Surah Luqman 31:12
سُورَةُ لُقۡمَانَ · Meccan · Verse 12 of 34
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا لُقْمَٰنَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌۭ
Translation
We endowed Luqman with wisdom: ‘Be thankful to God: whoever gives thanks benefits his own soul, and as for those who are thankless––God is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise.’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This beautiful verse opens with Allah's declaration of a profound gift to one of His righteous servants.
The Gift of Wisdom and Gratitude
The verse begins, "وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ" (And We had certainly given Luqman wisdom). Notice the opening "وَلَقَدْ" (wa laqad). This isn't just a simple statement; the Arabic here uses two strong particles of emphasis, like saying "Indeed, truly, We certainly gave," signaling that what follows is a significant and established truth. This immediately highlights the special status of Luqman and the extraordinary nature of the gift of "al-Hikmah" (wisdom) bestowed upon him. Scholars like Ibn Ashur and al-Razi delve into the meaning of this wisdom, explaining it as a deep understanding of the true nature of things, the ability to act upon knowledge, and soundness in speech. Many, including the majority of scholars, believed Luqman was a wise man, not a prophet, whose insights were divinely inspired.
What was the essence of this wisdom? The verse explains it directly: "أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ" (that he should be grateful to Allah). The particle "أَنِ" (an) here acts as an explanation, showing that the instruction to be grateful was not just a separate command, but a core component, an inherent aspect, of the very wisdom Luqman received. True wisdom, as Zamakhshari points out, includes acting upon what one knows, and the first act is acknowledging and thanking Allah. The Arabic particle "لِ" (li) in "لِلَّهِ" (li-Allah) highlights that this gratitude is due to Allah, and also that its benefit ultimately returns to the grateful person. This gratitude, as Ibn Ashur notes, is the very headspring of wisdom, leading one to see Allah's blessings and respond appropriately.
The Impact of Your Choices
The verse then clarifies the consequences of one's actions: "وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ" (And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for himself). The phrase "فَإِنَّمَا" (fa-innama) is a powerful Arabic construction that conveys exclusivity, meaning "only" or "none other than." It stresses that the immense benefit of gratitude is received by the person expressing it. When you give thanks, you are enhancing your own well-being, earning rewards, and fostering a closer relationship with your Creator. Al-Razi observes that the word "يَشْكُرْ" (yashkur) is in the present/future tense, suggesting that gratitude should be a continuous, ongoing act, reflecting the continuous flow of Allah's blessings.
The contrast is immediately drawn: "وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ" (And whoever denies [His blessings], then indeed, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy). Here, "كَفَرَ" (kafara - denied/disbelieved) is in the past tense, perhaps indicating a definitive, complete act of ingratitude. This contrast emphasizes a critical truth: when someone chooses to be ungrateful or disbelieve, they harm no one but themselves. Allah is "غَنِيٌّ" (Ghaniyy), meaning He is utterly Self-Sufficient, completely independent of His creation's gratitude or worship. Our actions do not add to His perfection. He is also "حَمِيدٌ" (Hameed), meaning Praiseworthy, inherently deserving of all praise, whether or not people offer it. As Ibn Ashur and Zamakhshari clarify, Allah's glory and attributes remain unaffected by human choices, making our gratitude a personal gain and our ingratitude a self-inflicted loss.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Luqman 31:12 is discussed in 7 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Luqman 31:12 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.