Tafseer of Luqman · Luqman · 31:14
And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the interpretation of His word, exalted is He: وَوَصَّيْنَا الإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ (31:14) ("And We have enjoined upon man concerning his two parents — his mother bore him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years — that: be grateful to Me and to your two parents; to Me is the return").
He, exalted is His remembrance, says: and We have commanded man to be good to his two parents. حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلى وَهْنٍ ("his mother bore him in weakness upon weakness"). He says: weakness upon weakness, and hardship upon hardship; and to this belongs the word of Zuhayr:
"Then they will not say: with a weak, worn-out rope — even were your kinsmen in its cords, they would perish."
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken, except that they differed about what is meant by it. Some of them said: by this is meant the bearing (the pregnancy).
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: وَوَصَّيْنَا الإنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ ; he said: hardship after hardship, and creation after creation.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His word: وَهْنًا عَلى وَهْنٍ ; he says: weakness upon weakness.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلى وَهْنٍ ; that is: exertion upon exertion.
And others said: no, by this is meant: the weakness of the child and its frailty on top of the weakness of the mother.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَهْنًا عًلى وَهْنٍ ; he said: the weakness of the child on top of the weakness of the mother and her frailty.
And His word: وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عامَيْنِ ("and his weaning is in two years"). He says: and his weaning is at the passing of two years. And it has been said: وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عامَيْنِ , where the mention of "the passing" has been omitted, because one was content with the indication that the expression gives to it, just as it has been said: وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا ("and ask the town in which we were"), by which the inhabitants of the town are meant.
And His word: أن اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ ("that: be grateful to Me and to your two parents"). He says: and We commanded him that: be grateful to Me for My favors to you, and to your two parents for their raising of you, and for the trouble they had with you in the hardship they endured, until your strength became firm. And His word: إليَّ المَصِيرُ ("to Me is the return"). He says: to Allah is your return, O man, and He will question you about what there was of your gratitude toward Him for His favors to you, and about what there was of your gratitude toward your two parents, and your goodness to them despite what they endured from you of fatigue and hardship during your childhood and your youth, and what they did for you in their goodness toward you and their tenderness for you.
And it has been mentioned that this verse was sent down concerning the affair of Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ and his mother.
Mention of the report that has been transmitted about that:
Hannād ibn al-Sarī related to us, saying: Abū al-Aḥwaṣ related to us, on the authority of Simāk ibn Ḥarb, on the authority of Muṣʿab ibn Saʿd, saying: the mother of Saʿd swore that she would not eat and would not drink until Saʿd abandoned his religion. He said: but he refused [to obey] her, and she remained thus until she fell unconscious. He said: then her sons came and gave her drink. He said: and when she came to again, she invoked [a curse from] Allah against him, and then this verse was sent down: وَوَصَّيْنا الإنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ ("And We have enjoined upon man concerning his two parents") up to His word: فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ("in a fitting manner in this world").
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Simāk ibn Ḥarb, on the authority of Muṣʿab ibn Saʿd, on the authority of his father, saying: the mother of Saʿd said to Saʿd: has Allah not commanded goodness [toward parents]? By Allah, I will not eat food and will not drink drink until I die, or you reject [the faith]. He said: and when they wanted to feed her, they pried her mouth open with a stick and then poured it into her. Then this verse was sent down: وَوَصَّيْنا الإنسانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ ("And We have enjoined upon man concerning his two parents").
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of Simāk ibn Ḥarb, saying: Saʿd ibn Mālik said: concerning me was sent down: وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ("And if they strive against you to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them, but accompany them in a fitting manner in this world"). He said: when I became Muslim, my mother swore not to eat food and not to drink drink. He said: and I implored her on the first day, but she refused and persisted. And when it was the second day, I implored her, but she refused. And when it was the third day, I implored her, but she refused. Then I said: by Allah, even if you had a hundred souls and they went out one by one, I would not abandon this religion of mine. When she saw that and knew that I would not do it, she ate.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, saying: I heard Abū Hubayra saying: he said: this verse was sent down concerning Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ: وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُمَا ... ("And if they strive against you to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them ...") to the end of the verse.
