Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (part 104)
Educational Lessons from the Story of Luqman the Wise (AS)
Lesson Sixteen: Deepening Children’s Sense of Faith through Emphasizing Allah’s All-Encompassing Knowledge and Power over All Creatures and Phenomena
Luqman the Wise (AS) said to his son: «يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّهَا إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُنْ فِي صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ أَوْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ» [1]; Translation: “O my son! If a deed should be the weight of a mustard seed and be hidden within a rock or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah (SWT) will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah (SWT) is Most Subtle, All-Aware.”
This verse serves as an important reminder for children so that their sense of faith may deepen and they become certain that the knowledge and power of Allah the Exalted encompass all things known, all creatures, and every possible matter. Nothing, no matter how small, hidden, or distant, lies beyond the scope of His knowledge and power.
To establish this truth, Luqman the Wise (AS) refers to the smallest tangible example—a mustard seed, which represents the utmost degree of smallness. He then mentions the most concealed place, the interior of a solid rock, and thereafter the broadest and most distant realms—the heavens and the earth—so that his son may realize that if Allah (SWT) has complete knowledge of such minute and hidden things, then He certainly has complete knowledge of all things that are apparent and near.
It is as though Luqman the Wise (PBUH) is saying to his son, “Whatever deed you perform, even if it is hidden, it will never remain concealed from Allah the Exalted.” Whatever you do, you remain within the domain of Allah’s decree; your deeds are recorded, and you will be held accountable for them and rewarded or punished accordingly.
This meaning is also emphasized in a Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): “If one of you were to perform a deed inside a solid, sealed rock that had neither a door nor an opening, that deed would surely be brought to light, whatever it may be.” [2]
This advice of Luqman (AS) embodies one of the fundamental pillars of faith-based and doctrinal education: directing the child’s attention to the wondrous power of Allah the Exalted. The objective is to guide the child’s mind and thinking toward reflecting upon the system of creation and contemplating the marvels of the universe.
Luqman’s educational method is founded upon guiding a person from tangible and observable realities to intellectual and spiritual truths. In other words, one first reflects upon the heavens, the earth, and the phenomena surrounding him and through this reflection arrives at a greater truth: the all-encompassing knowledge and power of Allah over the entire universe.
This approach is regarded as one of the wisest educational methods in Islam, because it does not establish faith merely upon imitation and instruction; rather, it builds faith upon reflection, observation, contemplation, and rational conviction.
From an educational perspective, this verse teaches children several important lessons:
-
A person should always consider himself to be in the presence of Allah (SWT);
-
No deed, whether small or great, escapes Allah’s reckoning;
-
Personal responsibility is the result of certainty in Allah’s knowledge and power;
-
Reflecting upon creation is one of the means of strengthening faith;
-
True faith creates a profound connection between the intellect, the heart, and human conduct.
In reality, Luqman the Wise (AS) wished his son to attain such a level of faith that he would reform his conduct not out of fear of people but out of awareness of the constant presence of Allah (SWT); that he would neither commit wrongdoing in private nor deviate from the path of truth in public.
This is the kind of upbringing that frees a person from dependence upon external supervision and develops within him a conscience of faith and self-control. For the one who is certain that Allah (SWT) is fully aware of his smallest deeds and most hidden thoughts will always be inclined toward truthfulness, trustworthiness, chastity, and responsibility. [3]
To be continued…
Previous Part | Next Part
References:
[1]. Luqman: 16.
[2]. Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Vol. 12, p. 491.
[3]. Al-Mawla, Muhammad al-Jad, Al-Qasas al-Qur’ani, p. 345.
