وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَـٰنُ لِٱبْنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ 13
Translations
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Luqmān said to his son while he was instructing him, "O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allāh. Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice."
Transliteration
Wa-idh qala Luqman-u li-ibnihi wa-huwa ya'izuhu ya-bunayya la tushrik bi-Allah; inna al-shirka la-zulm-un 'azim
Tafsir (Explanation)
Luqman advises his son against associating partners with Allah (shirk), describing it as the greatest injustice. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse establishes the foundational principle of monotheism (tawhid) as the first and most essential teaching a parent should impart to their child. Al-Qurtubi notes that shirk is termed 'great injustice' because it wrongs Allah by denying His uniqueness and wrongs the soul by leading it to destruction.
Revelation Context
Surah Luqman is Meccan and presents Luqman's moral teachings to his son as an exemplary model of Islamic guidance and parental wisdom. This opening instruction sets the thematic foundation for all the ethical and spiritual advice that follows in the surah, making tawhid the prerequisite for all righteous conduct.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk)' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, 'Whoever dies without associating anything with Allah enters Paradise' (Sahih Muslim 93), emphasizing the paramount importance of this teaching.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that the foundation of all religious and moral education must be sincere belief in the oneness of Allah, and that parents bear a sacred responsibility to instill this principle in their children before all else. For modern believers, it reminds us that safeguarding our faith from shirk—whether in its obvious forms or subtle manifestations like placing trust in other than Allah—is the most critical aspect of spiritual integrity.