Surah Luqman is the Quranic chapter that offers profound advice on raising children with faith and wisdom. It centers on the teachings of Luqman, who imparts essential moral and spiritual guidance to his son, making it a key Surah for parents seeking to nurture righteous and mindful children.
This Surah covers important lessons such as avoiding shirk (associating partners with Allah), honoring parents, being patient, practicing humility, and establishing prayer. These timeless principles help shape children’s character and faith from a young age.
Table of Contents
1. Advising Children To Avoid Sherk
The very first advice Luqman gave to his son was to avoid Sherk – شرك (Associating partners with Allah )
{ وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَـٰنُ لِٱبْنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌۭ }
{ And ˹remember˺ when Luqmân said to his son, while advising him, “O my dear son! Never associate ˹anything˺ with Allah ˹in worship˺, for associating ˹others with Him˺ is truly the worst of all wrongs. }
[ Luqman – 13 ]
2. Honoring The Parents And Being Thankful To Allah
According to the Quran, parents should be honored and children are commanded to obey and respect their parents as long as parents are not commanding kids to associate partners with Allah.
” وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍۢ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ “
“ And We have commanded people to ˹honour˺ their parents. Their mothers bore them through hardship upon hardship, and their weaning takes two years. So be grateful to Me and your parents. To Me is the final return.
[ Luqman – 14 ]
3. Advising Children To Be Aware Of Allah’s Knowledge Of All Things
According to The Quran, raising our children to be aware that Allah knows everything about them and watching their behavior, will raise them to think about how Allah would think of them before thinking of how people are thinking about them before every step they take in life.
Here Luqman is teaching his son that Allah knows everything no matter how small it is.
{ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍۢ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍۢ فَتَكُن فِى صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَوْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌۭ }
( ˹Luqmân added,˺ “O my dear son! ˹Even˺ if a deed were the weight of a mustard seed—be it ˹hidden˺ in a rock or in the heavens or the earth—Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Most Subtle, All-Aware. )
[ Luqman- 16 ]
4. Holding To Praying ( Salah )
This part of the teachings in Luqman Surah is more about establishing the pillar of good deeds like Salah – Praying.
The Quran highlights the importance of raising children to be mindful of their prayers, ensuring they never miss them, even when it feels challenging. Building this strong connection between children and Salah lays a foundation that can lead them to Jannah (Paradise).
{ يَـٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ }
“ O my dear son! Establish prayer “
[ Luqman- 17 ]
5. Guiding Children To Follow The Good And Forbidding The Evil
The Quran commands every Muslim, including children, to follow what is right and avoid what is wrong.
In Surah Luqman, we see Luqman advising his son to embrace good deeds and avoid evil actions. As stated in the verse:
( وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ )
( encourage what is good and forbid what is evil )
[ Luqman- 17 ]
This timeless guidance serves as a foundation for moral and ethical living.
6. Teaching Children To Have Patience
Here the Quran teaches children the importance of resilience and inner strength in navigating life’s situations.
( وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ )
“ And endure patiently whatever befalls you. Surely this is a resolve to aspire to ”
[ Luqman- 17 ]
Luqman advised his son to practice patience, especially when faced with challenges or situations beyond his control, even when it’s difficult.
7. Allah Hates Who Is Arrogant
The Quran strongly forbids arrogance and bullying, highlighting the importance of humility. The Quran teaches children to avoid bad behaviors like arrogance or mistreating others is crucial for shaping their character.
As mentioned In Surah Luqman, Luqman advises his son to remai humble and treat others as equals:
{ وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍۢ فَخُورٍۢ }
( And do not turn your nose up to people, nor walk pridefully upon the earth. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, or boastful. )
[ Luqman- 18 ]
8. Be Mindful Of Your Tone Of Voice And Embrace Humbleness
The Quran teaches children to speak in a mindful, calm tone that is neither loud nor annoying to others. The Quran also encourages humility in the way they carry themselves among people.
{ وَٱقْصِدْ فِى مَشْيِكَ وَٱغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ ۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلْأَصْوَٰتِ لَصَوْتُ ٱلْحَمِيرِ }
( Be moderate in your pace. And lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is certainly the braying of donkeys. )
[ Luqman- 19 ]
We believe that Luqman Surah has the best guidelines when it comes to the best teachings for raising children.
Conclusion:
Surah Luqman provides clear and practical guidance for parents to teach their children core Islamic values. Its teachings emphasize the importance of faith, respect, good conduct, and mindfulness in a child’s upbringing.
By applying the lessons from Surah Luqman, parents can nurture children who are spiritually grounded and morally upright. This Surah remains a vital resource for anyone committed to raising children on the path of righteousness and wisdom.
