The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Luqmān – Verse 14

وَوَصَّينَا الإِنسانَ بِوالِدَيهِ حَمَلَتهُ أُمُّهُ وَهنًا عَلىٰ وَهنٍ وَفِصالُهُ في عامَينِ أَنِ اشكُر لي وَلِوالِدَيكَ إِلَيَّ المَصيرُ

We have enjoined man concerning his parents: his mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the return.

EXEGESIS

Wahnan ʿalā wahnin (weakness upon weakness); Rāghib writes that the phrase wahnan ʿalā wahnin in this surah means: ‘Every time the foetus grows larger in its mother’s womb, it increases her in weakness upon weakness [or increasingly weakens her].’‎[1] Thus it is the recurring weakness that afflicts the mother due to her carrying the foetus.‎[2] This is while Ibn Abbas is attributed to have explained this phrase as: ‘Hardship upon hardship‎[3] and [a stage in] creation followed by [another stage in] creation.’‎[4] It has also been suggested to mean the severity of effort and hard work that a mother has to undergo during the pregnancy.‎[5]

Fiṣāl (weaning)‎[6] refers to stopping breastfeeding the child.‎[7] This involves accustoming an infant to food other than the mother’s milk thereby gradually drawing it away (or weaning it away) from suckling the breast.‎[8] This is the interval between infancy and the suckling period.‎[9] Indeed, from the range of meanings of the root letters of fiṣāl, which are f-ṣ-l, is: the distance between two objects, separation, to disjoint, barrier.‎[10]

EXPOSITION

The Quranic narrative digresses a little here with the interposition of verses 14 and 15 of this surah into the Luqmān pericope. Luqmān’s counsel carries on thereafter from verse 16.‎[11] However, on careful reflection of these verses, the sense of thematic digression dissipates and the relationship of these two verses with the preceding two verses becomes evident as follows: God instructs Luqmān in verse 12 to be grateful to Him for having taught him wisdom, or instructs him to be grateful to Him, which is the wisdom granted to him. Then in this verse, the Quranic narrative returns to the topic of gratitude again, to convey that gratitude is not specific to God even though the loftiest gratitude is reserved for Him; rather, gratitude is incumbent on a person towards whoever grants him or her favours, especially one’s parents.‎[12] Thus, verse 14 instructs We have enjoined man concerning his parents … Give thanks to … your parents.‎[13] However, it precedes the instruction in favour of gratitude to parents with the instruction Give thanks to Me. Gratitude to God occurs by means of praising God and obeying Him.‎[14] The instruction to be grateful to God is a reiteration of the instruction in verse 12 as well as a reiteration of the concept of monotheism underlined in verses 13-14 and 10-11. So the instruction or the enjoinment is to be grateful to God first and then to one’s parents.‎[15] Gratitude is due to God for His boons and blessings granted to human beings, and gratitude is due to one’s parents for their blessings granted to their offspring.‎[16]

Gratitude to God is connected in this verse to gratitude to parents.‎[17] This is because while God is the creator and originator, and thereafter nourisher and sustainer of the human being, and the true source of all blessings, parents serve as the cause or the medium by which that creation and origination, and thereafter nourishment, sustenance, and blessings get conveyed or channelled to the human being.‎[18] This is made explicit in this verse with a special emphasis on the mother, to remind of her special individual significance.‎[19] So although both parents participate in the conception of a person’s existence as well as in his or her upbringing, God specifically mentions what the mother undergoes during the period of pregnancy and foetal development, his mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, thereby highlighting her especial individual importance.‎[20] This is because as the foetus develops, it increases the mother in weakness, difficulty, suffering, distress, and severity of hardship,‎[21] for the foetus obtains all its nutrition and oxygen from the mother’s blood via the placenta through the blood vessels in the umbilical cord.‎[22] Nevertheless, the ultimate creator and source of all blessings, and indeed the originator of even those blessings that arrive via the agency of parents, including via the agency of the mother, is God Almighty, and hence His precedence in gratitude: Give thanks to Me and to your parents.

One of those blessings originated by God but obtainable via the agency of the mother is the blessing of nourishment and sustenance to the infant, which is the second reason why the parents and especially the mother needs to be thanked. The verse says and his weaning takes two years, a reference to the nourishment and sustenance of the human being while an infant via the medium of the mother.‎[23] This is the child’s nursing period which is for two complete years.‎[24] This fact is repeated clearly in 2:233.‎[25] This means that after giving birth it is best for a child to be breastfed for a full two years by its mother, where possible.

During this period, the mother endures hardships in addition to the hardships endured during pregnancy and childbirth‎[26] (46:15). So the two statements, his mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years not only to explain and justify the need to be grateful to parents, but especially to affirm the recommendation in favour of the mother.‎[27]

God then instructs that He be thanked as well as parents, with the words, Give thanks to Me and to your parents where He mentions Himself in the first person singular rather than first person plural with which He began the verse. This is because the first person singular is most emphatic regarding monotheism as the narrative is in the context of combating polytheism.‎[28] Thus it is incumbent on the human being to be grateful to God and thereafter to be grateful to his parents. Indeed, being grateful to parents is part of gratitude to God because this is something He has enjoined people to do. Therefore, being grateful to parents is worshipping God, and worshipping God is to give thanks to Him.‎[29]

