Blog · From Episode 4 of the Podcast
Luqman's Advice to His Son: Six Lessons for Daily Life
A short summary of Episode 4, in plain words, with examples from our daily life.
“O my son, do not set up any idols beside GOD; idolatry is a gross injustice.”
[31:13]
In Short
Luqman was a wise father, and the Quran keeps his advice to his son in chapter 31. His first words were to worship God alone and never set up idols beside Him. After that come kindness to our parents, the Contact Prayers, steady patience and a humble voice. All of it rests on being thankful to God and holding on to Him.
Picture a father driving his teenage son to school. There are only ten minutes before the bell. If he could say just one thing on that drive, what would it be? Most of us would say work hard, or be careful with money.
The Quran tells us about a wise father named Luqman and the advice he gave his son. God kept that advice for us in a few short verses. The very first thing he said surprises a lot of people. Let's go through it together, in four parts.
Thankful First, and God Alone
The Quran says very little about who Luqman was. It does not call him a messenger. It tells us the one thing that matters. God gave him wisdom, and the first part of that wisdom was being thankful to God:
We have endowed Luqmãn with wisdom: “You shall be appreciative of GOD.” Whoever is appreciative is appreciative for his own good. As for those who turn unappreciative, GOD is in no need, Praiseworthy.[31:12]
That “We” is God speaking. God does not need our thanks. We are the ones who gain from it. God promises “The more you thank Me, the more I give you.” [14:7]
Of course, thanks can feel hard on a bad day. Think of someone who has just lost a job, or who is sitting in a hospital waiting room. Being thankful does not mean saying everything is fine. It means we still see what God gave us. We still have breath, and we can still turn to Him. Writing down one good thing each night can help our eyes find it.
Then Luqman turns to his son. His first words are not about work or money:
Recall that Luqmãn said to his son, as he enlightened him, “O my son, do not set up any idols beside GOD; idolatry is a gross injustice.”[31:13]
When we hear the word idol, many of us picture a statue in an old temple. But an idol is anything we put beside God. It is anything we trust to save us, or fear more than Him, or love more than Him. Today it can be money, a job title or what people think of us. The Quran even speaks of “the one whose god is his own ego” [25:43].
Picture a manager whose whole life is built on her job title. If she is laid off one Monday, her world falls apart. She leaned on something that could not hold her. That is why idol worship is an injustice. It hands what belongs to God to something that cannot help us. Here is God's challenge: “show me what the idols you set up beside Him have created.” [31:11]
Jesus taught the same thing when he was asked which commandment is the greatest. In the Gospel of Mark, he began with God being One:
Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’Mark 12:29-30 · Berean Standard Bible
So far, we have seen that wisdom starts with thanks, and that God comes first. Next, let's look at the people closest to us, our parents.
Kind to Our Parents, Loyal to God
In the middle of Luqman's advice, God Himself speaks to all of us about our parents:
We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him, and the load got heavier and heavier. It takes two years (of intensive care) until weaning. You shall be appreciative of Me, and of your parents. To Me is the ultimate destiny.[31:14]
That “We” is God speaking. The load got heavier and heavier. Any mother who carried a child knows how true that is. The word appreciative comes back here too. First we thank God, and then our parents.
But what if our parents do not share our faith? What if they push us toward something we know is wrong? The very next verse answers this:
If they try to force you to set up any idols beside Me, do not obey them. But continue to treat them amicably in this world. You shall follow only the path of those who have submitted to Me. Ultimately, you all return to Me, then I will inform you of everything you have done.[31:15]
So we do not obey them in idol worship. And we do not cut them off either. We still pick up their groceries and call when they are sick. We still speak to them kindly.
God sets a high standard for how we speak to our parents, especially as they get older:
Your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship except Him, and your parents shall be honored. As long as one or both of them live, you shall never say to them, “Uff” (the slightest gesture of annoyance), nor shall you shout at them; you shall treat them amicably.[17:23]
Not even uff. Think about the small sigh when a parent asks the same question again. Think about the eye roll in the kitchen. God commands us to stop even that. So far, we have seen how to honor our parents without putting them beside God. Next, let's look at what we do when nobody is watching.
When Nobody Is Watching
Luqman now turns back to his son with one of the most beautiful pictures in the Quran:
“O my son, know that even something as tiny as a mustard seed, deep inside a rock, be it in the heavens or the earth, GOD will bring it. GOD is Sublime, Cognizant.”[31:16]
A mustard seed is tiny, and a rock is hard. Nobody could find a seed hidden there. But God will bring it. This works in two ways.
