Transliteration:( Wa wassainal insaana bi waalidaihi hamalat hu ummuhoo wahnan 'alaa wahninw wa fisaaluhoo fee 'aamaini anishkur lee wa liwaalidaika ilaiyal maseer )
"And We have stressed on man [25] concerning his parents. The mother bears the child, undergoing weakness upon weakness [26]. And his weaning takes two years [27]. So be grateful to Me and to your parents [28], And lastly the return is to Me."
This verse appears within the context of Luqman’s counsel, and serves as a divine interjection, emphasizing the lofty status of serving one’s parents. Even if a person’s parents are disbelievers, their parental rights remain intact and must be honored. This highlights that filial responsibility transcends belief and is rooted in basic human decency and divine command.
The mother is specifically mentioned for the unique hardships she endures: pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. The phrase “weakness upon weakness” reflects both physical and emotional burdens. Scholars point out that the mother nourishes the child with her own blood, while the father contributes through wealth. Thus, the mother’s right to service is greater, while the father’s right in matters of obedience and financial authority is emphasized.
This balance is beautifully encapsulated in two Prophetic statements:
“Paradise lies under the feet of your mother” – indicating her spiritual rank through service.
“You and your wealth belong to your father” – highlighting his authority and right in economic matters.
The verse also clarifies that breastfeeding should last up to two full years. In places where a total of thirty months is mentioned, that includes approximately six months of pregnancy. This guideline reflects the balance of maternal care and serves as a framework for early child development within Islamic ethics.
The command to “be grateful to Me and to your parents” shows that gratitude to parents is directly linked to gratitude to Allah. Allah is our Creator and Sustainer, while parents are His means through which we are brought into this world and nurtured.
According to Hazrat Sufyaan ibn ʿUyaynah, one expresses gratitude to Allah through daily prayers, and gratitude to parents by praying for their forgiveness, particularly in the supplication:
"O my Lord, forgive me and my parents."
The verse ends with a profound reminder: “And lastly the return is to Me.” This affirms that accountability lies with Allah alone, and all duties—towards Him and others—will be judged in the Hereafter.
The tafsir of Surah Luqman verse 14 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Luqman ayat 13 which provides the complete commentary from verse 13 through 15.
(31:14) We[22] enjoined upon man to be dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning lasted two years.[23] (We, therefore, enjoined upon him): “Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is your ultimate return.
22. From these words, Imam Shafei, Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad have drawn the conclusion that the suckling period of the child is two years. If a child has been suckled by the a woman within this period, they will be forbidden for each other for marriage, but if outside and beyond this period, they will not be so. A saying of Imam Malik also supports this. But Imam Abu Hanifah has proposed the period of two and a half years as a precaution, and has added that the child has been weaned after two years, or even earlier, and it is no longer dependent upon suckling for its food, no woman would be forbidden for him, if she gave him suck after that period. However, if the real food of the child is still milk, suckling during the period will render him and her forbidden for each other in spite of his eating the other food in a more or less quantity. For, the verse does not mean that the child should be suckled necessarily for two years. In Surah Al-Baqarah it has been said: “The mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years, if the fathers desire the suckling to be completed.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 233). Ibn Abbas from these words has concluded, and other scholars have agreed with him in this, that the shortest period of pregnancy is six months, for the Quran at another place says: “His bearing (in the womb) and his weaning took thirty months.” (Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayat 15).
23. That is, “About whom you have no knowledge that he is My associate.”
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