ٱلصلوة ويؤتون ٱلزكوة وهم بٱلءاخرة هم يوقنونThose are upon guidance from their Guardian,
أولئك على هدى من ربهمand those are the ones who succeed.
وأولئك هم ٱلمفلحونAnd 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 ٱلناس من يشتري لهو ٱلحديث ليضل عن سبيل ٱلله بغير علم ويتخذها هزواthose are the ones who will have a humiliating punishment.
أولئك 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:
وإذا تتلى عليه ءايتنا ولى مستكبرا كأن لم يسمعها كأن في أذنيه وقراso give him news of a painful punishment.
فبشره بعذاب أليمThose who believed and did righteous deeds will have the gardens of bliss, abiding therein eternally —
إن ٱلذين ءامنوا وعملوا ٱلصلحت لهم جنت ٱلنعيم خلدين فيهاa true promise of God;
وعد ٱلله حقاand He is the All-Powerful, the Wise.
وهو ٱلعزيز ٱلحكيمHe created the heavens without pillars
خلق ٱلسموت 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;
وألقى في ٱلأرض روسي أن تميد بكم وبث فيها من كل دآبةand We sent down water from the sky, and caused every generous pair [of plants] to grow in it.
وأنزلنا من ٱلسمآء مآء فأنبتنا فيها من كل زوج كريمThis is God's creation:
هذا خلق ٱللهso show Me what those besides Him have created.
فأروني ماذا خلق ٱلذين من دونهThe wrongdoers are rather in manifest error.
بل ٱلظلمون في ضلل مبينAnd We certainly gave Luqman wisdom: "Be grateful to God";
ولقد ءاتينا لقمن ٱلحكمة أن ٱشكر للهand whoever is grateful is grateful only for himself,
ومن يشكر فإنما يشكر لنفسهand whoever disowns [that blessing] — God is self-sufficient, praiseworthy.
ومن كفر فإن ٱلله غني حميدAnd [recall] when Luqman said to his son, while exhorting him, "O my son, do not associate [any partner] with God;
وإذ قال لقمن لٱبنه وهو يعظه يبنى لا تشرك بٱللهassociation is surely an immense injustice."
إن ٱلشرك لظلم عظيمAnd We enjoined upon the human being [kindness] toward his parents —
ووصينا ٱلإنسن بولديهhis mother carried him, weakness upon weakness,
حملته أمه وهنا على وهنand his weaning is completed within the two years that follow — :
وفصله في عامين"Be grateful to Me and to your parents;
أن ٱشكر لي ولولديكto Me is the destination."
إلى ٱلمصيرBut if they press you to associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them;
وإن جهداك على أن تشرك بي ما ليس لك به علم فلا تطعهماbut accompany them in the present life in a recognized manner,
وصاحبهما في ٱلدنيا معروفاand follow the path of one who turns back to Me;
وٱتبع سبيل من أناب إلىthen to Me is your return, and I will inform you of what you used to do.
ثم إلى مرجعكم فأنبئكم 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 إنهآ إن تك مثقال حبة من خردل فتكن في صخرة أو في ٱلسموت أو في ٱلأرض يأت بها ٱللهfor God is indeed Subtle, Informed.
إن ٱلله لطيف خبيرO my son, maintain the Contact,
يبنى أقم ٱلصلوةenjoin what is recognized,
وأمر بٱلمعروفforbid what is disavowed,
وٱنه عن ٱلمنكرand be patient over what befalls you:
وٱصبر على مآ أصابكthat is indeed among matters requiring resolve.
إن ذلك من عزم ٱلأمورAnd do not turn your cheek away from people [in disdain],
ولا تصعر خدك للناسnor walk upon the earth with insolence:
ولا تمش في ٱلأرض مرحاGod indeed does not love any arrogant boaster.
إن ٱلله لا يحب كل مختال فخورBe moderate in your pace,
وٱقصد في مشيكand lower your voice:
وٱغضض من صوتكfor the least recognizable of voices is the voice of donkeys."
إن أنكر ٱلأصوت لصوت ٱلحميرHave 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?