First, it is a comfort. Picture a nurse who stays late to sit with a lonely patient, and nobody thanks her. Or a tired parent who stays patient at bedtime. None of that is lost. God knows it, and He will bring it.
Second, it is a warning. The small wrongs we think nobody saw are not lost either. About the Day of Resurrection, God says “Even the equivalent of a mustard seed will be accounted for.” [21:47]
Jesus used the mustard seed too, in the Gospel of Matthew. He used it for a different lesson. But the picture is the same, and small things matter to God:
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”Matthew 13:31-32 · Berean Standard Bible
Then Luqman gives his son a plan for each day:
“O my son, you shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat). You shall advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. These are the most honorable traits.”[31:17]
The Contact Prayers (Salat) keep us connected to God five times a day, not only on hard days. Advocating righteousness does not mean policing everyone at work. Luqman speaks to his own son, gently and with reasons. We start with ourselves and the people close to us.
Standing for what is right can bring pushback. A coworker may laugh, or a friend may pull away. The verse is clear that we remain steady. So far, we have seen that God sees the small and hidden things. Next, let's look at how we carry ourselves in front of people.
Walking Humbly in a Show-Off World
The last two verses of Luqman's advice are about manners:
The donkey makes most people smile, and that is why we remember it. Being the loudest person in the room does not make us right. Today, a lot of showing off happens on a phone screen. It can be a boastful post, or an angry comment written to prove someone wrong. The same advice applies there. God describes His worshipers as “those who tread the earth gently, and when the ignorant speak to them, they only utter peace.” [25:63]
None of this is hard to understand. So why is it hard to live? Right after Luqman's advice, God reminds us that He has “showered you with His blessings” [31:20]. Some blessings we see, like a paycheck or a warm home. Others we never notice, like our heart beating right now. God also names a trap. Some people say “we follow only what we found our parents doing” [31:21].
So we honor our parents, but our worship goes to God alone. Luqman never told his son to obey just because he was his father. Every reason he gave pointed his son to God. Those who submit to God have “gotten hold of the strongest bond.” [31:22] A job can end, and people can let us down. That bond does not break.
Then there is a question many of us ask. If we work hard and earn a degree, is it wrong to feel proud? The Quran answers with the story of Qaroon, a very rich man among the people of Moses. His people said to him:
Use the provisions bestowed upon you by GOD to seek the abode of the Hereafter, without neglecting your share in this world. Be charitable, as GOD has been charitable towards you. Do not keep on corrupting the earth. GOD does not love the corruptors.[28:77]
Enjoying what we worked for is fine. The problem is forgetting where it came from. Qaroon answered, “I attained all this because of my own cleverness.” [28:78] That was his mistake. God gives us the balance:
Thus, you should not grieve over anything you miss, nor be proud of anything He has bestowed upon you. GOD does not love those who are boastful, proud.[57:23]
Picture a young woman at her graduation. She can thank God, hug her family and celebrate. Then she can use what she learned to help other people. That is gratitude, not arrogance, and it brings us back to where Luqman began. So far, we have walked through the whole of his advice. Now let's turn it into a few small steps.
Something to Try This Week
The episode ends with six small steps. Let's try them this week, one at a time.
Let's thank God for one thing each night, and ask ourselves honestly if we trust anything more than Him. Let's stop before the sigh with our parents. Let's do one good thing that nobody will see. Let's keep the Contact Prayers (Salat) and stay steady when it gets hard. And let's lower our voice and walk humbly, online and offline.
Quick Answers
Here are the questions from the episode, each with a short answer.
What did Luqman tell his son first? To worship God alone and set up no idols beside Him [31:13].
Who was Luqman? A man to whom God gave wisdom. The Quran does not call him a messenger [31:12].
What is an idol today? Anything we put beside God, even our own ego [25:43].
What do we owe our parents? Honor and kindness, but never obedience in idol worship [31:15].
Why a mustard seed in a rock? Nothing is hidden from God, and He will bring even the smallest deed [31:16].
How should we walk and speak? Humbly, with a lowered voice [31:19].
Why is this advice so hard to follow? We overlook God's blessings and copy what we grew up with [31:21].
Is it wrong to feel proud of our success? We can be happy and thankful, but not proud, because it came from God [57:23].
Shorts From This Episode
Each Short is one idea from the episode, about a minute long. Please press one to watch it here.
Growth Prompt
Please take a few quiet minutes with [31:13]. Read it slowly. Then think about the things we lean on most during an ordinary week.
Is there anything I trust or love more than God, and what would change if I put Him first?
Keep growing
Every topic on this site connects to the others. Here is where this page leads next.