Here, it may be interesting to note the manner in which Imam Ali (a) derived the least period of pregnancy, which is six months. He did this by bringing together 2:233 and 46:15. The former says, Mothers shall suckle their children for two full years – that for such as desire to complete the suckling, while the latter says, His mother has carried him in travail, and bore him in travail, and his gestation and weaning take thirty months.‎[30] The same result is also available by bringing together verse 14 and 46:15.‎[31]

The verse comes to a close with To Me is the return. This refers to the point in time when God shall recompense everyone on the basis of their deeds‎[32] or on the basis of their gratitude and ingratitude.‎[33] This serves as both a warning‎[34] and as an emphasis on the command to give thanks.‎[35] It also contains a hint of the difference between the favours of one’s parents and God. Their favours are limited to the world, while God’s favours apply in the world and the hereafter.‎[36]

Goodness, gratitude, and virtue towards parents are enjoined in a number of verses such as 2:83, 4:36, 29:8, and 46:15, and often combined with the command to worship none but God.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. Imam al-Sajjād (a) said: ‘The greatest right of God on you is that you should worship Him [alone] and not associate anything with Him. If you do that with sincerity then God shall make it incumbent on Himself to suffice you in the matters of the world and the hereafter.’‎[37]
  2. In conformity with what this verse says about the mother’s endurance of difficulties during pregnancy and during the nursing period, which qualifies her for a greater share of filial piety and kindness, there occurs the following advice of Imam al-Sajjād (a): ‘As for the right of your mother, then you should know that she carried you where nobody carries another. She gave you of the fruit of her heart what none gives another. She protected you with all her limbs. She did not care if she went hungry but fed you. She did not care if she was thirsty but quenched your thirst. She did not care if she was naked but covered you. She did not care if she was in the sun but shaded you. She relinquished sleep for you. She protected you from the heat and cold so that you may belong to her. You will not be able to thank her save by God’s help and success granted by Him.’‎[38]
  3. Imam al-Sajjād (a) also said: ‘And as for the right of your father, then you should know that he is your source. Had it not been for him you would not have been. So whenever you see something in yourself that delights and amazes you then know that your father is the source of that blessing on you. So praise God and be grateful to Him in appreciation of that, and there is no power save with God.’‎[39]
  4. ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Sinān said he heard Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) say: ‘Disrespect and disobedience to parents (ʿuqūq al-wālidayn) is from the great sins, as well as despairing of God’s mercy, and the feeling that one is safe from God’s cunning.’ It has also been related that the greatest of the great sins is associating another with God (shirk).‎[40]
  5. Hishām ibn Sālim relates from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘A man came to the Prophet (s) and asked: “Messenger of God, to whom should I be virtuous?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked: “Then whom?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked [again]: “Then whom?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked [yet again]: “Then whom?” He replied: “Your father.”’‎[41]
  6. Imam al-Riḍā (a) said: ‘God ordered us to thank Him and parents. Thus, whoever did not thank his parents has not thanked God.’‎[42]
  7. Imam al-Riḍā (a) said: ‘Whoever does not thank the benefactor from creation has not thanked God, the mighty and majestic.’‎[43] 
[1] Cited in Munyah, 21/130.
[2] Tibyan, 8/276.
[3] Tibyan, 8/276; Suyuti, 5/166.
[4] Suyuti, 5/166.
[5] Tibyan, 8/276.
[6] Kashif, 6/159; Munyah, 21/130; Mizan, 16/216; Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 713.
[7] Mizan, 16/216; Kashif, 6/159.
[8] Mizan, 16/216.
[9] Munyah, 21/130.
[10] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 712.
[11] Mizan, 16/215; Kashif, 6/161; Tabrisi.J, 3/280; Munyah, 21/134.
[12] Munyah, 21/134.
[13] Mizan, 16/216; Munyah, 21/134.
[14] Tabrisi, 8/494.
[15] Mizan, 16/216.
[16] Tibyan, 8/276.
[17] Razi, 25/120.
[18] Tabrisi, 8/494; Razi, 25/120.
[19] Tabrisi, 8/494; Tabrisi.J, 3/280; Munyah, 21/134.
[20] Tabrisi.J, 3/280; Munyah, 21/134.
[21] Tibyan, 8/276; Tabrisi, 8/494-495; Munyah, 21/134.
[22] Munyah, 21/134.
[23] Razi, 25/120; Munyah, 21/135.
[24] Mizan, 16/216; Kashif, 6/161; Tibyan, 8/276; Safi, 4/143; Munyah, 21/135.
[25] Munyah, 21/135.
[26] Tabrisi, 8/495; Kashif, 6/161.
[27] Tabrisi.J, 3/280; Safi, 4/143.
[28] Munyah, 21/135.
[29] Mizan, 16/216.
[30] Munyah, 21/135.
[31] Mizan, 16/216.
[32] Munyah, 21/135.
[33] Safi, 4/143.
[34] Tibyan, 8/276; Tabrisi, 8/495; Mizan, 16/216.
[35] Mizan, 16/216; Kashif, 6/161.
[36] Razi, 25/120.
[37] Mizan, 16/219.
[38] Mizan, 16/219; Munyah, 21/135.
[39] Mizan, 16/219.
[40] Mizan, 16/219.
[41] Mizan, 16/220.
[42] Safi, 4/143.
[43] Safi, 4/144.