ألم تروا أن ٱلله سخر لكم ما في ٱلسموت وما في ٱلأرض وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظهرة وباطنةAnd among people is he who argues about God without knowledge, without guidance, and without an illuminating Scripture.
ومن ٱلناس من يجدل في ٱلله بغير علم ولا هدى ولا كتب منيرAnd when it is said to them, "Follow what God has sent down,"
وإذا قيل لهم ٱتبعوا مآ أنزل ٱللهthey say, "We rather follow what we found our ancestors upon."
قالوا بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه ءابآءنآWhat, even if the Diverter was calling them to the punishment of the Inferno?
أولو كان ٱلشيطن يدعوهم إلى عذاب ٱلسعيرAnd whoever renders his direction true to God alone, while being virtuous, has certainly grasped the firmest handhold;
ومن يسلم وجهه إلى ٱلله وهو محسن فقد ٱستمسك بٱلعروة ٱلوثقىand to God is the outcome of all things.
وإلى ٱلله عقبة ٱلأمورAnd 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 —
إلينا مرجعهم فننبئهم بما عملواGod is indeed All-Knowing of what the chests contain.
إن ٱلله عليم بذات ٱلصدورWe grant them a brief enjoyment, then We will compel them toward a harsh punishment.
نمتعهم قليلا ثم نضطرهم إلى عذاب غليظAnd if you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they will certainly say, "God";
ولئن سألتهم من خلق ٱلسموت وٱلأرض ليقولن ٱللهsay, "Praise be to God!"
قل ٱلحمد للهBut most of them do not know.
بل أكثرهم لا يعلمونTo God belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth;
لله ما في ٱلسموت وٱلأرضGod is indeed the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.
إن ٱلله هو ٱلغني ٱلحميدAnd 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 أنما في ٱلأرض من شجرة أقلم وٱلبحر يمده من بعده سبعة أبحر ما نفدت كلمت ٱللهGod is indeed All-Powerful, Wise.
إن ٱلله عزيز حكيمYour creation and your deployment are but as [that of] a single Self;
ما خلقكم ولا بعثكم إلا كنفس وحدةGod is indeed the All-Hearing, the One who sees perfectly.
إن ٱلله 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?
ألم تر أن ٱلله يولج ٱليل في ٱلنهار ويولج ٱلنهار في ٱليل وسخر ٱلشمس وٱلقمر كل يجري إلى أجل مسمى وأن ٱلله 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 بأن ٱلله هو ٱلحق وأن ما يدعون من دونه ٱلبطل وأن ٱلله هو ٱلعلي ٱلكبيرHave you not seen that the ships sail on the sea by the blessing of God, that He may show you some of His signs?
ألم تر أن ٱلفلك تجري في ٱلبحر بنعمت ٱلله ليريكم من ءايتهThere are surely in that signs for every very patient, very grateful one.
إن في ذلك لءايت لكل صبار شكورAnd when a wave covers them like shadows, they call upon God, devoting the Law exclusively to Him;
وإذا غشيهم موج كٱلظلل دعوا ٱلله مخلصين له ٱلدينbut when He brings them safely to land, some of them remain moderate [in gratitude];
فلما نجىهم إلى ٱلبر فمنهم مقتصدand none stubbornly rejects Our signs except every treacherous, great disowner.
وما يجحد بايتنآ إلا 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.
يأيها ٱلناس ٱتقوا ربكم وٱخشوا يوما لا يجزي والد عن ولده ولا مولود هو جاز عن والده شياGod's promise is indeed truth:
إن وعد ٱلله حقso do not let the present life deceive you,
فلا تغرنكم ٱلحيوة ٱلدنياand do not let the great deceiver deceive you about God.
ولا يغرنكم بٱلله ٱلغرورGod indeed has knowledge of the Hour,
إن ٱلله عنده علم ٱلساعةand sends down the rain,
وينزل ٱلغيثand knows what is in the wombs;
ويعلم ما في ٱلأرحامand 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 بأى أرض تموتGod is indeed All-Knowing, Informed.
إن ٱلله عليم خبير