The Salaf differed over the identity of Luqman; there are two opinions: was he a Prophet or just a righteous servant of Allah without the prophethood The majority favored the latter view, that he was a righteous servant of Allah without being a Prophet. Sufyan Ath-Thawri said, narrating from Al-Ash`ath, from `Ikrimah, from Ibn `Abbas, "Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who was a carpenter. `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr said, "I said to Jabir bin `Abdullah: `What did you hear about Luqman' He said: `He was short with a flat nose, and came from Nubia.''' Yahya bin Sa`id Al-Ansari narrated from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib that "Luqman was from the black peoples of (southern) Egypt, and had thick lips. Allah gave him wisdom but withheld prophethood from him.'' Al-`Awza`i said, "`Abdur-Rahman bin Harmalah told me; `A black man came to Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib to ask him a question, and Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said to him: "Do not be upset because you are black, for among the best of people were three who were black: Bilal, Mahja` the freed slave of `Umar bin Al-Khattab, and Luqman the Wise, who was a black Nubian with thick lips.'' Ibn Jarir recorded that Khalid Ar-Raba`i said: "Luqman was an Ethiopian slave who was a carpenter. His master said to him, `Slaughter this sheep for us,' so he slaughtered it. ﴿His master﴾ said: `Bring the best two pieces from it,' so he brought out the tongue and the heart. Then time passed, as much as Allah willed, and ﴿his master﴾ said: `Slaughter this sheep for us,' so he slaughtered it. ﴿His master﴾ said, `Bring the worst two morsels from it,' so he brought out the tongue and the heart. His master said to him, `I told you to bring out the best two pieces, and you brought these, then I told you to bring out the worst two pieces, and you brought these!' Luqman said, `There is nothing better than these if they are good, and there is nothing worse than these if they are bad.''' Shu`bah narrated from Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, "Luqman was a righteous servant, but he was not a Prophet.'' Allah's saying:

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط،ظژط§طھظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظڈظ‚ظ’ظ…ظژط§ظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظگظƒظ’ظ…ظژط©ظژ﴾

(And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman Al-Hikmah) means, understanding, knowledge and eloquence.

﴿ط£ظژظ†ظگ ط§ط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظ’ ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ﴾

(saying: "Give thanks to Allah.'') means, `We commanded him to give thanks to Allah for the blessings and favors that Allah had given to him alone among his people and contemporaries.' Then Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظ’ ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظژط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظڈ ظ„ظگظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(And whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) himself.) meaning, the benefit of that will come back to him, and Allah's reward is for those who give thanks, as He says:

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¹ظژظ…ظگظ„ظژ طµظژظ€ظ„ظگط­ط§ظ‹ ظپظژظ„ط§ظ‘ظ‹ظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ…ظ’ظ‡ظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and whosoever does righteous good deeds, then such will prepare a good place for themselves. ) (30:44)

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظƒظژظپظژط±ظژ ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط؛ظژظ†ظگظ‰ظ‘ظŒ ط­ظژظ…ظگظٹط¯ظŒ﴾

(And whoever is unthankful, then verily, Allah is Rich, Worthy of all praise.) He has no need of His servants and He will not be harmed by that, even if all the people of the earth were to disbelieve, for He has no need of anything or anyone besides Himself. There is no God but He, and we worship none but Him.

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظ’ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ظ„ظڈظ‚ظ’ظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈ ظ„ط§ط¨ظ’ظ†ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظژط¹ظگط¸ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظٹظژط¨ظڈظ†ظژظ‰ظ‘ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظگط±ظ’ظƒظژ ظ„ظژط¸ظڈظ„ظ’ظ…ظŒ ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظŒ - ظˆظژظˆظژطµظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط¥ظگظ†ظ’ط³ظژظ€ظ†ظژ ط¨ظگظˆظژظ„ظگط¯ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط­ظژظ…ظژظ„ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژظ‡ظ’ظ†ط§ظ‹ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ظˆظژظ‡ظ’ظ†ظچ ظˆظژظپظگطµظژط§ظ„ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظپظگظ‰ ط¹ظژط§ظ…ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظگ ط£ظژظ†ظگ ط§ط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظ’ ظ„ظگظ‰ ظˆظژظ„ظگظˆظژظ„ظگط¯ظژظٹظ’ظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژطµظگظٹط±ظڈ - ظˆظژط¥ظگظ† ط¬ظژظ€ظ‡ظژط¯ظژط§ظƒظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط£ظژظ† طھظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظژ ط¨ظگظ‰ ظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژظٹظ’ط³ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظژ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظŒ ظپظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈط·ظگط¹ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظˆظژطµظژظ€ط­ظگط¨ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ظ…ظژط¹ظ’ط±ظڈظˆظپط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط§طھظ‘ظژط¨ظگط¹ظ’ ط³ظژط¨ظگظٹظ„ظژ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ظ‘ظژ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظژط±ظ’ط¬ظگط¹ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژط£ظڈظ†ظژط¨ظ‘ظگط¦ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†طھظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(13. And when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.'') (14. And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years -- give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.) (15. But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.)