Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bah Publishing Trust.The Quran does not state whether Luqman was a prophet, but some people believe him to be a prophet and thus write Alayhis salaam (A.S.) with his name.One day, whilst he was sleeping under a tree, an angel came to him and told him Allah wanted to bestow a gift upon Luqman and that he can choose one of two: wisdom or being a king.Luqman chose wisdom and when he woke from his slumber, he was aware that his senses and understanding had sharpened.
He felt in complete harmony with nature and could understand the inner meaning of things, beyond their physical reality. Immediately, he bowed down, thanked and praised Allah for the wonderful gift. He was deprived of his freedom and could neither move nor speak freely. He suffered his bondage patiently, for his heart was lit with faith and hope, and he was waiting for Allahs action. He was able to detect that Luqman was not ordinary and tried to test his intelligence. He ordered Luqman to slaughter a sheep and bring its worst part to him. Luqman slaughtered the sheep and took its heart and tongue to his master. On receiving them - his master smiled, fascinated by Luqmans choice of the worst. He understood that Luqman was trying to convey some deep meaning even though he could not make out exactly what. From that moment onwards, his owner began to take more interest in Luqman and became kinder to him than before. Luqman slaughtered a sheep, and to his masters amazement, again brought the same organs (the heart and the tongue). His master asked Luqman how the heart and the tongue could be both the worst and the best parts. The wise Luqman answered: The tongue and the heart are the sweetest parts if its owner is pure; and if he is wicked, they too are as wicked Thereafter, Luqmans owner held him in great respect. Luqman was consulted by many people for advice, and the fame of his wisdom spread all over the country. According to the Hadith citation needed, when Luqman was teaching, he was asked, What has brought you to be like this meaning his high rank. Luqman said, Truthful speech, fulfilling the trust, and leaving what does not concern me. And if thou art able not to waken after sleep, then thou shalt be able not to rise after death. There has been much debate and discussion, theologically and historically, about the relationship of the two characters. Some maintain that its the same person, others that they simply share the same name. Arabic proverb collections actually fuse the two characters, drawing from both the Quran and pre-Islamic stories, endowing him with superhuman strength and lifespan. The pre-Islamic Luqman was of the Ad people, who lived in Al-Ahqaf in the Arabian peninsula, near modern-day Yemen. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bah Publishing Trust.
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