"And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom: 'Give thanks to God!' And whosoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for his own sake. And whosoever is ungrateful, truly God is Self-Sufficient, Praised."
Quran 31:12
It seems like I've been saving some of my favorite surahs from the Quran for last, especially considering how much time I devoted to the 18th surah, al-Kahf. In this case I'm going to spend a couple days talking about the 31st surah, Luqman. Now, anyone who knows me knows that my favorite restaurant in Zanzibar is Lukmaan's, which or may not be drawn from the same character (or maybe he's just the owner of the restaurant, I can never get a straight answer). But who is Luqman?
According to Nasr: "Vv. 12-13 provide the only direct reference to Luqman in the Quran. There is extensive debate regarding his identity. A minority of commentators propose that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian prophet, but most commentators maintain that he was simply a righteous man or a sage. Some identify him as a Nubian, an Ethiopian, or an Egyptian slave. Others claim that he was the nephew of the Prophet Job who lived a thousand years and acquired knowledge from the prophet David, or that he was a judge among the people of Israel. In the modern period, some scholars have attempted to identify him with such ancient figures as Prometheus, Almaeon, or the Biblical Balaam. It is most likely that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian sage revered during the time of Muhammad. That he was given wisdom is thus interpreted to mean comprehension and understanding rather than revelation."
Now, even if the restaurant is just named after the owner, it's interesting that Lukmaan is still a popular name in Islamic east Africa. We'll continue to explore this mystery in the coming days.
Quran 31:12
It seems like I've been saving some of my favorite surahs from the Quran for last, especially considering how much time I devoted to the 18th surah, al-Kahf. In this case I'm going to spend a couple days talking about the 31st surah, Luqman. Now, anyone who knows me knows that my favorite restaurant in Zanzibar is Lukmaan's, which or may not be drawn from the same character (or maybe he's just the owner of the restaurant, I can never get a straight answer). But who is Luqman?
According to Nasr: "Vv. 12-13 provide the only direct reference to Luqman in the Quran. There is extensive debate regarding his identity. A minority of commentators propose that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian prophet, but most commentators maintain that he was simply a righteous man or a sage. Some identify him as a Nubian, an Ethiopian, or an Egyptian slave. Others claim that he was the nephew of the Prophet Job who lived a thousand years and acquired knowledge from the prophet David, or that he was a judge among the people of Israel. In the modern period, some scholars have attempted to identify him with such ancient figures as Prometheus, Almaeon, or the Biblical Balaam. It is most likely that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian sage revered during the time of Muhammad. That he was given wisdom is thus interpreted to mean comprehension and understanding rather than revelation."
Now, even if the restaurant is just named after the owner, it's interesting that Lukmaan is still a popular name in Islamic east Africa. We'll continue to explore this mystery in the coming days.
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