Tafsir of Luqman 31:14

(And We have enjoined upon man regarding his parents...) This is an interpolated speech, introduced as a digression during the counsel of Luqman to emphasize the prohibition of polytheism contained therein. It is thus the speech of Allah the Almighty, not spoken by Him to Luqman. It is also said: It is the speech of the Almighty, spoken by Him to Luqman, as if to say: We said to him, "Be grateful," and We said, "We have enjoined upon man..."

In Al-Bahr, it is noted that when Luqman explained to his son that polytheism is an injustice and forbade him from it, this was an exhortation to obey Allah the Almighty; then, He clarified that obedience is also due to the parents and explained the reason for this. Thus, it is from the speech of Luqman that he used to counsel his son, about which Allah the Almighty informed us. Both opinions, as you can see, have their considerations.

The meaning is: We commanded man to care for his parents.

(His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness) — meaning, weakness upon weakness. The noun is an accusative of state (hal) from "mother," with the implication of an added possessor, i.e., "a possessor of weakness." It is permitted to treat the word itself as the state for the purpose of emphasis, though this is contrary to analogy, as the analogy for a state is that it should be a derivative. It is also permitted that it be an absolute object (maf'ul mutlaq) for an implied verb, meaning: "She weakens with weakness," and the sentence is also a state from "mother."

In any case, the intent is that she weakens with an increasing weakness due to the added weight of the pregnancy until the time of labor. It is also said: It is a successive weakness—the weakness of pregnancy, the weakness of labor, and the weakness of the puerperium (postpartum period). It is permitted that it be a state from the pronominal suffix in "carried him" (hamalat-hu), which refers to "man"—and this is what is necessitated by what Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Mujahid, who said: "(Weakness upon weakness)" refers to the child's weakness upon the mother's weakness. The intent is that she carried him while he was weak, upon another weakness similar to it. The intent is not that she carried him while he was in a state of increasing weakness, such that it would be said his weakness does not increase but rather decreases.

'Isa al-Thaqafi and Abu 'Amr, in one narration, read it as wahanin 'ala wahanin (with a fathah on the ha in both). It is possible that this is from the category of vocalizing the middle radical when it is a guttural letter, such as sha'r and sha'ar, according to the consistent analogy of the Kufans, as Ibn Jinni held. It is also possible that it is the verbal noun of wahana (with a kasrah on the ha)—yahinu (with a fathah)—for its verbal noun comes in that form, similar to saying ta'iba, yat'abu, ta'aban. The author of Al-Qamus indicates that neither of the two verbal nouns is exclusive to one of the two verbs; he says: Al-wahn is weakness in action, and it may be vocalized, with the verb conjugated like wa'ada, waritha, and karuma.

(And his weaning) — that is, his suckling and the cessation of his breastfeeding. Al-Hasan, Abu Raja’, Qatadah, al-Jahdari, and Ya'qub read it as wa-fasluhu, which is more general than fisaluhu. Fisal is more appropriate here than fasl because it is specialized for breastfeeding, even if both return to a single root, as al-Tayyibi stated.

(In two years) — that is, upon the completion of two years, or at the beginning of the time of their completion. The apparent meaning of the verse is that the duration of breastfeeding is two years, and this is the view of Imam al-Shafi'i, Imam Ahmad, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad; it is also the preference of al-Tahawi. It is narrated from Malik similarly. Imam Abu Hanifah held that the duration of breastfeeding to which prohibition is attached is thirty months, based on the Almighty’s saying: (And his carrying and his weaning [take] thirty months). The way to argue this is that the Almighty mentioned two things and set a duration for both of them, so it applies to each of them in their entirety, just like an appointed time set for two debts owed by two individuals—if one says, "I have deferred the debt I have against so-and-so and the debt I have against so-and-so for one year," it is understood that the year applies to each in its entirety. Or, if it is against one person, such as saying, "So-and-so owes me a thousand dirhams and ten sacks of grain, to be paid in a year," and the debtor acknowledges the term—when the year passes, the terms for both are completed. However, there is a reduction in one of them—namely, the duration of pregnancy—due to the statement of 'Aisha, of which no equivalent is spoken except by transmission: "The child does not remain in its mother's womb for more than two years, even by the weight of a spindle whorl." Thus, the duration of weaning remains according to its apparent meaning, and what is mentioned here is its minimum duration; but there is discussion on this.

(That: "Give thanks to Me and to your parents") — this is an explanation for "We have enjoined," as al-Nahhas preferred; thus, it is explanatory (tafsiriyyah). It is also permitted that it be a source-related particle (masdariyyah) with the implication of the letter lam of causality before it, and it would be connected to "We have enjoined." Without the implication, the source-noun would be a substitute (badal) for "his parents," a substitute of inclusion (badal ishtimal). Accordingly, it is as if it were said: "We have enjoined man regarding his parents by thanking them." The mention of thanking Allah the Almighty is because the validity of thanking them is dependent upon thanking Him, the Almighty, as is said in reverse: "He who does not thank people does not thank Allah the Almighty." This is why they are linked together in the commandment. In this, there is the distance that there is.

As for the opinion that the imperative precludes explanation, causality, or substitution, it is nothing, as we hinted at recently. According to the three perspectives, the Almighty’s saying: (His mother carried him... to two years) is an interpolation emphasizing the commandment in the right of the mother specifically, due to the mention of what she endured in his upbringing and carrying. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) said, as in the authentic hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud from Bahz bin Hakim, from his father, from his grandfather, to a man who asked him about whom he should treat with kindness: "Your mother," and he answered his question three times. It is related of one of the Arabs that he carried his mother to the Hajj on his back, saying in his chant: I carry my mother, and she is the one who carried me, Breastfed me the milk and the sustenance, No parent can recompense their deeds. And to Allah the Almighty belongs the beauty of he who said: Your mother has a right, if you knew, that is great, Your wealth, O man, is little in her sight. How many nights she spent with your weight, complaining, Because of you, a sighing and a groan. If you knew the hardship in birth she endured, For that, the heart would fly from choking. How many times she washed the filth from you with her right hand, And her lap was for you but a bed. She would ransom you from what you suffer with her own soul, And from her breast you drank the pure water. How many times she hungered and gave you her sustenance, Out of tenderness and compassion while you were small. Ah, for one who has intellect and follows desire, And ah, for one blind of heart who considers himself seeing! So take heed, and desire her encompassing prayer, For you are a beggar for what she prays for.

There is a difference regarding the intent of the thanks that is commanded. It is said: It is obedience and performing what is pleasing, such as prayer and fasting in relation to Him, the Almighty, and kindness and righteousness in relation to the parents. From Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah: "Whoever performs the five prayers has thanked Allah the Almighty, and whoever prays for his parents following them has thanked them." Perhaps this is an exposition of some instances of gratitude.

(To Me is the final destination) — a justification for the obligation of compliance with the command, meaning: To the return—not to anyone other than Me—so I may reward you for what has proceeded from you that opposes My command.