Luqman

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Luqman or Lokman (Arabic: لقمان, romanized: Luqmān; also known as Luqman the Wise or Luqman al-Hakim) was a wise man after whom Surah Luqman, the 31st sura (chapter) of the Quran, was named. According to Ibn Kathir, he is believed to have been from Nubia, Sudan or Ethiopia.^[1][2]

There are many stories about Luqman in Persian, Arabic and Turkish literature. The primary historical sources attributed to him are Tafsir ibn Kathir and Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir.^{[citation needed]} By the Middle Ages, many of the ancient fables traditionally associated with Aesop in Europe became associated in Arabic culture with Luqman.

Juan Cole states that the narrative of Luqman is based on Alcmaeon of Croton: "Qur’ān 31:12 might best be translated, “We bestowed philosophy [al-ḥikma = φιλοσοφία] on Alcmaeon: ‘Give thanks to God’.”^[3]